DECAPITATION!!!!!! -Brütal Legend Review
XBOX 360, Rated M for Mature.
In my Top 100 Favorite Videogame List I included several games that prolific designer Tim Schafer was involved in, including two he was project lead on: Grim Fandango and Psychonauts. So I’m obviously a fan. Schafer is the master of adventure games. He knows that some of the most important parts of a videogame are story and voice acting, and always bases his gameplay around them. His games span many genres, from classic point and click adventure puzzles, to platformers, and now, the real time strategy game.
Prior to Brütal Legend, all the RTS games I’d played on the 360 sucked. Halo Wars was supposed to be the RTS revolution for consoles, but I found the demo frustrating and outdated and passed on it. I had always wanted to play the LOTR Battle for Middle-Earth series, but the port of the sequel was clunky and I stopped playing it after about a week, then traded it in to purchase this game. I love Civilization: Revolution, but that’s turn-based and still works in a controller-based format. Brütal Legend is the first game I’ve played that successfully brings the RTS to the console, and it does so very well. The campaign, which is hilarious thanks to the excellent voicework of Jack Black and others, is great and tells a very original and badass story. It also acts as a tutorial for the multiplayer, called “stage battles,” which are basically very fast-paced and satisfying RTS brawls, with some RPG elements as well as some beat em’ up. You command your troops by flying above the battlefield, and can raise and lower yourself to get a better vantage point. Troops are purchased using a classic resource system, only instead of lumber and gold, it’s fans, green spirits that come out of vents in the ground. The commands at your disposal are very basic, and your army is semi-intelligent at best, but what’s awesome is how the game allows you to jump into the battle and use your superior fighting combos to decimate the enemy. The RPG side of the experience comes in the form of spells, or in this case, guitar solos. There’s an immense attention to detail in the art design, and what’s sweet is how all these classic gaming tropes are given new spins thanks to the game’s heavy metal theme.
Having a love for the heavy metal genre isn’t necessary to enjoy the game, although if you don’t like it at all, Brütal Legend might not be for you. I had a mild interest in the music prior to playing this, and now I’m obsessed. The soundtrack is fantastic and includes songs from practically every metal subgenre. Overall, this is a fantastic experience, with lots of replayability. If you’re looking for something a little different, a game that may not be the most innovative product on the marketplace but has an entertaining story, then this is well worth the $59.99.
SCORE:8.9
In other videogame news, there’s several games I’ve played recently that would be eligible to enter my Top 100 list, including this one. In addition, I’d add Batman: Arkham Asylum and Condemned 2: Bloodshot, both excellent games, although the former is much better. In fact it’s the best in this trio.
On the Horizon
There’s a lot of great games coming out over the next few months, starting with the DLC add-on Grand Theft Auto IV: The Ballad of Gay Tony, which hits Xbox Live this Thursday, October 29th. After that, my next big release is Assassin’s Creed II (11.17.2009), which I’m practically frothing at the mouth for. Most gamers are probably pissing themselves waiting for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (11.10.2009), although ACII’s story and improved variety of gameplay has won me over. I’ll get MW2, but not until December.
A new year brings new games, and January 26th will herald the arrival of Mass Effect 2, the highly-anticipated sequel to the fantastic RPG (who am I kidding? All of these games are highly-anticipated!). February sees two equally massive releases, both sequels: Bioshock 2 (02.09.2009) and Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Conviction (02.23.2009). Other games of interest: Perfect Dark on the Xbox Live Arcade, Left 4 Dead 2 (11.17.2009), The Saboteur (12.08.2009), Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty, Alan Wake, Dante’s Inferno (02.09.2010), Dead Rising 2 (02.10.2010), Lost Planet 2 (02.23.2010), Super Street Fighter IV (3.23.2010), Alien vs. Predator (03.31.2010), Max Payne 3 (06.30.2010), Fable III, Halo: Reach, Diablo III and Metal Gear Solid: Rising.
Remember, videogame release dates are subject to change. Constantly.
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