This is not the greatest game in the world, no! This is just a tribute.
The latest brainchild of Tim Schafer, the madman behind cult classics like Psychonauts and Grim Fandango, Brütal Legend tells the story of a roadie named Eddie Riggs. No, no, stay with me! After a show goes horribly wrong, Eddie accidentally summons the Fire Beast Ormagöden and is transported back in time. He finds himself in the middle of a war between the humans and their S&M overlords, the Tainted Coil. Eddie, possessing the organizational prowess only a roadie could have, finds himself leading the human resistance to victory.
The story sounds like it's been taken straight out of some demented power metal ballad, and the motif definitely works to Schafer's strengths. The writing remains as sharp and funny as ever, but be warned: there are a lot of in-jokes. The game constantly makes references to the music, as well as taking pot-shots at some of its god-awful bastard children, hair metal and 'nu'-metal. Unless you're familiar with it all, you'll find much of the humor going over your head.
A heavy metal tale needs a heavy metal world, and boy, the team's delivered on that. To get an idea of what the game looks like, round up all the old metal records you can find, and make a collage from the covers. There is some wicked-cool imagery here; volcanoes spew chrome, cliffs are constructed entirely out of amps, wild beasts wear KISS facepaint and huge spiked wristbands. It's a stunning mix of organic and synthetic, and there are always new surprises to be found. I've spent hours just driving around in the world, taking it all in.
The character design and animation is as wonderful as we've come to expect from Tim Schafer - each character is brimming with personality and charm, no matter how little screen time they get. The voice acting is damn near perfect. It's certainly Jack Black's show (he voices Eddie), and the delivery is what we've come to expect from him. If you're a fan like I am this is a very good thing, but if not... well, not so much. But there are definitely laughs to be had from the supporting cast, which includes metal legends Rob Halford and Ozzy Osbourne. They're not just trying to cash a cheque; they're obviously having a lot of fun with the roles, and it helps.
The game itself is some weird hybrid mash-up of open-world adventure/hack-'n-slash/RTS/racer. And while each part is a whole lot of fun, some are handled better than others. The combat by itself is a bit too simplistic for my taste, and the driving physics could definitely use a little work.
The game really comes together in the big-scale 'stage battles.' It's an RTS at heart, but it's hectic and a whole lot of fun. The two teams battle for control of fans [resources] by erecting their team's merchandise booths near geysers. Eddie sprouts demon wings during these fights, giving him a more tactical vantage point. It's simple enough; you can choose a location for your squad to run to, get them to follow you, or make them protect an area.
The catch is you can only order around troops which are in earshot. The game does a really bad job of letting you know your range though, and well-laid plans can fall through because of it. Thankfully, guitar solos make it easy to command your whole army. It might not be the most strategically viable method, but it got me through the campaign. And if that doesn't work you can always jump into the fray and personally smite your enemies.
With all the side missions, I'd say you're probably looking at twelve hours of single-player game in Brütal Legend. Thankfully the stage battles can be played outside the campaign, with computer AI or other players via Live.
The heavy metal themes in Brütal Legend do more than provide it a wicked-cool backdrop; they're an allegory of the game's design. As the medium evolves, there seems to be less and less room for games like Brütal Legend; games where great character and story can mean more than gameplay, games that treat creativity as law. And as these old ideals start to be phased out, bands - um, developers - are faced with a decision: stick to them, or sell out and become mainstream? Double Fine seems to have taken both options here. Though at times they opt for more conventional game design, as evidenced by the open-world setup, the whole thing is pervaded by a sense of awe and wonder stemming from Schafer's creative vision.
I threw all my old metal albums back on my iPod yesterday. I'd forgotten how much fun they were.