The Charge:
A slice of gaming heaven that is louder than hell!
Opening Statement:
My hands quaked as I tore away the plastic cocoon as I had done countless times before. Visions of a teenager tracing his fingertips along the stack of heavy metal vinyl’s he had been given ownership of for an entire summer flashed before my eyes. I could feel a deep pulse building in the pit of my very being, like the marching hooves of an iron clad war machine. Just holding the disc, I could feel its electricity dance between my digits, threatening to suddenly spark, sending a jolt straight to my brain. As searing tears of joy carved trails down my face, and my bear trap grin spread wide and vicious, I looked up to the clouds and held aloft the horns in praise of the metal gods. Brütal Legend, Double Fine overseer Tim Schafer’s latest baby has arrived on crimson wings, its fiery mane blazing with the undulating power of heavy metal. But is Schafer’s latest labor of love a face-melting, soul thrashing, black magic epic, or another sad stroll down Hollywood Boulevard?
Your a vision, make me shout out loud! Made my decision, it's goodbye to the old crowd!
Facts of the Case:
Eddie Riggs, a figure whispered about in the haunted annals of metal is described as the greatest roadie who ever lived. He was born and raised on tour, and like Conan the Barbarian, has been forged into man of destiny. Unfortunately he is currently on tour with the worst metal band in the universe (a hilarious pastiche of AFI, Limp Bizkit, and everything else that’s wrong with nu-metal) Armed with the ability to fix, build, and tune anything, and embodied of a sacrosanct devotion to rock, Eddie has been rescued from a fatal accident at a concert by Ormagödden; Cremator of the Skies and Destroyer of the Ancient World, and transported through time and space to a mythological Age of Metal. A savage world filled with Chrome Spiders that spin webs of bass strings, Boars that have Motorcycles for lower torsos, and a place known only as Bladehenge that must be seen to be believed. It is here that he will find a cause, build an army, and free an entire world from under the crushing, cloven hooves of an oppressive, demonic overlord. If this in any way sounds awesome to you, you’re in for a treat. If not, hell, there’s always Nintendogs.
Racing down the road! In a street machine of steel! Gears are jammed in full! I'm the madman at the wheel!
The Evidence:
Brütal Legend is one of the greatest games I have ever played in my close to 25 year career as a gamer. There, I’ve said it. It is done. Now for the why. Unlike any game that has ever graced he systems I have played, Brütal Legend is a collection of extremely well-developed aspects that have all been woven together brilliantly into a tapestry of grace and fury. There are so many ways a mismatched style of play like the one presented here could’ve gone horribly wrong, but by the grace of the metal gods, Schafer and his crew at Double Fine have managed to hold it all together. I received my review copy just last week as my previous article went to print. Over the course of a single weekend I played the game in its entirety. This is something that simply never happens with me anymore. I haven’t marathoned through a title since school. But Brütal Legend simply grabbed a hold of me with powerful talons and would not let go.
Lovers of the dark, step into the light! We know you're brave, you’ve come to see us dream! Many times before, now we open up a door!
Best described as an open world, real-time strategic beat ‘em up with strong adventure elements, Brütal Legend is quite simply a wonderful chimera, a magical beast to behold. The combat feels tight, the special attacks and magic abilities (which come in the form of scorching guitar solos) are amazing additions that never cheapen or unbalance the game play, and the much dreaded RTS scale battle segments when approached with a degree of intelligence are nothing short of merry indulgence. Armed with a basic battle axe combo, a chargeable power attack, and three special attacks made with Eddie’s prized Flying V, Clementine. Between these five modes of attack, the game never fails to bore, as there are close to a dozen advanced combos that can be purchased (alongside a ton of other vital enhancing items) in the Metal Forge, a series of hidden shops presided over by an immortal Guardian of Metal.
Backs turned to madness! Backs to misery! And I put the brush to the canvas! An' paint a world! Paint my world of...Hurt!
The demon bludgeoning that makes up the first 30 minutes or so of game time however is only the slightest tip of the immense iceberg that is Brütal Legend. There is a massive world to explore, full of hilariously epic landmarks which pay tribute to the metal music genre (keep an eye out for the V-8 Big Block on the beach), as well as a prodigiously well written story mode that serves to introduce a cast of great characters, which in turn work to slowly get players ready for the shocking stage battles. Though gamers like myself will take great joy in driving across every inch of the age of metal, sending the Druid Plow screaming across jumps and careening into demonic elk.
Feel the earth move under my wheels! There, the chills you get from the turns and squeals!
I had been waiting with icy fingers of trepidation around my heart for the stage battles (which often serve as big boss fights to close off chapters of the game). Looking back now after having cracked the game wide, I can only shake my head at my foolish fears. These titan-scaled wars made up some of my favorite moments of Brütal Legend. Playing out like a glorious mash-up of WarCraft and Dynasty Warriors, the stage battles are based entirely around seizing command of various fan geysers scattered across the battlefield (souls of the ancients who return to mosh), and using their fearsome power to develop and deploy battlefield units. Fights can be surveyed from the sky for easy maneuverability, and any time a player’s side begins to falter, Eddie can descend with axe in hand to lay down a world of hurt and even the odds (honestly, one of the climactic battles with the emo-inspired Drowning Doom faction was won thanks to a quick status effect solo I used as opposed to out and out brute force tactics). Forces can be directed to objectives with a simple click of a shoulder button and a direction on the d-pad and every unit has its own individual team up attack with their respective general, ranging from sniper attacks with range units to an orbiting shield of head bangers that can waste most units in a few hits.
Revolution in their minds - the children start to march! Against the world in which they have to live and all the hate thats in their hearts!
Each faction bring their own unique quirks, with the heroic forces of Ironheade preferring straight out assault, and the creepy Drowning Doom using combinations of buffs and debuffs to confound enemies. Each faction’s general as well comes with an assortment of guitar solos that can be used to deal devastation across the field, like Eddie’s “Bring It On Home”, which summons a fiery lead zeppelin, which plunges into the earth, resulting in an apocalyptic explosion. Some even have effects such as turning off an enemy status effects, or temporarily disabling their ability to produce new units. There is a cool down time for each solo, so they never feel cheap…even if they do melt your soldier’s faces off. Since these battles are what make up Brütal Legend’s rather robust multiplayer mode, it’s relieving that the single player serves as an essential tutorial before leading an army of metal heads across broadband in search of conquest. Outside of combat there are tons of side missions that will take players to task, and while some will complain that they are the same variety over and over again (much like InFamous), they’re all a hoot and a half, and are really there to get gamers prepped and ready, as well as swimming in enough Fire Tributes to upgrade enough for what I will warn are a couple of truly nasty fights in the game’s final third.
Come join our army of the dead and obscene! I'll give you nothing 'cause that's all that you need!
The world of Brütal Legend is jaw dropping in its visuals. While not as awe-inspiring as something like uncharted, the art developers at Double Fine have crafted a look that strikes with as much power as its sound. The character models are striking, and with some assistance from an ex-Pixar staffer, they explode with character. Eddie himself looks like Double Fine stapled Jack Black’s face (complete with hilarious eyebrow gestures) and stapled it onto Glenn Danzig’s body (complete with Evil Elvis sideburns). It all works in unison to create a sumptuous visual feast. The lighting effects are stellar, the characters all animate fluidly, and everyone has their own unique quirks that will make you simply fall in love with the cast.
Come on! Keep it on the side! With a ride! On a record on the top! If you're gonna be a bad boy!
Of course how good could a purported Heavy Metal epic be without the appropriate soundtrack? Brütal Legend features one of the best, and I don’t say that simply as a lifelong metal head. Song placements within the story are ingenious, truly invoke an emotional response (at least they did inside this geek). Examples? A creepy drive into Drowning Doom territory spent protecting my army’s tour bus was set brilliantly to Diary of a Madman by Ozzy Osbourne. A cinema scene were we are introduced to the twisted leader of the Doom has made me a lifelong fan of Betrayal by Lita Ford, and I’ll always treasure the hilarious opening with the scientific application of Black Sabbath’s Children of the Grave. There are over 100 examples of thundering, blistering heavy metal classics that motor alongside “Brütal Legend”, making the aural experience one to be remembered fondly. Rounding out the great soundtrack is an amazing featuring Jack Black as Eddie Riggs, Lemmy Kilmister (of Motorhead fame) as a motorcycle riding medicine man who’s bass playing is so powerful it can heal the wounded, Lita Ford as the queen of a race of beast-riding warrior women, Rob Halford is a hilarious double role, Ozzy Osbourne steps in as well in a double role, the first being the mysterious Guardian of Metal, the second being a suprise sure to bring a smile to your face. Veteran voice actress Jennifer Hale steps in as Eddie’s love interest Ophelia, and finally we have Tim Curry; who injects so much British maliciousness into his role as the demonic Lord Doviculous that it bright back nightmares about a similar Curry role in the 1985 movie Legend.
They said hold your head up high! Raise your fist up in the air! Play metal! Louder than hell!
Rebuttal Witness:
There are gamers among us who will overlook Brütal Legend because they’re not fans of Heavy Metal, or Jack Black, or they’re revolted by the inclusion of the RTS battles. There are those who will whine about the storyline taking a decidedly dark turn in the second act. I still found it funny, while at the same time understanding that the stakes had been raised significantly by the final act. There are those who will dismiss Brütal Legend because they feel Tim Schafer is undeserving of his cult credentials. I’m sure there are even die-hard Schafer followers who will swear off “Brütal Legend” just out of spite because an indie darling is making a stab at the big time. Honestly, these gamers can put their headphones back around their ears, crank their Shakira mp3s or whatever they’re listening to and be on their merry way. Anyone who was been looking at Brütal Legend with any interest whatsoever will not come away disappointed.
Bow down to the axeman! Hooded figure of mortal fear! Bow down to the axeman! Son his rising time is near!
Closing Statement:
It was never easy growing up a closeted metal head, especially for a foolish young boy who felt he had to hide such interests from his friends and family. Brütal Legend takes everything we’ve ever loved about Heavy Metal, wraps it up in a convincing mythos, tosses in some belly-shaking humor alongside a well-written story with more than a handful of great plot twists, and shakes that s*** up with a finger scorching, bass-trembling guitar solo that delivers a game that will blow your mind to kingdom come and rock you to the very foundations of your soul.
The Verdict:
I’ve never actually thanked the childhood friend who first introduced me to Metallica and Megadeth in Elementary school, and probably saved me from a lifetime of listening to Prince and Meat Loaf. So if you’re reading this Adam, thank you.
- J
Platform: PlayStation3 and Xbox 360 (PS3 version reviewed)
Developer: Double Fine Productions
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Release Date: Rocktober 13th
Rated: M for Mature.
Tags: Brutal Legend, Double Fine, heavy metal, Jack Black, review, Tim Schafer
Great review. I’m definitely hyped for this game. Hail Metal…