Let me just say this ,myself being a true metal fan. The only thing good about this game is the soundtrack,and the metal god cameos. Dont waste your time or money on this piece of crap!

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Brutal Legend is a great game. So great in fact it's only down fall is it concludes very fast. The saying goes "Time flies when you're having fun" and no quote could be more genuine when summing up Brutal Legend.

To be honest I was excited about this game until I found out that in addition to the action oriented hack n slash game play it was also a real time strategy game. RTS has never been a genre that appealed to me. I'm more about being a loner or in a small group as opposed to dictating the actions of up to 50 or so troops with different strengths and weaknesses. Yet somehow Double Fine had me addicted to the RTS "battle of the bands" set up as well as the driving escort missions, gunning death rack tower segments, and even helping my head banger bros score beer and babes. Getting a gamer to be captivated by genres he normally dislikes is no easy feat. As a matter fact to date I'd say Brutal legend is the only title that had me enjoy types of game play I'd normally be insanely frustrated by.

While Brutal Legend is influenced by Heavy Metal I don't necessarily think you have to love that genre of music to be enthralled by what is offered. It tells a decent fantasy tale with its' own unique mythology. Despite the fact Brutal Legend throws Grand theft auto, God of war, Zelda Ocarina of time, and Over lord into a blender it retains being original and non confusing.

Starting off Eddie Riggs is a likable hero. When I saw the first Brutal Legend trailer I thought maybe Eddie would end up being like Kratos aka a dumb enraged testosterone jock covered in leather and spikes. Instead Eddie cares about others, refuses to be a glory hog, and is more akin to that lovable best friend you knew in high school whom despite looking "scary" was very charismatic, generous, and optimistic.

However Eddie does not start out our tale as a happy camper. Pretty much the game drops us into a scene where Eddie's talents as a roadie are being exploited by a tween pop band trying to pass themselves off as the new equivalent of heavy metal. Eddie's awesome stage is referred to as "ironic in a retro sort of way" and one of the rockers gleefully enjoys breaking guitars just so Eddie has to fix them. In a humorous kind of way the scene reminded me of Cinderella only Eddie is a guy and instead of having 3 wicked step sisters he has to contend with three jerk wad step brothers. Most of us would understand if Eddie cussed out the manager and quit on the spot but instead he selflessly saves one of the band members from plummeting to his death. Eddie's heroism is ironically rewarded by having a stage prop fall atop his burly frame. Riggs' martyred blood mingles with his magic belt buckle summoning an angry yet noble monster of yore. With a mighty roar Omigodan the fire beast slays the blasphemers stopping their terrible music than it whisks Eddie away to an enchanted dark fantasy world influenced by the awesomeness that is "True Metal".

Yes, I realize this sounds cheesy. We can draw parallels to it being similar to Wizard of Oz or Alice in Wonder Land. However the rock n roll death metal studded presentation of the tired "Stranger in a strange land" plot device works perfectly.

Upon arriving in an alternative lifestyles version Never Ever Land Eddie slays a bunch of blood thirsty occultists with an axe he finds then meets a sweet yet fierce young woman named Ophelia. She tells Eddie the robed weirdos he decapitated are the servants of the demon emperor Deviculous and that there is a human resistance trying to over throw their evil master. Equipped with his battle axe and electric guitar that can raise relics of ancient power or melt faces Eddie constructs a hot-rod on the spot, riding off into the sun set with the mysterious yet hot Goth girl to save mankind.

You will proceed to interact with the lovable yet eccentric guardian of Metal Ozzy Osbourne, Lemmy the hellacious biker healer, Lita the spirited Amazon, and Lars the golden haired hero who fast becomes your new best friend. If these famous real life cameos were just thrown in to sell a bad product I would have felt cheated. As it stands they are woven in seamlessly with the world they are apart of. Every person in the game has good motivations for being the way they are and they seem more concerned with contributing to a good yarn than with out-staging each other.

Brutal Legend has a sand box world. In truth you can blow through the story line as fast as a guitarist riding the lightning but if you go that route you are going to miss out on a lot of land marks, extra missions, hidden music tracks to play while driving around in your Druid Plow, world folklore, and secret guitar riffs which grant Eddie arcane war-spell techniques whilst battling making victories come much easier. Unearthing these mementos of the forgotten age likewise increases "fire tributes" which you use to upgrade your hot rod and fighting combos within Ozzy's motor lodges.

The thing I really hope developers learn from Brutal Legend is its' perfect balance of campy humor and emotionally driven sincerity. While it can be stated Tim Schaefer's newest offering doesn't take itself too seriously it also doesn't undermine itself with an over abundance of bad ham and moldy cheese. Jack Black whom voiced Eddie walks the delicate line between satire and tragedy with perfect harmony. I honestly have more respect for him now. I'm hoping future movie producers see Jack's true potential and stop giving him roles that undermine his hidden talent.

By this point I've explained enough. I cannot say anymore without edging dangerously close to spoiler territory. This game is one that has to be experienced instead of merely read about. Words alone fail to express the creativity, awe, and mirth packed into this sour yet sweet nostalgic road trip through Heavy Metal heaven!

Pros

+Breath taking twisted yet beautiful world to traverse.

+ Good blend of RTS, driving, exploration, fun mini games, and visceral combat.

+ Acting and sound track are the best in the business.

+ A tale that is not too grim yet not ridiculously silly either.

+ Fun multi-player RTS battles over Xbox live

+ The enemy types are scary yet outrageously hilarious at the same time. Every creature encountered is some sort of parody or tribute to the various kinds of heavy metal music.

Cons

-Game is a bit short but to its' credit the ending brought a smile to my face. (Unlike Fable 2. Cough.)

-The upcoming down-loadable content is "meh" if you are more intrigued by the single player story line than you are the RTS aspects.

-Tim Schafer is not renowned for making sequels. For those like myself who want a sequel we may have to bite off a bit of bad tasting disappointment.

-Side missions get repetitive and there are only around 4 types of them. For what its' worth these mini quests extend the game and they're fun for what they are.

-Though I took to the mish mash of game styles some may be more puzzled than pleasantly surprised by BL's patchwork Frankenstein of genres.

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I'd been eagerly anticipating this game's release for a very long time. The subject matter, art, music, and voice talent in the game had me really excited. The demo grabbed me from start to finish, and convinced me that this was a no-brainer kind of buy. It was fun and funny and seemed to be a great hack & slash kind of experience - sort of a Devil May Cry with metal kind of game, with a little tag-team action and some driving.

WRONG.

Most of the action is RTS-style: building resources, commanding troops, etc. I absolutely hate that kind of game. Honestly, I'm giving the game 3 stars for the art, music, and voice talent, because I truly can't stand the gameplay.

You may say that I shouldn't give a game a low review if I don't like that genre of gaming - which would be true if the demo wasn't so misleading. And again, its a fun game if you're into RTS. If not, avoid it.

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