Brütal Legend review with CH Gorog....

Wow. Just...just wow. If you thought Rock Band gave you false hopes about being a guitar god, prepare to become a believer for the Church of Brütal Legend.

If you have talked to me about video games, you may know I ADORE Tim Schafer. Working under Lucasarts to create some of the most memorable games in gaming history (Grim Fandango, The Secret of Monkey Island) and then venturing out into his own by starting up his own video game company, Double Fine. After their critically successful, but commercially mild, Psychonauts, it seemed like the future success of the company was in question. Along with their original publisher dropping out of the picture, I personally held my breath for the release of the game. It's amazing how close this game came to not coming to fruition. And I am SOO glad it did.

The game has you star as Eddie Riggs, the greatest roadie in the biz. Eddie's working for a rock band, Kabbage Boy; a group so lame that they make The Jonas Brothers look hardcore. Desiring to live in a time where the music meant something instead of just tween-pleasing profit, Eddie obviously hates his job. After a prop collapse one night, drops of Eddie's blood falls into his belt buckle, summoning the fiery god-beast Ormagöden, who transports Eddie to a mystical land where demons have taken over and humanity is fighting for survival. Eddie quickly finds himself aiding a revolution against Lord Doviculus, and his demonic army.

Brütal Legend is astounding when it comes to audio. With over 100 tracks from 75 bands, there's something here for every type of rock lover including famous groups such as Motörhead and Judas Priest and the lesser known groups like Children of Bodom and Enslaved. Even comical and satire-like bands such as Tenacious D and Dethklok make their appearance, although they could have used a little Spinal Tap, in my opinion (TURN IT UP TO 11!!!). And for those of you who love Tenacious D, Kyle Gass does make a cameo appearance which will sure to make you crack a smile. Speaking of celebrity cameos, Schafer has an eye for talent every single one of them is done fantastically and none of the voice work seems phoned in. The casting lists includes such A-list celebrities as Lemmy Kilmister, Rob Halford, Lita Ford and Tim Curry. Even Ozzy Osbourne, who voices the Guardian of Metal, is actually comprehensible in the game - a feat within itself. Jack Black, who voices and is partially modeled for Eddie Riggs, throws himself entirely into the role; every line of dialogue spoken by Black is infused with enthusiasm, energy, and devotion to hit the right note for every word.

In terms of visuals, they match up perfectly with the sound. Favoring artistic merit over tired 'realism', the game creates a world of electricity, steel, and blood. Jutting monuments of guitars, car parts, and other heavy metal items litter the landscape, giving the player the impression that this world was actually just a stage for a prehistoric concert. Many of the characters are slightly exaggerated, including animation wise, to allow more freedom with their expression; in many cases, the jokes rely on facial movements that work just as flawlessly as the verbal jokes. Every part of the world has been crafted with care; the flowers have the 'sign of the horns' pedals, a giant breed of beasts that shoot flames have long tongues and facial paint ala KISS, and the lightning in the sky resembles flood lights kicking in at a concert. Not since Jak 3 have I seen an open world that has been intelligently designed and crafted like Brütal Legend. The writing is simply amazing. Witty exchanges and actually funny dialogue can be found in every part of the story instead of just making another 'fuck joke' (ala GTA IV). Almost every spectrum of Rock and Roll can be found in the game as every facet of Rock takes on a form as a culture. Goth metal, glam metal, and even shades of S&M find their way into the different factions and form a creative world that's part medieval, part metal, and all awesome. And did I mention the opening film and menu? It has easily usurped Escape from Butcher Bay as the coolest main menu of all time.

For those of you who have played the demo of the game, trust me, you haven't seen anything yet. To pigeonhole the gameplay by merely labeling it under one genre would be a disservice. It's a mixture of third-person action along with vehicular combat and, wait for it, RTS strategy. Yep, it was a surprise to me too when I found out that you also get to play general. The controls are streamlined and actually work very well as you can, eventually, sprout your wings and get an overview of the map. It wouldn't be a world of Rock and Roll without your trusty guitar, Clementine. Using your trusty flying V guitar, you can call upon lighting and summon spells to defeat your enemies. My favorite one has to be where you summon a flaming zeppelin to come crashing down on your enemies (I wonder who that is a tribute to?). The multiplayer plays heavily on the RTS portion of the game, and so far, with my experiences, it's been an absolute blast to play. You can upgrade your axe and guitar, mixing up the combination to suit your fighting style.

I cannot praise this game enough. Some may find problems with some unfocused parts with the story, and the inability to jump may frustrate some people, but honestly, you'll never find another game like Brütal Legend. It's funny, action packed, and takes you into a realm where sick riffs become weapons of sick destruction. Not only a great game, but another title to include into the category of 'art' in video games.


My Review: BUY IT! BUY IT NAHW!!!

If it's illegal to rock and roll, throw my ass in jail!

Herman Li is a freak of nature.

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