[Watch] Footage and concept art from a canceled Metallica game inspired by Mad Max and Twisted Metal surface online

Games get canceled all the time, sometimes we don't even know they're in development when they're canceled and they surface years later to crush our dreams at what could've been. One of these games is a canceled post apocalyptic action game inspired by popular franchises like Grand Theft Auto, Twisted Metal, and Mad Max. So, what makes this game so special exactly? Well it tied into legendary heavy metal band, Metallica!

That's right, before 2009 brought us Guitar Hero: Metallica, there was another Metallica game and it's nothing like any Metallica game you could ever imagine.

The game was titled Damage Inc.: Metallica and was being worked on by Climax Studios (who most recently gave us the 2.5D platformer, Assassin's Creed: Chronicles) and was being developed for PS2, Xbox, and PC in 2003 and 2004. You would play as a character living in a post apocalyptic world where you would drive cars armored with scrap and had guns mounted on to them similar to Mad Max and Twisted Metal. Players could also hop out of their vehicles and roam on foot with a handgun to protect them from any dangers.

The character you were to play as would've been members of the band, the one seen in the video below is supposedly band member James Hetfield. It's unclear why Metallica was in this game or why they were so prominent for the title, but the game looks damn awesome for a PS2-era game. You can view some gameplay of the game and hear more of the story behind its development and cancelation below.

[NeoGAF]