Brütal Legend is an unholy
action-adventure, through a surreal world brought to life from heavy metal album cover art. From a trailing third-person perspective, players take the role of
Eddie Riggs, a rock & roll roadie extraordinaire, who has been mystically transported through time and space to the Age of Rock. There, among the expanses of impossible Gothic architecture and sky-high mountains of bones, metal-hating demonic overlords seek to enslave the remaining pockets of humanity that resist them. Fulfilling an ancient prophecy,
Eddie wields three great weapons in his war against this demonic oppression: A huge, double-bladed battle axe called "The Separator" allows him to perform powered-up combo attacks. His Flying V guitar, named "Clementine," gives
Eddie the ability to shoot electricity or shake the earth with special power chords. To get from place to place -- and plow down enemies along the way --
Eddie rides a customizable hot rod called "The Deuce." He built the car himself, by deciphering hieroglyphics left behind by the Gods of Rock, who created the world eons ago.
The game is played in a large world that is mostly open but full of danger. The story progresses as
Eddie completes missions, defeating boss enemies, driving through tricky areas, and solving 3D platform puzzles in set locations. Combat involves powered-up combos, making use of both the axe and the guitar in melee and short-distance attacks. A target-lock feature allows players to move and switch weapons while keeping an enemy in focus. Although most creatures he meets in the Age of Rock try to destroy him on sight,
Eddie does make a few human friends in his quest, including
Ophelia, who helps introduce him to the strange world, and
Lars and
Lita, who immediately recognize his rock & roll greatness. He can team up with each ally to perform a different special attack.
Eddie can also use the power of rock to control near-mindless minions, which group together in factions aligned to different subgenres of heavy metal music. A competitive online "Battle of the Bands" multiplayer mode involves summoning minions for small-squad,
real-time strategy skirmishes.
Musician and actor
Jack Black provides the voice for
Eddie Riggs, and the character's facial features (though not so much his physique) are based in part on
Black's, as well. Other musicians, including
Lita Ford,
Rob Halford,
Lemmy Kilmister, and
Ozzy Osbourne, also voice characters in the game. The soundtrack includes more than 100 songs from at least 75 different bands, including
Black Sabbath,
Def Leppard,
KMFDM,
Ministry.
Megadeth,
Mötley Crüe,
The Scorpions, and
Quiet Riot, intended to represent fan favorites and mainstream hits from essentially every subgenre of metal music. The game was developed by
Double Fine Productions, led by
Tim Schafer.
Schafer helped create golden age
LucasArts adventure games, such as
The Secret of Monkey Island and
Full Throttle, before founding
Double Fine in 2000 and producing the widely acclaimed
Psychonauts in 2005.
~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide
;)
