Brutal Legend is the most metal game this year

I received Brutal Legend in the mail a week ago from Jack's Big Rip Off sweepstakes. A month of eating at Jack's and I had a new game to show for it. I was skeptical after seeing reviews because of it's bait and switch tactics of showing off a beat'em up game and suddenly having an RTS game on our hands. However, this is a Tim Schafer game, so I wasn't about to walk away from it. I've played Psychonauts. I know was Tim Schafer is capable of.

If you haven't played it yet, then you've committed a crime.

Tim Schafer is responsible for games like Grim Fandango and Psychonauts. His games are known to have incredibly well realized stories and worlds but are usually lacking in the core game mechanics. While Psychonauts was a great game with lively levels and a good story, it certainly was not without it's problems. Still, the fun to be had with the game overshadowed it's problems. So how does Brutal Legend hold on to this kind of pedigree? If you adjust yourself to experience a game rather then play it, you should be fine.

Brutal Legend follows Eddie Riggs, the world's greatest roadie working for a rather pathetic rock band (rock in the loosest terms). Eddie Riggs remembers metal when it was still heavy, but feels unfulfilled. After a freak stage accident involving the stage's set piece falls on him, Eddie wakes up to find himself in another world where heavy metal isn't just an epic music style but is a magical essence that permeates the world. Like any good metal cover album, there are evil demons, and Eddie sets out to help the oppressed humans of the world rise up for freedom.

No wait! It gets Better!

Schafer's game have always been detailed so well they'd feel like they might as well exist in a separate dimension. The places in the game are truly good reflections of any good metal band from your home base of Blade Henge to the snow capped peaks of the world that look like they came straight from Metallica. As if this crafted world wasn't good enough, there is a big all-star cast voicing all the characters. Jack Black voices Eddie Riggs and gives it his all. There are other characters and stars too, but honestly, hearing Ozzy Osbourne play the Guardian of Metal, who you'll return to frequently for upgrades to your character, will steal the show in terms of humor and voice work. And the story itself is now slouch either. There's the typical build up, but there are several unexpected twists thrown into the story, though there is one little let down where it feels like they did it to go for cliche happy ending.

After all that story is done though, we're left with gameplay. And unfortunately, RTS games have never really fit well on the consoles where it lacked a mouse and keyboard. You can still enjoy the fights in the RTS segments if you simply worry about producing units and sicking them on your enemies while you get down and dirty too, but micromanaging is a big pain. There's pretty much no use for one set of units who are stealth specialists because it's next to impossible to select them specifically and give them individual orders. Don't play this game expecting a great beat'em up or a great RTS. You have to approach it with a relatively open mind and be ready to accept it's short comings.

In terms of enjoyment, Brutal Legend is a feast for a person who loves a good sit down with an unfamiliar game and hearing the story woven by Mr. Schafer himself. The music is straight up metal, fitting of course, with songs from bands as well like Black Sabbath and other great metal bands. You can lose yourself exploring the great world of Brutal Legend, finding collectibles where you can listen to the epic tale of creation from Ormagöden, the Norse mythology inspired god of creation, the Eternal Fire Beast, Cremator of the Sky, and Destroyer of the Ancient World. In short, the game is great, but it's not perfect. But you should just enjoy the game for what it is and not nitpick it for it's faults.

Ormagöden, the Eternal Fire Beast, compels you listen to heavy metal.