In Double Kick Heroes, when the apocalypse is snapping at your heels the one factor you possibly can belief is the facility of heavy steel drumming. This uncommon tackle a well-known outdated arcade style involves us from French outfit Headbang Club and brings rather a lot to the desk, together with a full stage editor, and is out on Steam Early Access in the present day.
As the title implies, your predominant weapon in opposition to a tide of undead, mutants and monsters is a double kick drumbeat. Once upon a time, Double Kick Heroes was just a little Ludum Dare development jam contest entry based mostly across the idea of two-button controls. In order to maintain up with the form of machinegun tempo heavy steel drumming requires, you wanted each of these buttons to alternate between. This new iteration of the sport makes use of as much as 4 buttons on your arsenal of percussion, and one other two to steer your bullet-spewing automotive.
I admit that I’ve not performed many rhythm video games extensively since Guitar Hero was large on the Playstation 2, so perhaps I’ve gotten rusty, however Double Kick Heroes feels surprisingly demanding. Granted, I’m taking part in on Hard mode (which unlocks all of the doable buttons to make use of), and juggling a number of audio tracks (every tied to a unique weapon) whereas maintaining a tally of the gameplay display itself for enemies to focus on and assaults to steer away from was just a little greater than anticipated. Satisfying, as soon as I acquired the cling of it, although, however I’m tempted to bump it all the way down to Normal.
The present Early Access model of the sport incorporates round half of the ultimate model’s deliberate songs, ranges and story-mode missions. Depending on what number of different bands they will rope in, Headbang Club plan on including some extra visitor tracks to the sport to bulk it out a bit. They reckon it’ll be completed in about six months, and can possible be accompanied with a small value improve as soon as it’s all finished and dusted.
While Double Kick Heroes does embody a totally practical stage editor, permitting you to assign observe charts to any observe you might personal, it’s no shock that Steam Workshop assist isn’t a part of the bundle. Levels are packed in a pleasant proprietary format, however sharing by way of Valve’s servers would undoubtedly be fraught with authorized points. Still, I wouldn’t be stunned if group (and legally questionable, let’s be actual) sharing websites popped up if the sport finally ends up midway profitable, as they’ve for different profitable rhythm video games.
Double Kick Heroes is out now via Steam Early Access for £10.25/$13.49.
