Brütal Legend Review

By Christian Donlan Published 12 October, 2009

Metal of honour.

Version tested: Xbox 360

Tim Schafer's latest game tunes up with an in-the-flesh appearance from Jack Black, but it only really starts to play when the character he portrays, Eddie Riggs, makes his entrance. Leather creaking and cigarette flaring in the darkness, it's Eddie - as with many Black characters, he's simultaneously wide-eyed and world weary, lecherous and yet somehow trustworthy - who steals the show, and it's Eddie who holds things together even when it becomes clear that the game, like a band split down the middle by creative differences, seems to want to go in two directions at once for much of the time.

In some ways, Brutal Legend's peculiar ambitions should make for a bewildering muddle, but they don't - and for that you've got Schafer and Black to thank: the experienced, often brilliant designer, and the twitchy, charismatic star, both coming together in the form of Riggs, the eternal backroom boy, the humble, stoical roadie made heroic.

Brutal Legend tells a rather simple story: Eddie Riggs, longing for times when music meant something ("The seventies?" "No, earlier than that. The early seventies"), is injured in a stage accident, and finds himself transported to a fantasy world ripped from the covers of classic metal albums, a world where chrome V-8 engines hang from chains between the columns of druidic temples, where mountains of worryingly unclassifiable skulls peak out from behind statues of vast helms and flaming dragons, and where the terrifying Lord Diviculus - a hot-rod mantis head wedged on an S&M body - has a cruel grip on the land.

'Brütal Legend' Screenshot 1

You know things are going well when even the options to turn off swearing and gore are introduced with a laugh.

The stage is quickly set for a smirking tale of good and evil, told in bursts of thunderous brawling and open-world exploration, and yet Brutal Legend refuses to conform to the template of a typical action-adventure. As a love letter to metal, Schafer's game is focused and all-encompassing, a blur of cameos including Lemmy and Ozzy Osborne, set to a blasting roll-call of classic songs spanning the likes of Motorhead, Black Sabbath and the Scorpions, yet Double Fine's latest wants to explore the potential in blending game genres, too.

As mash-ups go, it's both more disciplined and less imaginative than Psychonauts, Schafer's previous game, which also resisted easy classification. Psychonauts had a mind-hopping structure that let you go anywhere and do anything, flinging you into a Swiftian board-game one moment and a tangle of fetch-quests the next. Brutal Legend restricts itself to just two separate mechanics - those of the RTS and something best described as an adventurous brawler - and it merges the two quite slickly. And yet, inevitably, with such a split focus, the results will bemuse and possibly annoy as many people as they delight.

'Brütal Legend' Screenshot 2

A mock time-lapse effect kicks in whenever your stage is built for a battle.

It's a game of two halves, in other words, and the first could be called Zelda in Leather. There's a pleasant sense of familiarity, despite the comically monstrous setting, with its stone circles, sacrificial pits, and zig-zagging Hell's highways, as you explore the map, taking on missions, learning new moves, and gathering together a band of unlikely heroes to stick it to the forces of darkness.

At times, the borrowings would seem almost shameless (if everyone else wasn't borrowing them too) as you trigger-target baddies, gain a handful of tricks by playing simple tunes at regular stone shrines, and zip about in a flame-splattered Epona stand-in called The Deuce, a fat-tyred roadster which can be upgraded by Ozzy Osbourne himself as the game progresses, until it's a low-riding white-trash Batmobile, tearing across the landscape with gatling guns, homing rockets and flames shooting out of side-mounted exhausts.

Simple to get to grips with, the combat's rather satisfying, your growing arsenal of attacks split between a range of melee axe smashes and a suite of guitar-triggered magic assaults, all of which resemble comically lame stage pyros. The two elements dovetail hilariously at times, as you learn to blast people into the air with a polite burst of flame before "knocking them into the bleachers of pure pain". Every ally you meet as you gather your band together will have their own double-team attack, too, allowing you to launch goth minx Ophelia into a wave of satanic nuns where she deals death like a make-up-encrusted ninja, or to blow away the enemy with murderous seagull-popping sound-waves while riding on teetering stacks of a roadie's amps.

Despite such pleasures, Brutal Legend never quite feels like its full attention is on the quest: beyond a smattering of spiders' nests and mines there are no real dungeons to hack through and surprisingly few bosses to dismember, and almost every mission is over in a brisk 15 or 20 minutes. It's tempting to say that the game's heart is not in the adventure because its mind is out roaming the battlefield - and this is where Brutal Legend starts to get wilful and a little divisive.

Threaded inside the main narrative - and becoming an increasingly regular occurrence as the game continues - is a surprisingly elaborate RTS: the characters you meet en route double as traditional unit types, and the open world you explore on foot or behind the wheel of the Deuce is built to pull back into a smart arena of capture spots and choke-points. It's all rather elegant; as the game's dual nature starts to take shape, it's fascinating to watch how Double Fine gets the videogame equivalent of overtime out of the same small handful of elements. That said, it may come as something of an annoyance if you were expecting a few hours of soothingly simple hacking and slashing only to find yourself leading troops into pitched combat instead.

'Brütal Legend' Screenshot 3

Rolling eyes and arched brows, it can be hard to tell where Black ends and Riggs begins.

Still, even RTS newcomers shouldn't have trouble handling Brutal Legend's battles. Early on, Riggs gains the ability - this is a spoiler of sorts, but a small one - to sprout wings on cue and move about the field of conflict from above, and the d-pad is home to a handful of basic commands - attack, defend, follow, and move-over-there - that cover almost every eventuality. The massive rumbles are fairly streamlined - each fight is framed as a battle of opposing bands, with trashy stages providing the HQs to over-run, while "fan-geysers" can be captured to increase the flow of resources you'll need to build new units.

What Double Fine doesn't necessarily bring with it is the constant drip-feed of new objectives that keeps the best RTS games from feeling like slogs. Although Brutal Legend does occasionally throw in mid-mission challenges, they're uninspired affairs based on taking down various defences to get closer to the enemy base. Even on easy mode, the game's rather basic arenas make for some drawn-out encounters, and the whole thing never quite shakes the feeling that this half of the adventure is something of a cover version: a commendable attempt at a strategy game made by a team more at home with the one-on-one slugging.

Yet the whole thing scales very well: even when you're commanding the troops and orchestrating a tank-rush, you can still drop back down to earth and get into close-up lamping, or summon the Deuce to run over your enemy's advancing guard. Even ignoring such options, over the course of the game I went from ambivalence regarding the RTS interludes to actually looking forward to them, which is handy for me as they also represent the game's online mode, with Stage Battles allowing you to pick from a limited range of factions and take on rival rock generals around the world.

If they do continue to leave you cold, the more strategic side of the game is rarely actually frustrating. Nothing in Brutal Legend is, really, partly because each task is generally over and done with before you have a chance to become irritated, and then you're off to try your hand at something else. Eddie Riggs is not the star of a particularly lengthy adventure - if you really must, you can plough straight through the main campaign quite comfortably in about eight hours, but I wouldn't recommend it: this is a game to linger over, and its side-quests, although formulaic, are generally not to be missed.

Besides, the world itself is a constant unfolding delight, a homage to heavy metal's air-brushed icons that manages to be both mocking and reverent. Over the course of his travels, Riggs will discover deserts where anvil-shaped rocks jut from the ground, an emperor's palace pixelated with the kitsch mosaics of a Vegas bathroom, and grim marshes filled with Aztec temples and candelabra trees, while the wilds are alive with fire-spouting bears clad in spiked manacles, iron porcupines, and terrifying super-powered deer.

'Brütal Legend' Screenshot 4

Friend-of-Eurogamer Tim Curry is on hand to provide voice work. Get in.

And then there's the cast. The misplaced roadie and his band of louche misfits - nasty bouffants hiding steely resolves - are the pleasingly domestic heart that beats at the centre of the game, but the enemies aren't bad either: whether it's the scarlet-robed ranks of the fetish clergy, or the creepy stick-figure goths who wheel their splindly perambulators into battle, flanked by thunder and lighting as they step from Wacky Races stretch autos, which appear to have been mated with church organs.

Everyone has something witty or touching to say, everything has a little design flourish that makes it worth a second look, and the script has a consistency that tugs the game through some of its patchier spots. There may not be a laugh in every line, but there's generally a warm grin, and next to Uncharted 2, the natural charm of Black in particular suggests that this Christmas is, if nothing else, a great time for genuine videogame characters: rounded, personable leads who are distinctly superior to the usual throngs of cybermen and super-vixens.

It's probably Brutal Legend's characters that win out. Since the days when he provided dialogue options for Guybrush Threepwood, Schafer's secret skill has been to people his games with lovable oddballs who quickly start to feel like friends, creating bonds strong enough to ensure you forgive some of the ropier moments. In this case, Schafer, Double Fine, and Black haven't just created a story about roadies: they've become them, scuttling about energetically, heads down and minds focused, as they pull a handful of simple props together in order to put on an amazing show.

8 / 10

Read the Eurogamer.net scoring policy
Picture of Christian.

About Christian Donlan

Chris Donlan writes about games for Eurogamer and some magazines. His heroes include Eugene Jarvis, Errol Morris, and Linus Van Pelt.

Read more articles from Christian by visiting the Christian Donlan archive page.

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Comments (148) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Peew971 #1 2 years ago

    Cool, I'll still wait for a price drop.

  • PrivateFloyd #2 2 years ago

    on the xmas list for me as uncharted 2 and left 4 dead 2 are set to take up alllllllllll my time!!!!

  • Ged42 #3 2 years ago

    8/10 as good as Halo at least ;)

    Hopefully I'll be getting this through the post tomorrow... Hopefully

    /glares at the Royal Mail

  • Metalfish #4 2 years ago

    I could complain about the score, but that is the preserve of those who haven't read the text (even if this may be a "high 8" or at least "reads like one";).

  • Javier·de·Ass #5 2 years ago

    pretty much the only console game I'm interested in for the rest of the year. too bad there isn't a pc version really, hehe. will probably pick up the ps3 version in a few weeks.

  • Alkeno #6 2 years ago

    I quite understand the score. After reading this review and IGN's it seems quite clear that the game is both unique and not for everybody to enjoy; cool and bold yet a little rough.

    The demo also didn't help to make my mind. I found it brutal (easy pun) but still too short, as if I had been given the intro and some very cool cinematics but very little gameplay to try. I dreared the RTS element of the multiplayer and wanted to try it, but luck was tough and the demo was over before I even began playing.

    And then I see the reviews and I find that the RTS is not only the multiplayer, but it is a huge part of the one player campaign! I have been following the game for some time, but didn't know that (maybe my fault, but I don't think so). We should have been given a taster of RTS on the demo, didn't we deserve it? It's quite bad thinking from my part, but it seems as if the demo was deliberately too short, I can even hear the marketing guys "give them the laughs, give them coool intro, let them summon The Deuce... just don't let them play in case they find they might not be into the sandbox/RTS mix".

    Don't get me wrong, I loved every minute of the demo (and so did my girlfriend, we laughed and enjoyed most jokes even when we are not into heavy and know very little of the inside jokes) but still after some reviews and a demo I can't make my mind over if I should get this game. I want to like it, but somehow these last few days have put me a little off...

    So guys, please go buy it and fill the comments section with spoiler-free feedback!!!
    Edited by 1 at 13/10/09 @ 00:52

  • StooMonster #7 2 years ago

    Looking forward to this, enjoyed the demo and Jack Black is okay in small doses.

  • BabyJesus #8 2 years ago

    Schafer deserves a hit.

  • cristoflanga #9 2 years ago

    Hmmm... I kind of expected a reassuring 9. I loved every last one of Schafer games, but the presence of Uncharted 2 retailing the same day as this game here at Chile really filled me with doubts. Nevertheless, there's something inside me that leans towards originality and character even if the core product is not that good. I'm going to the store tomorrow, and I'm pretty sure I'll leave with a copy of Brutal Legend and not Uncharted Poo, as Black calls it. Will post some feed back when I've played the game.

    On a different note, I have no idea if someone at Eurogamer actually reads this comments, but I have to take some time and say that you guys really have THE gaming site right here. I roam around like 20 or so other gaming sites and I just love this one (and Giant Bomb). There's something about your gaming that feels real, and your commentaries on games are intelligent and satisfying. Congratulations.

    Excuse my English if I made mistakes, I am still learning.

  • figaro7 #10 2 years ago

    Well written review, i had my hopes up on the first page and then the 2nd page came along and dipped my hopes a bit. Pre order stands, only just. How does the RTS elements compare to say, battalion wars?
    Edited by 1 at 13/10/09 @ 01:22

  • Sunyavadin #11 2 years ago

    Looking forward to my copy arriving.

  • beastmaster #12 2 years ago

    Excellent review for an excellent game. Excellent!

    /plays air guitar
    Edited by 1 at 13/10/09 @ 01:56

  • smelly #13 2 years ago

    Im drawn..

    I *WANTED* this.. but was put off by the demo.. and i usually avoid ANYTHING remotely related to jack black.. however it HAS gotten good reviews...

    hmmm....

  • copper08 #14 2 years ago

    I thought the demo was a bit shite, goes to show don't judge a book....game.....by it's......... Demo cover? I'm losing it.

  • messiahtj #15 2 years ago

    "8/10 as good as Halo at least ;) "

    Ya, but its as good as your momma too!! ( I rated her 8/10 last night) ;)

    OT: Damn, another game I need to add to my must-buy list :D

  • Genji #16 2 years ago

    Hrm. I was half interested in this before, but the review is turning me off a bit. It doesn't seem like my cup of tea, now. Maybe I'll borrow it off a friend for a day, and buy it if I like it.

  • BaronBrain #17 2 years ago

    Good review but… nothing really regarding the graphics and/or differences (or extreme similarities) between the two console versions. We all know that "Brütal Legend" will undoubtedly be covered with a face off at some point, but a quick comparison in the review would have been most welcome (especially for those folks still on the line as to which version is the better play).

  • Slipstream #18 2 years ago

    Loved the demo!
    Hahaha I knew as soon as that little emo band got torn to shreds I would love this game!

  • Charlie_Miso #19 2 years ago

    Not as good as Psychonauts then?

  • 3william56 #20 2 years ago

    Maybe should have a word with Tim Schafer and organise a second demo (as per Ratchet and Clank, supposedly). The current demo also left me cold; thought the jokes were weak, and the game it showed was (apart from the wonderful art design) badly formulaic sub God of War. And don't get me started on the lame bit at the end where only a certain special move will progress the game, with no real clue (it's a real immersion breaker to realise the monster will keep it's head in just the right stupid position indefinitelty, with the Rock Minx spouting the same line over and over, until you hit that special move). But if it improves I might be sold, and the RTS bits sound really interesting.

    And of course we gotta see Our Lord Lemmy!

  • EmiliasHorse #21 2 years ago

    I am very pleased to see the game turned out well. Will be buying this, I still feel bad that it took me almost a year to get around to buying Psychonauts.

  • EmiliasHorse #22 2 years ago

    @Cristoflanga

    I agree, EG is the best game site on the web. It is clean, clear and the writing of a very high standard. But the reason I visit is for the comments, love to read what the gaming public think even if it turns out to be a big fanboy fight.

    Edited by 1 at 13/10/09 @ 06:50

  • Les #23 2 years ago

    "It's probably Brutal Legend's characters that win out."

    Find it hard to believe that a character played by (and modeled after) Jack Black can have appeal. He's not even close to being a funny American, let alone a human being...

  • Antaios #24 2 years ago

    I'm pleased this is getting decent scores in most places and I'll certainly be picking this up as soon as it's out.

  • seasidebaz #25 2 years ago

    This is not... The greatest game in the world, no, this is just a tribute...

  • Scimarad #26 2 years ago

    Nice review. I was kind of hoping for more dungeony bits but it still sounds pretty fantastic.

  • Tonne #27 2 years ago

    i'll skip this one, jack black is just anoying,

  • Les #28 2 years ago

    What, negative marks for expressing that I don't like Jack Black?! What's happening to the world?!

  • Les #29 2 years ago

    Guess it's just the people that thought Joey to be the funniest character in Friends... :p

  • Miths #30 2 years ago

    The demo completely failed to convince me this would be a game I would enjoy - even though the subject matter should provide a good nostalgia flashback to my teen years around the early 90s, and I'm sure I would like the humour as well.
    I just didn't care at all for the hack and slash gameplay - something I used to enjoy a fair bit, but which I've gotten rather sick and tired of the last couple of years (I really hope God of War 3 can help me get over that problem :)). And I was never much of an RTS fan either.

    Still, it looks like a game I could potentially feel inclined to pick up somewhere down the line during a release slump.

  • ProtoformX #31 2 years ago

    I've just finshed the first Uncharted and was defintely interested in picking up the second but can Nathan Drake summon a CAR with the power of METAL? NO. Epic fail Mr. Drake, epic fail.

  • Dezm0nd #32 2 years ago

    Awesome score but I was sold with the demo! Bring on Rocktober 16th!!

  • mkreku #33 2 years ago

    This reviews sounds like "Yeah, the game is short, shallow and repetitive, but it's TIM SCHAFER!! 8/10!". Very odd.
    Edited by 1 at 13/10/09 @ 08:02

  • Darren #34 2 years ago

    I'm not liking the sound of these RTS sections too much myself after playing and enjoying the demo which gave no indication that those even existed. I was kind of hoping it would just be an open-world hack 'n' slash game, kind of Viking meets Zelda sort of thing. I have no love of heavy metal music either, although the score didn't annoy me in the demo. Nevertheless I'm still looking forward to playing this but have a feeling it will be totally swamped by Uncharted 2, another game that I've been itching to play all year.

  • tossetaz #35 2 years ago

    Preordered this months ago as I was sure the Schafer will once again show what an awesome game imaginear he is - and this review confirms it!

  • sickpuppysoftware #36 2 years ago

    Shame the demo didn't include an RTS section. I hate RTS games and this could be a deal breaker for me.

    Might be a rental for me.

  • muscleblade #37 2 years ago

    Not sure about this. The RTS sections worry me. I loved the demo though.

  • roz123 #38 2 years ago

    Was surprised with the 8 after reading the review, gameplay itself sounds like a 6 or 7. But i guess the metal and the comedy elements make it very worth playing. I think i am going to wait for a pc release or for the price to drop.

  • fjharps #39 2 years ago

    MY GOD PEOPLE!!! This looks like a good game but to pick this up over Uncharted 2??????? People should have their heads checked I have been lucky in getting an early copy of Uncharted 2 and finished it last night and without yet playing the multiplayer all I can say it was gaming heaven defo the best game this year and one of the all time greats it had it all for me. I am not saying that Brutal Legend is bad i'll probably end up getting it eventually but Uncharted 2 is definitely in another league.

  • RobotRocker #40 2 years ago

    Brutal Legend seems like a game that will grow on you rather than immediatey blow you away like Psychonauts did (And god help us if you hold Psychonauts to long term scrutiny. Amazing characters and atmosphere but if you strip all it away, its a Rare platformer Circa Donkey Kong 64 era that controls like a tank. And this is from someone who loves Psychonauts). So its still probably worth a look see despite Mr. Donlan being decidedly un-metal. Gonna grab it anyway because Double Fine deserves your money and FUCK YOU BOBBY KOTTICK (Hate buying is the best buying).

    /Activision tried to kill the metal, THEY FAILED as they were thrown to the ground.

  • S8AN #41 2 years ago

    Can't wait till Friday, as I'm getting this and Uncharted 2. Which to put in first? Mmmmm...

  • speedjack #42 2 years ago

    Its probably a stupid thing to say, but I'd buy Tim Schafer games on principle if it wasn't for the fact that they're normally so darn good anyway.

    Loved the demo so this is another definite purchase for me.

  • JahB #43 2 years ago

    This looks like a good game but to pick this up over Uncharted 2??????? People should have their heads checked

    yeah, where do these idiots get off, having a different opinion than you? obviously they must all be mentally ill

  • muscleblade #44 2 years ago

    @S8AN

    Why wait until Friday. Release date is on Thursday.
    Edited by 1 at 13/10/09 @ 08:43

  • Quint2020 #45 2 years ago

    Haven't got time for this at the moment with Forza 3 and Dragon Age but I'll be picking it up along with Assassin's Creed II early December-ish me thinks.

  • jimboton #46 2 years ago

    This game needed deeper adventure elements, some puzzles like Schafer's true classics used to have (only to be presented in zelda style rather than point'n click style), instead of so much repetitive, unchallenging rts/brawling and filler cookie cutter missions. Shame. it still sounds a lot more interesting than Uncharted 2.
    Edited by 1 at 13/10/09 @ 09:00

  • spekkeh #47 2 years ago

    This reviews sounds like "Yeah, the game is short, shallow and repetitive, but it's TIM SCHAFER!! 8/10!". Very odd.

    Odd? Seems perfectly logical to me.

  • Shinetop #48 2 years ago

    Reads more like a 9, actually.

  • menage #49 2 years ago

    I'm still sold. Schafer still needs to get my 50 bucks for Psychonauts:D

  • actionfitz #50 2 years ago

    chorus:
    Activision Tried to kill the metal!
    but failed! as it was stuck to the ground!
    etc.

    :p
    looking forward to this, but like others have said, it'll have to wait till around xmass time for me.
    L4D2 and Uncharted 2 are all I can budget for in both time and money.
    (i still havent gone back to finish Arkham asylum yet - /shame - got distracted by Aion heh).

  • oupe #51 2 years ago

    Has anybody played the 360 version? I've downloaded the ps3 demo but I kind of miss the anti-aliasing, also the screen seems to tear a lot. Is this also noticeable in the 360 version?

    This is no troll.

  • Shadders #52 2 years ago

    I think this and Uncharted are the only games I'll be getting between now and Christmas, I've really been looking forward to this, but still have a few games that I'm not yet done with (Batman - really should have finished this by now -, FIFA and ODST are all still calling out for my time - I've got Scribblenauts unplayed too) so BL may have to wait a while.

    I actually feel bad about not getting it at launch as I do feel I should offer my support to DoubleFine.

    Hmm.

  • JonFE #53 2 years ago

    The music and setting of this are right up my alley and, although the demo left me a bit worried and I knew nothing of RTS elements in the single-player campaign 'til this review, I'm still getting it on launch. Why, you ask? 'cause it's HEAVY METAL, babe!

  • metalangel #54 2 years ago

    (in the demo) I found the characters a bit uneven. Ophelia looking too much like a generic heroine rather than having any real character to her features, and seemed to alternate between sassy and convent school girl unsure what to make of this brash newcomer. Speaking of whom, he alternated between being bewildered at his new surroundings and genuinely at home that magic car parts had just risen out of the ground. That aside, though, still deffo getting this!

  • Hypercube #55 2 years ago

    I find Jack Black to be increasingly irritating. The last film he did which was any good at all was 'school of rock', and that wasn't that good.

    For that reason alone, I shall be avoiding this game. A pity, but the twitching, tubby, attention-seeker has put me off. For shame.
    Edited by 2 at 13/10/09 @ 09:50

  • siro #56 2 years ago

    Kind of expected a 9 for this.

    Slash'em up's are not my cup of tea, but considering the genre, I found the demo to be pretty good.

    I'll get it eventually, because I adore the humour in Schafer's games, but will I actually play it? My wall of shrink-wrapped shame says differently. Probably better to wait for the Christmas flurry, where it'll inevitably drop to 18.99.
    Edited by 1 at 13/10/09 @ 09:56

  • cianchristopher #57 2 years ago

    Hmmm, it seems that the charm of the game and its characters outweighs any shortcomings in the mechanics/gameplay/level design....

    I'll give it a pass, the reason for that is because I value mechanics/gameplay/level design higher than anything else in a videogame - things like story, characters etc. don't really concern me too deeply.

    I played the demo and thought it to be funny, but lacking... I'm a fan of Mario, Halo, Street Fighter, FIFA, Forza etc. (i.e. refined controls, smooth gameplay)

  • space_ace #58 2 years ago

    what is this emo s***

  • darkmorgado #59 2 years ago

    space ace obviously doesn't actually know what emo is.

    OMG It has music with guitars in it and people wearing black clothing! Must be Emo/Goth/etc etc.

    Learn about rock music and alternative subcultures dude. Seriously, you're embarassing yourself.

    Am I the only one that got a little smile from seeing KMFDM and Ministry on the soundtrack? My heart did sink though when I saw no Nine Inch Nails (presumably cos Trent Reznor f*cked his record label in the ass for exploiting his fans). I really fancied slicing up some demon battle nuns while Happiness in Slavery blared in the background.

  • MENTAL1ST Verified Senior Software Engineer, Picsel UK Ltd. #60 2 years ago

    Having tried the demo, for something which led the guardian to write an article about how much Jack Black sucks these days, I was quite surprised to find that the game itself seems to represent the best performance of his in years.

  • DrDamn #61 2 years ago

    @3william56

    And don't get me started on the lame bit at the end where only a certain special move will progress the game, with no real clue


    Actually I thought that was a big plus point in the demo, actually leaving the player to work something out for a change instead of the current trend of push-forward-to-complete-game releases.
    Edited by 2 at 13/10/09 @ 09:51

  • Kremlik Verified Co-Founder, Crash To Desktop #62 2 years ago

    @dark - the whole 'emo' thing runs along the same vein as 'this game has failed', they have no idea what they mean it's the goto 'i'm cool if i say it', ignorence is bliss isn't it?

    I'm been waiting on BL since the first preview trailer way back when it was still with activision, yes thats BEFORE Mr Black and the other cast members were annouced - the setting and the ideas behind it are just epic, if you are a metalhead even if you take out the cast we have andjust replace them with normal voice actors the music, the setting, the look, it' still a soild 7 minimum - Jack & co are just the icing on an already brutal cake.

  • Hypercube #63 2 years ago

    Marking me down for saying I don't like Jack Black? Wtf, is this his fan club?

    It's an article about a game with Jack Black in it. The game sounds good, but his whole 'schtick' grates on me. That's just my opinion, you great big Jack Black loving homo communist ham touchers! Strap on a pair and get some of this!

    Edit: lol, you big predictable losers!
    Edited by 1 at 13/10/09 @ 09:58

  • thedaveeyres #64 2 years ago

    Sounds excellent. Really looking forward to this.

  • JayKwon #65 2 years ago

    I'm so going to love this, hopefully my long awaited pre-order will arrive tomorrow:).

    Oh, and from what I've read; good review! It reads like an 8.5, so a high 8 then:p!

  • space_ace #66 2 years ago

    darkmorgado welcome to the internet, where the obvious is not what it seems... that was a very old eurogamer joke, btw

    oh and telling a music journalist to learn about things, this is funny :)
    Edited by 1 at 13/10/09 @ 09:58

  • Hypercube #67 2 years ago

    Having tried the demo, for something which led the guardian to write an article about how much Jack Black sucks these days, I was quite surprised to find that the game itself seems to represent the best performance of his in years.

    Really? It's not completely cringe inducing? Is he better in this than he was in Tenacious D?

    Edit: JB fanbois incoming in 3... 2... 1...
    Edited by 1 at 13/10/09 @ 10:00

  • seasidebaz #68 2 years ago

    My heart did sink though when I saw no Nine Inch Nails (presumably cos Trent Reznor f*cked his record label in the ass for exploiting his fans). I really fancied slicing up some demon battle nuns while Happiness in Slavery blared in the background

    Hmm, wouldn't it be great if SOMEHOW the Xbox360 could play music from a DIFFERENT source while playing a game?

    Maybe some kind of custom soundtrack feature? Nah, that would be silly talk :)

  • Lemming81 #69 2 years ago

    Christian, not one mention of the soundtrack???

  • seasidebaz #70 2 years ago

    oh and telling a music journalist to learn about things, this is funny :)

    Journalists use the "Shift" key every now and again...

  • space_ace #71 2 years ago

    seasidebaz yes, and your point was..?

  • darkmorgado #72 2 years ago

    @space ace Ah, apologies. Wasn't aware of the joke. I have Asperger's so I tend to take things a bit literally and on face value. No offense intended!
    Point stands though (but not aimed at you) - it is annoying when people genuinely label anything remotely alternative as "Emo". Happened back in the day with Goth as well.

    @Seasidebaz, I know about custom sountracks, but does Brutal Legend allow them? I would assume not given the time and effort that Schafer spent selecting the soundtrack. I'm gutted more that he included KMFDM over NIN, given NINs obvious superiority :-)

  • Ace_McCloud #73 2 years ago

    Eh? Where the hell has this come from. Saw the ads on the site and presumed it was a Guitar Hero spin off.

    That being said - 3 page review. Skim read the first page - got to the bottom before understanding it is some sort of Zelda type game.

    Can EG please reign in the fluff a bit!?!? A game like this which is way off the radar I'd like a quick synopsis of what sort of game it is so I know whether I should spare my time reading the whole 3 page review to see if I'll like it or not.

  • darkmorgado #74 2 years ago

    @Ace_McCloud
    Way off the radar? WTF? This game has been getting hype for at least a year, and has been MASSIVELY high-profile because of the whole Activision/EA court case.

    EDIT: PLUS it's a game by Tim Schafer. You know, the legendary game designer? I'm guessing you do love games otherwise you wouldn't be commenting on a gaming site, but to not know anything about Tim Schafer or Brutal Legend given its constant high profile right through development is a little worrying.
    Edited by 1 at 13/10/09 @ 10:15

  • MENTAL1ST Verified Senior Software Engineer, Picsel UK Ltd. #75 2 years ago

    Really? It's not completely cringe inducing? Is he better in this than he was in Tenacious D?

    I watched Tenacious D and the Pick of Destiny just the other week, actually, and he's far better in Brutal Legend than he was in that. Although I'd say that particular movie competes with King Kong for his very worst performance. I haven't seen the old TV series if thet's what you're referring to.

    Partly, I wonder if I like it better because Black's trademark smirk is filtered though the craft of an animator.

  • PlugMonkey #76 2 years ago

    Les/Hypercube: You're not allowed to make jokes or express opinions on Eurogamer threads any more. You should know that by now.

    fjharps: While I don't doubt that Uncharted 2 is the far more polished piece of software, and that I will no doubt pick it up eventually, it's lacking something to really make it stand out and have to be a day 1 purchase. I'd rather have something flawed but different than flawless and generic. I'm relatively unexcited about COD4:MW2 for the same reason.

  • Ornithophobe #77 2 years ago

    I've downloaded the ps3 demo but I kind of miss the anti-aliasing, also the screen seems to tear a lot.

    I noticed that, played both and there was no screen tearing on the 360, the ps3 was tearing horribly in the cutscenes and the edges of any spiked attire (which I assume there will be a lot of in the game) look terribly jaggy on the PS3.

  • InsoFox #78 2 years ago

    "And don't get me started on the lame bit at the end where only a certain special move will progress the game, with no real clue"

    Yes. No clues at all. Well, except for the huge engines dangling ominously either side of you that look exactly like the ones that you have to use the earthshaker move on about 10 minutes earlier in the game. You know, the ones that are gleaming that little bit brighter than everything else in order to draw your attention to them...

  • Burkey123 #79 2 years ago

    This looks like something different which is what this gen needs. Unfortunately, it just doesn't look like my type of game. The RTS type gameplay is putting me off big time. Maybe I'll wait for a price drop.

  • Les #80 2 years ago

    "Les/Hypercube: You're not allowed to make jokes or express opinions on Eurogamer threads any more. You should know that by now."

    lol, apparently... ;)

  • speedjack #81 2 years ago

    'Zelda in leather'

    Anyone else find that statement strangely arousing ?

  • Shadders #82 2 years ago

    PlugMonkey: "I'd rather have something flawed but different than flawless and generic."

    Bravo sir, bravo!

  • StooMonster #83 2 years ago

    PlugMonkey: You're not allowed to make jokes or express opinions on Eurogamer threads any more.

    There is nothing to stop you expressing opinions or making jokes on Eurogamer's Comments, but you do get the immediate feedback of ratings ... where you can see how popular your opinions are or how funny your jokes are.

    The presence of Jack Black doesn't put me off this game, in my opinion he's (mostly) OK in things that are not his own projects but terrible in his own projects (e.g. Nacho Libre, Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny). Actually, he has sucked in other people's projects too (e.g. Shallow Hal, Orange County, The Holiday, even Kung Fu Panda); but he was good in School Of Rock and OK in Be Kind Rewind and Tropic Thunder.

    Perhaps my optimism outweighs his career to date? Either way, Brutal Legend and its mashed up genres sound great.

    Edit: logic in sentence, it read like Nacho Libre and Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny were OK, when they are not. No, not at all.
    Edited by 1 at 13/10/09 @ 11:18

  • Ace_McCloud #84 2 years ago

    @Darkmorgago

    Ha - owned.

    Fair enough. I can honestly say I'd never heard of it before I saw the ads this week and presumed it had something to do with GH. Wierd - I'm on here all the time.

    Carry on.

  • ardamillo #85 2 years ago

    I'm glad they've tried something a bit different in terms of the game mechanics as well as the setting.

  • muscleblade #86 2 years ago

    Okay then. I went down and picked it up during my lunchbreak. I get the games as soon as they arrive at the store :-).

    I have a feeling i should have waited for Borderlands though.

  • darkmorgado #87 2 years ago

    @Ace_McCloud

    No worries! The irony is that Activision tried to stop EA publishing the game because they argued it would damage the sales of Guitar Hero (despite the fact it couldnt be more of a different genre if it tried).

  • kingmong #88 2 years ago

    any game that has "face the slayer" and mastodon on the soundtrack has my vote

  • the_mtfr #89 2 years ago

    This game would be so appropriate for a Linux release...

  • miiiguel #90 2 years ago

    Les/Hypercube: You're not allowed to make jokes or express opinions on Eurogamer threads any more. You should know that by now.

    What are you talking about? You're saying that calling JB a communist or "not a funny American let alone a human being" is a *joke* or even a *opinion* (you pathetic losers, sic.) ? What should users do, mark these priceless contributions with a +1 ?
    Edited by 1 at 13/10/09 @ 11:35

  • Johnsters #91 2 years ago

    @darkmorgado

    Im with Ace_McCloud on this.
    I had to google the game about 4 weeks ago as a lot of folks in the Drakes forums were/have pre-ordered this.

    Still, demo was okay, nothing great, but it did make me smile - alot. Wasn't aware of the RTS piece. But will not buy it on the strength of the demo. Maybe on platinum and enough friends rave about it.

    @Hypercube - JB wasn't too bad in "The Holiday" :-) - Seriously, he was very understated. When he is Jack Black, it's a little too much for me as well as it's the same charater in every movie...

  • zuul_ #92 2 years ago

    @oef!: The 360 version is technically solid. Didn't notice any flaw, instead I was quite impressed with the open world (dynamic day/night cycle) the engine can render.

  • StonedDefender #93 2 years ago

    Can't knock the Sabbath tune in the demo, but the gameplay was utter shite. Mark me down fuckers!!

  • miiiguel #94 2 years ago

    Can't knock the Sabbath tune in the demo, but the gameplay was utter shite. Mark me down fuckers!!

    Sorry, no can do. That was pretty weak, you need to be prejudiced against a whole country, or make radical political assumptions of human beings you never met. Keep the good work though!
    Edited by 1 at 13/10/09 @ 12:14

  • Darren #95 2 years ago

    @oef! - Both demos have tearing but the 360 has less according to Beyond3D. Personally I didn't find it that noticeable or distracting in either demo until the very end when you have to drop the gate on that monster's head.

  • PlugMonkey #96 2 years ago

    "What should users do, mark these priceless contributions with a +1 ? "

    Well,you could give them a +0. Or a -0, depending on your mood. Negative ratings hide comments from some users; they're designed to be used for self moderation.

    Just because you don't agree that Jack Black is unfunny compared to other americans, let alone compared to the rest of humanity does not, in my opinion, warrant moderation and censorship.

    For anyone who hasn't set their Threshold to 'show all', anyone who dares to disagree with the masses is silenced! I know most people use it as an agree/disagree mark, but I still find it mildly amusing in a mildly dystopian sort of way that the massively negative ratings are reserved for posts containing contrary opinions or utterly harmless, tongue in cheek jokes. THOUGHT CRIME!

  • DrR0b3rts #97 2 years ago

    Will get this for sure but can we then let go of all the fake nostalgia for heavy metal?

  • Zebula77 #98 2 years ago

    Hmm, bit worried over the RTS element (HAAAATE RTS games of any sort!) BUT - I loved the demo, and I love The Metal and Jack Black. Definitely getting this.

  • miiiguel #99 2 years ago

    Like you said, "most people use it as an agree/disagree" not "THOUGHT CRIME!". And you have to admit one man's "tongue in cheek" is another man's distastefull comment. Thought Crime ?

    Then again you might want to read that comment again it was clearly stated that there are Americans and human beings, now replace "Americans" by "black people"... not so "tongue in cheek", huh? The other one, glad you didn't try to spin that out :)

  • PlugMonkey #100 2 years ago

    And you have to admit one man's "tongue in cheek" is another man's distastefull comment. Thought Crime ?

    No, it's censorship. I'd like to know what is so distateful about saying an "8/10" joke, or saying they can't believe people are picking this over Uncharted, or saying you don't think Jack Black is funny that warrants censorship - which is what it appears people are doing when you first come on one of these threads.

    Also, he didn't say there are americans and then there are human beings, or at least I don't think that's what he meant. He intimated that he doesn't find Americans very funny, and he doesn't find Jack Black very funny even compared to other Americans. You can try and slide some racism in there if you like, but I think you're reaching a bit. Let's take this:

    Hmm, bit worried over the RTS element (HAAAATE RTS games of any sort!) BUT - I loved the demo, and I love The Metal and Jack Black. Definitely getting this.

    and change the word 'RTS' to 'jewish'! NOT SO TONGUE IN CHEEK NOW IS IT? It's all gone a bit BrassEye all of a sudden.

    He even tried to clarify his opinion in a later post, but that got buried as well.

    Edit: I say 'I'd like to know', but I don't really care. I just find it mildly amusing.
    Edited by 1 at 13/10/09 @ 13:01

  • cianchristopher #101 2 years ago

    Actually I just re-read and it's clear that the game got an 8 because ZOMG IT'S TIM SCHAFER

    Fuck it, the gameplay is shite (going by the demo, and that didn't even have the shitty RTS sections), and the only good thing is the heavy metal. Just play a good game and put some heavy metal on in the background (problem solved).

    FUCK TIM SCHAFER (howdya like that, bitches?) ;-)

  • Camorrista #102 2 years ago

    I like the +- rating system very much, the only downside is that certain people are wayyy too precious about getting positive ratings and keep derailing topics.

    omgpleasedontmarkmedown

  • muscleblade #103 2 years ago

    I wonder why the Jack Black character got this muscular body compared to the real fat version. Wouldnt it be better to have him look more like JB physically.

  • Les #104 2 years ago

    "Also, he didn't say there are americans and then there are human beings, or at least I don't think that's what he meant."

    That's definitely not what I meant to imply.

    "He intimated that he doesn't find Americans very funny, and he doesn't find Jack Black very funny even compared to other Americans."

    Exactly, IMHO American humour in general isn't of a particularly high standard and Jack Black is at the bottom of it all, save maybe whoever plays/played Joey. That doesn't mean that there isn't good American humour. I can appreciate David Letterman and Frasier for example.

  • Hypercube #105 2 years ago

    No, it's censorship. I'd like to know what is so distateful about saying an "8/10" joke, or saying they can't believe people are picking this over Uncharted, or saying you don't think Jack Black is funny that warrants censorship - which is what it appears people are doing when you first come on one of these threads.

    Yep. From the review, the game looks good. But I don't like Jack Black, so apparently I'm not allowed to say that.

    I wonder what score this will end up with...

  • SeesThroughAll #106 2 years ago

    As someone who actually finds some of Jack Black's humour mildly amusing... I don't feel offended at all by those who dislike it entirely.

    What happened to this comments section anyway?
    Edited by 1 at 13/10/09 @ 13:52

  • Vortex808 #107 2 years ago

    Hmm. It sounds like a bit of a mish-mash game wise, but one that has a bit of character and could be quite funny. I'm definitely not sold on this, but I've down-loaded the demo and will have to give that a go.

    The RTS bit puts me off a bit, but it did look like Multi-player could be reasonably amusing after the mp interview that was on XBL. However, it did also look like it could get pretty tiresome quite quickly.

  • Vanmunt #108 2 years ago

    not being able to jump bugged me a bit on the demo.......


    @miig.
    chill out...

  • vegard #109 2 years ago

    this game deserves at least 666 comments based on the concept itself. so, are cannibal corpse represented in the game?

  • PlugMonkey #110 2 years ago

    What happened to this comments section anyway?

    It got railroaded into a debate on censorship and mob rule. :)

    Back on topic though, as a fan of Schafer, Jack Black and heavy metal, this was always going to be a definite purchase for me. It's interesting to see how contentious the presence of Jack Black is. I wonder if he draws more people than he puts off? I'd definitely still get the game on the strength of the humour and setting even if he wasn't there.

    How many people are mainly drawn by the metal? Would you still be interested in the game if it was set in a Country and Western universe? (as I believe one Activision exec suggested, as country music has a much larger market than metal in America...)

  • Kremlik Verified Co-Founder, Crash To Desktop #111 2 years ago

    @blade

    I wonder why the Jack Black character got this muscular body compared to the real fat version. Wouldnt it be better to have him look more like JB physically.

    The game has been in delevopment for years now since before the ActiBlizz merger - then dropped into development hell thanks to activion thinking the game not worth the hassle, then EA picked it up, then Jack Black and Co came to the project.

    So Eddy himself was already designed waaaaaaaay before Jack came to the project - it's just as Tim's said in one of the videos when they were writing the lines it sounded very JB-ish, and then Jack came to them about doing the voice over work

    The look of Eddy never had anything to do with Jack Black, he was designed to be a roadie/metalhead since the start - it's just that with the Jack Black PR hype over the game it's misassumed that Jack's always been with the game and Eddy is ment to be Jack

  • Spekingur #112 2 years ago

    If you say Tim Schafer three times in a row he will appear in your living room!

    You know, the charater that Jack Black voices for in Brutal Legend... isn't the digital version of Jack Black! I wish people could realise that and not just jump to the conclusion that everything Jack Black is involved in is crap (in their own minds). It's like not liking Christian Bale as an actor and thus refuse to go and see any movie he has ever acted in - or play a game he has a voice in. That's just being silly and possibly even stupid. You don't know if you are going to like something unless you actually go and try it.

  • muscleblade #113 2 years ago

    @Kremlik

    That explains it then.

    Edit: Thanks for calling me Blade instead of just Muscle. Blade is the name, muscle is the ... eh game. Maybe Muscular Blade would have been better.
    Edited by 1 at 13/10/09 @ 14:42

  • muscleblade #114 2 years ago

    @Galore

    LOL - you do have a point. One review isnt enough to decide a purchase.

    Metacritic ftw. I dont believe this game will score as high as those you mentioned on Metacritic.

  • SpaceMonkey77 #115 2 years ago

    Well, I'm happy with that 8/10 score, and it will in no way put me off buying this game. Hell, I'm not into metal (while a dose of rock music is nice now and then, thanks Bill and Ted, Wayne World), but from the moment Tim Shaefer presented this game, I had a belief that it would work out for him.

    Tim's been cleverer this time, learning valuable lessons from Psychonauts, and got his face out there to promote Brutal Legend, with videos, podcasts and interviews. I think overall, Brutal Legend will do very well for him and give him the success he's craved and deserves. The very fact Activision tried to shoot this game down post E3, strengthened my resolve for BL to do well and screw them over.

    I see many here not sure about the RTS elements, which some reckon should have been in the demo. That's cool in a perfect world, but a demo is a taster and I think Tim would have wanted to hold back a card to play later, especially as were near Xmas, and MW2 lurks near. In the end RTS elements, multiplayer etc, will add more to this game, that it simply would be traded in less. And if Tim and Double Fine, were to release DLC for it in 2010 (highly likely), that would be welcome, to maintain the cool BL universe.

    If you don't want to buy it, rent it first, then you'll know if you really want to buy it.

    Lastly on Jack Black, I have no problem with him being in the game, in fact it adds something extra to the game along with Tim's humour and jokes, in fact it nice to have a game that makes me chuckle and laugh, as so many games take themselves too seriously. In the end, could even see this game turning into a BL CG movie (there, I said it), which would be a major coup for Tim and DF. That may be metal hell, for some to think about, but I'm all for Tim and co getting their big break. All proceeds will just get pumped into more cool games.

    I just ordered Borderlands, but BL I'll try to bag for xmas. Nice one, Tim and DF, and I hope the sales pile cash, like a mountain of skulls.
    Edited by 1 at 13/10/09 @ 14:56

  • miiiguel #116 2 years ago

    @ Plug: Well I might have misunderstood this sentence then - He's not even close to being a funny American, let alone a human being... , though you are also failing in mixing disliking the sentence with censorship. And the example with the RTS genre has nothing to do with the subject, Americans/Jews/Black != game genres. Then again, I'm chilled we're just talking anyway.

    Disclaimer: I don't think JB is particulary funny.
    Edited by 1 at 13/10/09 @ 14:58

  • cianchristopher #117 2 years ago

    TIM SCHAFER

  • Les #118 2 years ago

    "I wish people could realise that and not just jump to the conclusion that everything Jack Black is involved in is crap"

    Don't know if that's aimed at me, but it's likely as I'm one of the more vocal persons in the "I don't like Jack Black"-camp. I didn't jump to any conclusion about the game as a whole, just mentioned that for me it's hard to like a character that shares Jack Black's likeness and voice. It's a minus but it's just one factor in a buy decision.

  • loldotcom #119 2 years ago

    Having played this game this past weekend, the score is pretty spot on.

    The RTS gameplay will occupy basically 60% of the game, as it's the gameplay mechanic the Devs used to stage all the 'major' battles.

    It's neat the first time or two that it happens, but after that, it doesn't evolve at all, and remains the same game :| No new gameplay elements are introduced at all.

    Each battle, you're given about 1 minute or so to secure your resource providers (read: metal fan towers), then you produce your troops, advance forward to capture enemy towers, and then build more to advance forward to crush their stage.

    That's it. For each battle. You can fly down to battle on your own, but you generally don't do that much damage, so your troops become increasingly important.


    The review doesn't really touch on the fact that the side missions are ever repetitive too, and become a HUGE chore after you do the same turret mission, or race mission for the 5th time.



    An 8 seems right. Anything higher and people are getting sucked in by the hype or Schaffer's name.

  • cianchristopher #120 2 years ago

    TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER

  • darkmorgado #121 2 years ago

    @Spacemonkey77

    Our lord Tim Schafer has confirmed they are working on DLC already :-)

  • Les #122 2 years ago

    It's interesting how the voting system works. Currently more people have given me a "-1" for the post in which I expressed my bewilderment about the negative feedback on the first post than I received for that post... :)
    Edited by 1 at 13/10/09 @ 17:11

  • RobotRocker #123 2 years ago

    @ Kremlik

    Good Summary but Jack was on the project from the start. What happened was that Tim was interested in making his heavy metal game and during pre-production, The sketches for Eddie Riggs were based of Lemmy Kilmister rather than Jack Black. At the same time, someone in Double Fine noticed that Jack had worn the "Camp Whispering Rock" T-Shirt to an Awards ceremony and Tim thought the Brutal Legend project might be something Jack was interested in since it was evident he was a fan of Psychonauts and got in contact with him. He got a yes straight away and the project went from there.

    /Jack Black rules because he likes Psychonauts more than the rest of you.
    Edited by 1 at 13/10/09 @ 17:12

  • Kremlik Verified Co-Founder, Crash To Desktop #124 2 years ago

    @RR Hmm well I still wouldn't say it was the 'start start' as the game has been in development since 2005 (and Jack was heavly into promoting TD around that time), but other then what wiki states Eddy still wasn't modeled after jack

  • zisssou #125 2 years ago

    TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER TIM SCHAFER

    *ahem*
    Edited by 1 at 13/10/09 @ 18:33

  • AOFanboi #126 2 years ago

    Demo had a tad too much Psychonauts visual style and gameplay mechanics in it (especially the "do something three times to a boss" run-and-wait stuff), so I would have liked a bit of RTS gameplay to see if that took my fancy more.

    And scoring is NOT censorship. Feel free to set your threshold lower, but I choose not to, the same way I choose not to read 4chan, or a random local newspaper in a town I haven't heard of. Freedom of speech is not the same as demanding an audence.

  • YourMessageHere #127 2 years ago

    I'd like to know what is so distateful about saying an "8/10" joke, or saying they can't believe people are picking this over Uncharted

    Personally I find stupidity distasteful. Scores mean nothing anyway, and I've seen 'so as good as X then' so often that every quip is like a stolen breath, and being unable to believe others like different stuff is hardly the sort of mindset anyone should be permitted to get away with.

  • Les #128 2 years ago

    "And scoring is NOT censorship."

    I fully agree. But it is rather pathetic. The negative votes far outweigh the positive ones and with this implementation it mainly plays into the hands of the fanboys.

    I know I'm not a great comedian but I think an independent jury would rate my joke at least as high as the pinnacle of Jack Black's career (which of course doesn't say that much), but to give it -46 (and counting) might be considered a bit excessive... ;)

  • busboy33 #129 2 years ago

    @AOFanboi:

    "Demo had a tad too much Psychonauts visual style and gameplay mechanics in it"

    It is grammatically incorrect to preface "Psychonauts" with the discriptive "too much". "Too much Psychonauts" is a fantasy, like the square root of green.

  • Erunno #130 2 years ago

    Something strikes me as very wrong when people refrain from buying game due to a 8/10 rating. Seriously, it's no wonder that publishers bribe the hell out of reviewers to get these juicy 9+ ratings if people consider anything beneath 9 as mediocre at best. Why not scrap the whole 1-10 rating system and introduce a binary buy/not buy rating? That would at least better reflect people's buying behavior.

  • PlugMonkey #131 2 years ago

    Feel free to set your threshold lower, but I choose not to

    Are you seriously telling me you don't read any comment that isn't endorsed by the mob? Christ.

    We quibble over terms. It's definitely moderation. I would call removing something from view due to disliking the content censorship. Whatever. The point being it's not really being used as either. EG should just change it to the "X people gave this a thumbs up and x people gave this a thumbs down" system they have on other sites. That would actually be a better representation of what it's being used for than only displaying the aggregate.

    You don't need the post hiding, you already have an ignore function you can use on dissidents like me.

    "Too much Psychonauts" is a fantasy, like the square root of green.

    LOL.

  • dcangel #132 2 years ago

    Thoughts on demo. Metal = big win. Demo < impressive. Presence of Jack Black = lose. Humour != funny from what I saw. Graphics / sound = v. niiiice. Bash-em-up gameplay FTL. Shame no RTS in demo. Probably not buying, shame really.

  • EvilBob_leeds #133 2 years ago

    Quite enjoyed the demo on the PS3, more than I thought I would. I still think Jack Black is a bit of a dick, but since you don't have to see him gurning and not being funny, and the scripts are pretty funny, it's not half bad. The demo should have had the RTS element in it though. Not a day one purchase, but it goes in the Overlord II "if I see that for £25-30 I'll snap it up" category

    And ignore the whinging about tearing, I barely noticed any, and since that many people mentioned it, I was kind of looking out for it.

    Now waiting for Bayonetta to slooooowly download off the Japanese PSN!
    Edited by 1 at 13/10/09 @ 21:46

  • FladgeMangle #134 2 years ago

    I was quite surprised when the RTS elements were mentioned. I genuinely had no idea they were in the game.

    Liked the demo until the big demonic snake thing appeared and you had to drive round and round to snap off tentacles. At that stage it all went a bit, well.. meh. Caught myself thinking "oh, so this is the gameplay then eh? Oh dear."

    Will still get it, it's got Children of the Grave on the soundtrack ffs! :-)

  • muscleblade #135 2 years ago

    Played the game last night and i must say its very different. The RTS parts are much better than i thouth too.
    The demo is just the intro from the game. After that it opens up and becomes a sandbox game. The variety in the game is great but the sidequests arent very fun and gets repetitive and boring. The hunting quests is really boring. 8/10 seems reasonable but going by the ususal harsh scoring of EG they where a little kind on this title. I mean its not as good as either Dead Space or Halo ODST. But for the most part its entertaining and the humour is high quality stuff imo.
    Edited by 1 at 14/10/09 @ 09:03

  • spudsbuckley #136 2 years ago

    I love how the Tim Schafer fanboys are marking down anyone who has anything approaching a negative comment about this game or Jack Black.

    They probably hated Jack Black before this game but MUST PROTECT THE SCHAFER. HE IS OUR GOD OF QUIRKINESS. The game sounds like an avergae Zelda rip-off with added cheese-metal, Jack 'Unfunny Douchebag' Black, a crap RTS bit and Double Fine's annoying brand of wackiness. Basically, the worst game imaginable as far as i'm concerned.
    Edited by 1 at 14/10/09 @ 10:28

  • zisssou #137 2 years ago

    @spudsbuckley

    Tim Schafer is better than you and your favourite game.

  • FenderMaster #138 2 years ago

    This the only game thats definitely on my Christmas list so far... The demo was great fun, and I love the metal world, the characters, the music, the hack and slash, the driving, the art style... I hope they patch the sound though....

  • RobotRocker #139 2 years ago

    @ donnie080208

    Tim said there is no Jump in the game as Jump is what killed Van Halen

    This is a perfectly rational reason not to include such a feature and we ask you to kindly GTFO if you think otherwise

  • PlugMonkey #140 2 years ago

    @ donnie - It's true. If you took away the humour and the characters, the game would have to be marked down and I would find it less appealing. A bit like Grim Fandango/Full Throttle/Monkey Island if you took away the humour and the characters.

    Or Call of Duty if you took away the set pieces and the online. Etc. etc. etc..

  • Les #141 2 years ago

    "Tim said there is no Jump in the game as Jump is what killed Van Halen"

    By that logic I expect the game not to have a Slash move either...

  • FladgeMangle #142 2 years ago

    @ Les

    You're thinking of Axl and there's definitely one of those in the game. Two in fact.

    PS. Markdown? Because, despite saying I'd buy the game, I didn't like part of the demo? Jeez you guys are touchy.

  • stryker1121 #143 2 years ago

    Good score...as a metal fan who enjoys open-world exploration, i will definitely be looking at this. RTS elements seem a little out of place, however. I figured this would a mindlessly fun an open-world hack-n-slash.

  • stephen #144 2 years ago

    Play-asia now says that this is a multiregion title :D

  • PlugMonkey #145 2 years ago

    The demo portrays the game as hands-on, but this isn't the case for the main bulk of gameplay or the multiplayer as you spend it flying around issuing commands.

    Really? Why are you doing that? From the very first Ambush side mission I did, it was blatantly obvious that the most powerful thing on the battlefield was me. I only use the fly command to move quickly from one place where I'm kicking ass to another place where I'm kicking ass.

  • FarFromSane #146 2 years ago

    Just got this game From Amazon for £17.99 yay

    Having a blast playing it :-D

  • StooMonster #147 2 years ago

    Got this at Christmas, only now getting round to playing it (February).

    I have to say that I've enjoyed every minute of it. Brütal Legend is funny, Jack Black is well used rather than over used, the scenery and world is fantastical and great use of all the old heavy metal cliches one used to see on album covers, the music is actually rather good (I am not a big 'metal' fan, but am having mind changed about merits of the genre), the story is fun, and I think the bi-polar gameplay works quite well ... love driving and running around the world doing sub-plots and also the strategic battles (once I got to grips with the nuances of game-play).

    Great job Tim Schafer!

    Love it, highly recommended.

  • eiocreative #148 2 years ago

    Just played the demo, popped online and picked it up for £12 from Amazon. Criminal for a game with as much art direction and style as the demo showed. Looking forward to it!