Brütal Legend Review (360)

Grab your axe…no, the other one…

Heaven can’t be all plush clouds, pearly gates and harps. But what do you do with the guys who are too humble for hell, yet haven’t exactly been a big fan of ‘Spirit In The Sky’? Limbo is about as advanced as a piece of construction paper and is probably littered with so many bodies by now it’s a health and safety hazard. No, it looks like those who excel themselves in Metal go some place much more different…

During a particularly cringe-worthy performance from the worlds worst “metal” band ‘Kabbage Boy’, reliable Roadie Eddie Riggs finds himself needing to save one of the daft tweens from falling from an impressive piece of set…only to be crushed by his own creation. True metal heads do not fear the grim face of Death, however, and instead of being dug out, burned and left in an urn on his Grans’ mantelpiece, Eddie is sucked into a land where darkness eats away at the sky. Where mountains entwine the clouds. Where a war rages against the lovers of Rock and the titans of Glam. He’s not concerned about finding the nearest exit though. For him, it’s a dream come true.

Eddie Riggs is most likely going to go down as one of my favourite characters of all time, and not just because he tears away from the typical underdog stereotype most characters who refuse to take the limelight are cast under. Writer Tim Schafer has managed to create a plot which is grows to be funnier and more intriguing as time goes on, as well as creating characters who reward you with more and more layers of depth. Eddie takes a pro-active approach in absolutely everything, meaning the adventure never comes to Eddie, but Eddie chases down and malices the adventure. All the characters are filled with snappy one-liners, but never feel the need to out-do one another with the laughs. Jack Black lends his voice to Riggs, lending with it his trademarked yet still funny routine, yet doesn’t in flare it when it comes to expressing Eddie’s more humble and professional character. Ozzy Osborne gives a brilliant performance as the ‘Guardian Of Metal’, a underground storekeeper who swears almost as much as his bat decapitating alter-ego, and whose constant quips, remarks and swears almost makes him as memorable as Eddie.

It’s time to wage war on the opposing army in a true ‘Battle Of The Bands’.

The land of Nordic lore and heavy metal also deserves exceptional credit. The sandbox environment consists of several continents which are all easily distinguishable from the last, be it a twisted jungle or a misty graveyard, yet the whole world looks like it has been assembled through a collage of the finest heavy metal album covers. Of course to avoid plagiarism charges and an inevitable court case with Metallica, the land has been extended from a tiny lyric booklet to an expansive land that begs to be explored, with every nook and cranny filled with detail. Combined with the voice-overs and the 108 song soundtrack, it’s the artistic touches that really drive you from beginning to end in Brütal Legend.

Having said that, there is a game to play under these layers of metallic homage. Despite starting life as an RTS, Brütal Legend adapts to a more hack ‘n’ slash approach to gameplay in player terms. When ambushed by opponents whilst exploring the land, players can simply slice up the opposition by slamming the A button or electrify them with their guitar by using X…or even block with B. Alternatively they can just bring out the guitar and slam out an exceptional solo that will literally melt the faces of the enemy, but it’s all down to taste really…

The RTS blood still runs through the veins of Brütal Legend, though, and the system comes into play through the means of ‘Stage Battles’. As soon as the crew build a stage, it’s time to wage war on the opposing army in a true ‘Battle Of The Bands’. Players are in direct control over several units, which they can create by using fans. In order to gain fans, teams must take over ‘Fan Geysers’ littered over the battlefield, and build a merchandise booth there, earning their respect and adoration. Constantly being on the offensive is essential to winning ‘Stage Battles’ and ensures that players don’t type in single commands for units and then sit back sipping Coca Cola like some sort of corporate God. Players also shouldn’t simply rely on their allies to slay the enemy so easily, seeing as they have the same attitude to death as Eddie did to begin with…except their decapitated remains don’t get sent to a heaven of their choosing. Because of this, Eddie needs to constantly be on hand in order to sort out certain scraps and batting away some of the more powerful enemies. A constant cause to be pro-active and controlling troops means that ‘Stage Battles’ juggle the need for combat and tactical placement incredibly well, and nothing can be more satisfying than leading a successful onslaught whilst tearing through the flesh of enemies with your own axe.

Unfortunately the ‘Stage Battles’ do stumble upon a few impracticalities. Despite a simple command layout and troop selection sub-screen, having to constantly switching between said screens whilst slaying, driving and cranking the guitar volume to 11 can be incredibly perplexing to say the least when it comes to the more hectic moments of battle. It also doesn’t help that some of the enemy armies earlier on in the game use the same form of units that you use. Sure, they may wear different gloves and hats, but when it comes down to battle it can be very hard to distinguish them from your own crew, causing you to look like a complete twit when you find you’ve been trying to slice the arms off your own allies.

In all fairness, though, I’m just picking nits from Brütal Legend’s lustrous mane. There may be some knocks in the RTS system, but they are ones which can be both overlooked and minimised with training. It’s an exceptional tribute to all things metal and a truly unique experience, and a testament to the work of Double Fine. Clocking in at around 6 hours, it may not be the longest challenge for any hardcore gamer, but hell, live fast and die young, eh?