Brutal Legend - it really is as good as the TV advert (Brutal Legend (PS3))

Member Name: fishfearme

Product:	Brutal Legend (PS3)
Date:	11/11/09 (9 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Soundtrack, playability, Jack Black

Disadvantages: narrow target consumer

Having been a hardcore gamer for over 20 years I have a tendency to be far too harsh when reviewing computer games and in my eccentricity tend to become somewhat angry when games are allowed to go on sale to the general public who are easily dupable by elaborate television advertising. That was the concern when I first saw the advert for this game - no game could possibly have what this game seemed to offer and it must be too good to be true. How wrong I was....

From the very outset it becomes apparent that a great deal of time, thought and effort has gone into every aspect of the production of this game. Even the opening sequence to the menu sparks humour and excitement - particularly to fans of heavy metal, Tenacious D and Jack Black. The game play is easy to learn but difficult to master as is the Holy Grail for preventing premature monotony and boredom as the basic battle moves become more elaborate as the controlled character 'Eddie' earns skills to add to his repertoire. In addition the main story line is detailed but not difficult to follow or daunting. Even so if there were not a considerable number of side missions and innocent creatures to maim, which is a genius little addition, it would not take long to complete- particularly on the easier levels of difficulty. There is also a splash of GTAesque style driving to add to the games longevity.

Although the game play is excellent the real appeal of this game is it's vast soundtrack (well over 100 tracks from various awesome rock bands) the appearance of a number of rock superstars, in particular Ozzy Osbourne as the Guardian of Metal, and wonderfully acted voiceovers and cut scenes. Jack Black's performance as Eddie is inspired as humorous personality is able to shine through even in sequences of blood lust and danger. The graphics aren't bad either, not perfect or particularly beautiful but well animated and glitch free.

Overall this is an excellent game - it is playable, has a great soundtrack, a few bits of humour dropped in and a good dose of sex appeal. I would recommend that any Metal fan buy this game but I don't think individuals who are not a fan of that genre would appreciate it to its full potential and it would be a waste of money.

Summary: Well worth the money - would recommnd playing a demo before purchase