Brutal Legend Review
- Posted October 13th, 2009 at 20:06 EDT by Adam Dolge
- 9,920 views
- 55 Comments
Review Score
- PSU Review Score
- 9.5
- Avg. user review score:
- 7.2
Summary
Brutal Legend offers everything you could ever want in a game: incredible battles, hilarious dialogue, a compelling story, and awe-inspiring locations.
We like
- The epic world you are tasked with saving
- The humor and driving storyline
- The easy-to-play RTS battle sequences, coupled with racing, RPG, first-person shooter, and action elements
We dislike
- Not being able to jump and as a result getting stuck in the scenery
- The occasional command difficulties during large-scale battles
See PSU's review on Metacritic & GameRankings
Back in the early 1970s, music meant something. The musicians were gods among screaming devout fans, flailing around on stage in quintessential glam-rock fashion. The world of metal was full of thick spike belts and armbands, devils, fire, horned beasts, and gothic figures. Behind the scenes of these epic metal concerts, the rock-gods were assisted by black-clothes-wearing roadies. The roadies had one important job – to make the metal musicians appear as gods for their adoring fans. They did this with the stealth of a ninja, cloaked by the shadows. A roadie could fix just about anything: a guitar, a drumhead, a fireworks display, a tour van, right down to the elaborate sets. However, as the years wore on, the music changed, metal changed, and the roadies were left pondering as to what happened to their once glorious demonic world.
Enter Brutal Legend, the brainchild of celebrated developer, Tim Schafer. Simply put, the world Schafer conceived for this mammoth music-inspired epic is so entrenched in metal lore that you are instantly engrossed in its land of titans, horned death-bringers, screeching guitars, and pulsing (almost psychedelic) scenery. With all the buzz surrounding the game, from vast commercials, to appearances on late-night talk shows, we were left to wonder if the hype was as phoney as the spandex worn by metal’s most famous glam rockers. After playing through Brutal Legend, however, we were well and truly won over by Schafer’s vision and can’t wait to see what he’ll come up with next.
Brutal Legend is everything a good game should be. It’s filled with nearly every style of gameplay, it’s hilarious, it’s engaging, and most of all it is set in a world so abstract and well constructed that we believe roadies are worth their weight in gold, and metal is truly the music of the gods. In Brutal Legend you’ll command armies of headbangers in real-time strategy battles, drive a decked-out hot rod, shoot missiles in first-person view, and upgrade your heroine with RPG elements. Brutal Legend has just about every style of game crammed into a tight package.
Jack Black lends his voice as the main character Eddie Riggs, a roadie who’s earned himself the prestigious honour of being the best in the business. If you are a fan of Black’s humor then you will, without a doubt, laugh a lot while playing Brutal Legend. In fact, you are going to laugh regardless of your stance on Black– the game is just that funny. From the opening sequence, where Eddie saves a new-age metal musician from falling to his death, but ultimately gets crushed by an elaborate set, the dialogue and subtle raised eyebrows had us on the floor in hysterics. As the game progresses and you are transported into a very different world (the setting of the game), the comedy starts to fade as the story develops. While the comedy starts to fade as the narrative unfolds, it still plays its part in the saga as Riggs finds himself transported in to a bizarre, metal-influenced reality.
Brutal Legend is all about the music – from a stellar soundtrack, cameos by real metal musicians, and hilarious spoofs on the fickle shenanigans of mainstream music, the game rests its laurels in the music world. If you aren’t a fan of metal, you’ll inevitably grow tired of the game’s roaring soundtrack. Beyond the music, the world is obscure and extremely dangerous. The story has you join a band of rebels, fighting an evil lord who has turned the men and women of this crazy world into slaves – the men are workers, and women are apparently part of some ‘adult’ themed bondage ring. Once you free the people they join your forces and during the large-scale RTS battles, you can quickly recruit several different units.
The bulk of the game is played in these RTS battles, where you essentially build and execute an absolutely killer rock show. You’ll build a stage, erect merchandise booths to attract more fans, and recruit units to send off into battle. What’s great about Brutal Legend is that at any time you can jump into the battle, and suddenly the game turns from a straightforward RTS, into an action game – complete with ... (continued on next page)
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Comments
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sentry65
- 8:36pm BST - October 13th, 2009
- 5
yeah why can't you jump? I mean, I jump around in real life all the time. When I walk through a store, I jump on people cause it's just faster and more convenient for me. I routinely jump 5 feet in the air - even double jump to reach 8 feet sometimes. It's my prefered method of move around in real life
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lordAlucard |
Sympozium_666- 8:49pm BST - October 13th, 2009
- 6
ziyad1mad wow its not even released, still with the holy power of metal it deserved 9.5
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wufei |
Wufenopolis- 8:59pm BST - October 13th, 2009
- 7
Wow! Didn't expect all these negative comments about this game... I've been looking forward to this one for a while now. Probably because the Heavy Metal movie came out the year I was born and was totally kick-azz. Hoping this game is just as kick-azz
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bayster
- 9:08pm BST - October 13th, 2009
- 8
This game just seems to be good fun. If you have problem with a light hearted, funny and simple game you won't like it.
This game looks like it will rock. No way does it deserve a 7.3 rating. (I bumped it from 6.5 with a 10, because it so much better than that.)
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OneFlow
- 9:30pm BST - October 13th, 2009
- 9
Really it's a novel idea, but I think it's terrible that Tim Schafer has put his talent into a Metal game. Not because Metal in general is not worth it, that's not what I'm triyng to say (Flame-prevention!), but rather because this means that a LOT of people won't even as much as touch this.
I love the humor he brings to games and I'd have loved to play another one of his titles, but while I do enjoy the occasional metal track I can't bring myself around to play a game that makes me listen to it for hours. So I hope that he gets back on track and puts out some great funny game sometime soon, maybe not about Metal. (Do one about HipHop, just to balance stuff out maybe? :D )
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Gekidami |
Gekidami- 9:53pm BST - October 13th, 2009
- 11
9.5? Seriously talk about over-rating. The game is good but the technical hiccups and slow, boring gameplay make it a 7.5 - 8 in my book. In the end the game may have a decent setting but gameplay is the more important element and its pretty terrible in Brutal Legend.
And yes i own the full game.
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zombieking36
- 9:58pm BST - October 13th, 2009
- 12
I wasn't sure if this would turn out good, but looking at various reviews, it seems like it turned out great!
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Ocelot1987 |
METSTM- 9:59pm BST - October 13th, 2009
- 13
surprised to see so many good reviews for this. Not that I have it yet to make my own decision. I bought U2 instead and I'm loving it.
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KlNG_DEADEYE
- 10:01pm BST - October 13th, 2009
- 14
forgotten about amist uncharted 2 for me...whats brutal legend lol
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TekkenLord |
HitMan00- 10:24pm BST - October 13th, 2009
- 18
i agree with what # 3 posted, the demo was a waste my next door neighbour bought the game and i tried and it's the same just rubbish.
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Fiddlesworth
- 11:30pm BST - October 13th, 2009
- 22
Most overrated game of the year. Bad combat, average graphics, short despite being so padded out.
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coverlord |
Drahgoon- 12:05am BST - October 14th, 2009
- 24
Sounds great but man, how does this review match Uncharted 2, reviews these days are way over-rated. Its a load of crap. Even on game trailers the review for Uncharted 2 is lower than Gears 2 and some others. I think the reviews these days are based on the console and not overall. If Uncharted 2 was on all platforms it would be the highest rated game for sure.
Too many games these days great a 9 or above and then a game like Uncharted 2 comes along and doesn't get the full recognition it deserves.
Brutal Legand sounds good but a 9.5, sounds like advertising and other perks are involved.
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TETNUS |
TETNUS- 12:39am BST - October 14th, 2009
- 26
There are just to many good games to buy this... I just got uncharted 2 and by the time im in the mood for a new game... Ratchet and Clank will be out... There is no reason for me to buy this when I can buy exclussives that are juts plain better games...
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patthebaker321 |
patthebaker321- 12:44am BST - October 14th, 2009
- 27
totally agree with you Coverlord (#24)
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Mentalxcases
- 12:54am BST - October 14th, 2009
- 29
I'm kinda surprised that it got 9.5 thought it would get a 7.2.
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a_stray_bullet10
- 2:07am BST - October 14th, 2009
- 30
i bet if this game was hip hop inspired it wouldve gotten 5.5
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Soviet-Messiah |
Soviet-Messiah- 5:42am BST - October 14th, 2009
- 33
I can't believe all the naysayers and QQ'ers. So what if a game is made around music that doesn't appeal to you? That doesn't mean that the game can't recieve a high score. I thought this game was a 10 because of one fact: the devs put everything they had into this game. With the current game scene drowning in a sea of sequels, and shovelware, people still cry because the game is 'overrated' and full of 'icky heavy metal'. Seems that lately if the game isn't called Final Fantasy 47, Street Fighter 6 Super Turbo Mega Ultra Turdtastic Epic Remix no one wants it. WTFE, the devs put heart and soul into this game, and that to me makes it worth my money.
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bayster
- 6:17am BST - October 14th, 2009
- 34
A_Ninja
Wow, what the heck do developers have to do to be original, if this isn't original. Don't understand why people are so against this game, it seems to be fun, funny and different.
I'll definently rent this (would buy but money doesn't grow on trees.)
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Chaozhoutiger |
Teochewtiger- 8:10am BST - October 14th, 2009
- 35
Wow, I didn't think this game would do so good amongst reviews; guess I was wrong.....Anyways, its a no buy for me.
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Rafaelcbf12 |
Rafaelcbf- 1:52pm BST - October 14th, 2009
- 38
I really don't like Jack Black, but the demo made me see that he really isn't a minus, he did a decent job IMHO.
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C0SM0NECR0
- 5:54pm BST - October 14th, 2009
- 42
@9 and all other poser/thug/wannabe c.rap-loving fa9s out there, fuçk that.......Ever thought that maybe Tim Schafer didn't want to include any rap or hip hop theme in the game because he doesn't like rap? Just because there's an over-saturation of c.rap and un-hip hop in our media (which by the way, I fuçking hate with an intense burning hatred) and the majority of tommorow's youth grow up in school with so much peer pressure and materialistic values that often times, they'll just try to act like somebody they're not and walk and talk like gimmicky wigger/poser/thug/wannabe loser mindless clones because they're afraid to be themselves and want to fit in.
So, don't assume that everyboy likes rap, because I sure as h3ll don't like it. And just because media and marketing are predictable, they probably will make some dumbass c.rap/hip hop world game. Come to think of it, they already have ruined quite a few otherwise good games with that sh/t (gta san andreas etc..) I'm sick of all of these fuçking c.rap/hip hop token tie-ins in every day media (movies, games, tv, radio). I'm surprised that they didn't try to throw some rapper orcs into LOTR. It's an exaggeration, but it's true. Whatever sells in media, they market the he// out of it.
Honestly, Metal deserves a lot more credit than what it gets. But, at the same time I'm glad that it's always been an underdog and not a commercialized money-making whore like the rap is. Keep your uncool ghetto thug wannabe jive-slang BS out of my world. Period. Fuçkin' sheep.
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Free_Agent
- 6:50pm BST - October 14th, 2009
- 44
I think I'm on the same page as alot of people here. I don't think this game deserves a 9.5 at all. I played the demo, and writing is good, but the gameplay suffers. It actually feels kinda slow and laggy, like it's running at about 15fps. I don't know, I like the heavy metal theme, but the mechanics hold it back. I just can't see this coming within 3-4 points of Uncharted 2, and according to this review it has.
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Silly8itch
- 5:58pm BST - October 16th, 2009
- 50
Whoever reviews for PSU is an idiot. Get some standardization in your review process.
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