I knew this day would come. A reason to have kept my Guitar Hero controller has finally presented itself. About a year ago, I helped my mother move out of the home in which we grew up. Among the items I needed to purge was my Guitar Hero controller. Clad with the star and skulls stickers that came in the box, I took a long look at the plastic axe in deciding whether or not to keep it. Ultimately it ended up in the trash, but I had the faintest of feelings that I would come to regret not keeping it. And that regret has come.
As you’ve probably figured out, the game in subject does allow you to use your Guitar Hero controller. Developer Headbang Club knew just how many players out there had these all but useless contraptions lying around and decided to finally give people a reason to dust them off (or regret getting rid of them in my case). Of course this isn’t the only way to play the game and it probably isn’t even the best way*. It’s just a clever feature that fits perfectly within the personality of the game.
*Editor’s Note: We had the opportunity to play Double Kick Heroes at PAX East with a control pad and it is definitely the way to go, although a Guitar Hero guitar seems like it would do nicely as well.
Double Kick Heroes puts players in control of a classic car named Sheila traversing a post apocalyptic freeway outfitted with guns, guitars and headbangers. Our less than bothered musicians, making up a band called the Double Kick Heroes, are tasked with outrunning hordes of the undead and bands of marauding pillagers to the beat of a wide variety of rock and roll tunes.
This is a unique 16 bit style experience in that it combines rhythm mechanics with a side scrolling shooter. A note track runs along the bottom of the screen and gives players queues or indicators as to when they can fire one of their rear mounted weapons connected to your drummers double kick pedals. Successful chaining of perfectly timed notes awards players with more powerful weapons and shot patterns. This is indicated by a blue meter beside your “Beat Zone” which also has a red meter showing successive missed notes. Successful note hits that are not perfect will also fill the meter, just much slower. Consecutive missed notes , or “Bashing Too Much Dammit!” result in your weapons and car overheating. The penalty for this is cool down period where no shots can be taken. It’s a short amount of time, but can feel like forever when you have a large group of enemies on your tail and a single life left. Players have free rein whether they want to fire their top or bottom mounted gun, and the selection should depend on where your enemies are attacking you from.
Double Kick Heroes offers five difficulty settings appropriately named after different sub genres of rock. Rock and Hard Rock are entry level settings, Metal and Violence provide players a steeper challenge, and Extreme is meant for only the most seasoned artists (probably the same sadistic individuals who actually attempted Through the Fire and Flames in Guitar Hero). The overall difficulty of the game is dictated by speed of the track and number of notes. I knew things were going to get particularly hectic when I reached the bridge of a song, and the drummer started on the double bass pedals. This is where players will really need to sync their fingers to the song to avoid a bumper crowded with tailgating zombies.
Three main games modes provide a nice selection for players. Arcade allows players to jump right into the mosh pit of mayhem without the “boring details”. Campaign provides cutscenes, backstory, and an over world map showing the bands objectives and progress. Lastly, Editor offers the ability to make levels based on your own favorite tracks, or try out other peoples creations. This final mode is particularly intriguing in that it can provide value to players long after the credits roll on the campaign.
Double Kick Heroes is shaping up to be a fun and accessible head banging mosh pit of a game. This game will be sure to put a smile on your face and kick in your step whether you’re a fan of the heavy metal genre or not. The campaign looks as though it will provide bang for your buck alone. But with a quick to jump in arcade mode, and editor, Double Kick Heroes looks as though it will remain in your library for a long time to come. Be sure to check out Double Kick Heroes when it becomes available on Steam early access Wednesday April 11th.
