Metro Boomin has spent years building beats for other people to rap over. In OnlyHands, he gets to throw the punches himself.

It’s a real-time 1v1 fighter from Nothing Projects Interactive and Republic Records, in development for iOS and Android, and Metro’s the face of its first season. He’s executive producer too, shaping the music and the wider roster, and his character made its debut at New York Comic Con last week.

He’s a lot more considered than I expected from a rap fighter. The whole character hangs on an idea OnlyHands calls No Cape, so he doesn’t play the superhero. And he doesn’t fight like a performer either. He redirects more than he attacks, waits longer than you’d expect, and punishes anyone who overcommits.

His main mechanic is a meter called compression. As it fills, the crowd goes quiet and the camera closes in on the two of you. Your fighter starts recovering more slowly, and Metro’s openings get easier to land. No rage mode at the end of it, either. You’re just stuck fighting at his pace.

His backstory starts with his mother driving him from St. Louis towards Atlanta before anyone knew who he was, and from there it’s built around grief and keeping some things to himself.

Kodak Black, Denzel Curry, NLE Choppa and Boosie Badazz have all been named as playable too, with the official site promising more than 20 fighters. Comparisons to Def Jam: Fight for NY have been doing the rounds since Sauce Walka first started promoting it, which is a lot to live up to.

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