Coming from the mind of Tim Schafer and Double Fine Productions, Brutal Legend is a 3rd person Action/Metal adventure. Rich in combat, imagery and storytelling, Brutal Legend looks to deliver lighter-flicking fun that, in the words of the developer, “is sure to melt your face clean off.” Take a peak at all Brutal Legend has to offer, we’ll keep the melting of faces for the full review.
Setting The Stage
Brutal Legend tells the tale of Eddie Riggs, the “roadie’s roadie”, or as some would even call him; the ultimate roadie. Eddie is the first person that anyone calls when they need guitars tuned or stages rigged. With a deep love for hot rods and Heavy Metal, Eddie has always felt out of place, as though he should have been born earlier, when the music was real. Little does he know, times are about to change.
As fate would have it, a stage accident knocks our roadie out cold, cracking his skull and spilling blood into his belt buckle. This belt buckle is far from your ordinary buckle, it was a gift from Eddies father, a gift that had more meaning than anyone could have ever known. The blood that spilled into the buckle quenches an ancient thirst, sucking him into a world that looks very strange, yet oddly familiar to Eddie. In this world, every Heavy Metal album-cover and lyric that he knows has come to life. While it should be heaven for Eddie, it quickly turns to hell, as the evil emperor Doviculous and his demon army “The Tainted Coil” are bringing pain and suffering to the land of Metal.
Though humans have not gone willingly, they have been enslaved by the dark lord. Fighting for what little life they have left, Lars Halford, his sister Lita and a mysterious Ophelia have built a resistance, one that is far from helpless against The Tainted Coil. However, what they lack is true leadership, someone to bring them together, someone who can organize them and lead them into battle against the evil emperor and his demon army, what they need could possibly be found in a roadie. Under Eddie’s command, this barbaric force of hot-rods, Marshall stacks, leather and chrome will fight to bring this ancient world into the age of Metal.
A World Like No Other
Tim Schafer is well known for creating some rather interesting worlds. As a matter of fact, his level of depth and humor in his characters is consistently recognized as one of the best in the gaming industry. With such titles as Full Throttle, Grim Fandango and PsychoNauts, we shouldn’t expect any less from Brutal Legend. Judging by the inspiration that the land of Metal pulls from, and the stellar voices that are lending to the project, gamers should expect nothing but the best.
Inspired by some of the most iconic album art and lyrics of all time, Brutal Legend features a streaming, open world, rich with detail. Mountains made of towering guitar amps, V8 engines bursting from the depths of hell, truly unique landscapes that you’ve never seen anywhere else. Between the fire, chrome, leather and hot-rods, Metal fans should feel right at home. The return to true Metal, this is what Brutal Legend is all about.
Lead by Jack Black as the voice of Eddie Riggs, the epic cast features vocal talent providing some of Metal’s biggest names, including Rob Halford of Judas Priest, Lemmy Kilmister of Motorhead, Lita Ford and many more. True Metal fans will definitely get a treat out of the star appearances, as well as the fully licensed soundtrack. According to EA, “Brutal Legend will feature some of the greatest Metal and Rock and Roll songs ever assembled”. That’s quite a statement, but the cast seems more than capable of living up to it.
Take It To The Max
Adding depth to the playground from hell, our hero’s weapons; the Separator, Clementine and The Deuce, can receive upgrades that make them more lethal on the battlefield. To upgrade weapons though, players must gain “Lighter Tributes” throughout the world and then visit the in-game Motorforge, where they can trade their “Tributes” in for cool upgrades.
The Metal madness won’t end through the campaign though. Players will be able to jump online with multiplayer modes that combine action-full combat with a strategic unit control mechanic that allows the player to direct their army in The Battle of the Bands, where the ultimate trophy is survival.
Heavy Metal fan or not, you can’t deny the ammount of detail and depth that Tim Schafer has poured into this game. With any luck, this will be the quest that brings gamers and Heavy Metal fans together.
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