Introduction
Today we are going to look at a heavy metal game. A cult-classic game that I have been wanting to play for a very long time but never found the time to play, Brutal Legend. I knew Jack Black was in this game, that was enough for me to want this play, that guy is good at everything! Did you ever watch the movie Tenacious D? You should, now on to this review, I hope this game is as good as I had hoped!
What did I think before playing Brutal Legend?
I always wanted to play this game, I am a huge fan of metal music, lots of music, actually. My playlist is all over the place! All I knew was that this game involved music, guitars, and Jack Black. For some reason, I always wanted to play this game but never played it, it is time to change that! For more information I will check out the Steam Page despite playing this on my Xbox.
The Steam page
https://store.steampowered.com/app/225260/Brutal_Legend/
After checking out the Steam page, it seems I am in for quite a thrill. There is a lot of music in this game, a whopping 108 tracks. Imagine this game was released today, you would need to buy 75 of them… Never mind that, there also seems to be a considerable world to explore and an iconic cast. You know what, I don’t care, it has Jack Black.
Rating
I rated Brutal Legend with an 8.7 before playing.
Metal? Jack Black? Driving like an idiot in a rock filled world? This is the shit, I am in.
Story
The story is about Eddie Rigs, played by non other than Jack Black. As a roadie, he is involved in an incident on stage which transports him to another world where ugly demons enslave the humans. What better way than to free them with the power of metal?
Rating
I rated the story of Brutal Legend with a 9.2
I have to admit, I was quite surprised by the story, while a tad shorter than I had expected, probably because this game was released a long time ago, it had good twists. Like plot twists I did not see coming from a mile away.
Gameplay
The game opens with a tutorial that is filled with gore and blood, you will need to learn how to use your main weapons, a guitar named Clementine and a bloody axe. It does not take long before you need to fight a boss along with your car. The car is one of the most important details in this game, as you will need it to traverse the world.
The first part of the game is more fun if you ask me, you will need to delve into dangerous places and beat up baddies. You will get fire tribute for this, you can trade these in at Ozzy, the Metal Guardian for upgrades, not only for your weapon but also for your car. The better the upgrades, the more expensive.
The other way to gain some upgrades and learn more about this game is by exploring the small open world. You will find secret collectibles, side quests and a lot more weird stuff. There are also hunting quests to gain the ability to summon allies. After the first part of the game, the genre shifts from an action adventure to something new entirely.
You will be thrown into a real time strategy metal showdown. This is where you will need to use your army to take down large and strong opponents, or even whole armies. In these battles, Eddie, the main character, can fly. To get more troops, you will need to please the fans who want to hear music, all in all, it comes down to a massive music showdown. A small tip, I did not get enough upgrades for these battles and had a rough time. Take your time to upgrade your character!
Rating
I rated the gameplay of Brutal Legend with an 8.9
I mean, metal is everywhere! I did enjoy the first part more, but that is my personal opinion. The game slowly evolves and eases you into these battles. If you do want more action mayhem, just go exploring and complete side quests.
Sound and Graphics
Graphics
For the graphics, we have to keep in mind that this game released a long time ago. Despite that, this game aged like fine wine. Yes, you can see it is from another era, but the graphics are top-notch. Everyone is out of proportion except for the demons, all the demons have giant hands. The cutscenes tell a story of depression, enslavement, love and freedom.
Sound
You want me to rate the soundtracks? I mean, you have a car with a metal radio, all the best metal songs are here. Ozzy Osbourne even makes a cameo, man, I like those glasses. The voice acting is also superb for a game that has been released a long time ago.
Rating
I rated the sound and graphics of Brutal Legend with a 10.
Bam! A fucking ten! That is right, this game has awesome graphics, the landscapes are utterly gorgeous, the music is perfectly metal, the cutscenes have perfect voice acting, amazing humor, this game will literally rock you to another world!
What did I think after playing Brutal Legend?
I have wanted to play this game for a very long time and it is kind of sad I waited this long. I enjoyed most of the music and I even found a few new songs I enjoy. If I had all the gold in the world, I would pay for a remake or a sequel.
Some might think, this looks like an easy game, but the music showdowns are anything but easy. You really need to strategize, one wrong move can crumble your entire defenses. The characters are all awesome and I liked the plot twists. Some of them even made me gasp in surprise. Which is not something that happens a lot.
Rating
I rated Brutal Legend with a 9.8 after playing.
Just, fucking amazing!
What are my personal thoughts about Brutal Legend?
While I did enjoy the exploring and open world part more, I was very invested in winning the music showdowns to progress the story. I was too enthralled with wanting to know how the story goes, I forgot to boost my character to a better level.
Rating
My personal rating of Brutal Legend is a 9.5
Rock on!
Last Words
Pros
- A huge list of amazing songs to listen
- Jack Black plays Eddie
- Moving cutscenes with great voice acting
- The graphics are immensely good and have aged very well
- There are many gameplay mechanics and they all fit together perfect
- A genuine good story with plot twists that leave you shocked
- Epic music showdowns enforced by metal music
Cons
This game is just, amazing, and it is even on gamepass! While I did play it on Xbox, I also have it on Steam. Perhaps I should play it again with an HD texture mod, there is also multiplayer. You can find a Discord server where people make matches.
The Final Rating
9.3
Please let me know what you think of Brutal Legend in the comments!
I hope you enjoyed reading this review, I hope to see you in the next review!
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almost 10 out of 10, but I agree with this, great game!
Amazing game!
Wow, very nice rating! This game is on my wishlist!
You really need to play it!
I knew about it but never played it. Thanks for the review.
Super underrated game. You don’t have to be a fan of 80’s metal and Jack Black to appreciate its gameplay and style.
It does help though.
Good review! Awesome game!
Would be nice to see remastered or remake
Hell yeah!
So many songs, i think it may be good buy just for this music? (I have it on steam already). Climatic game.
So many songs, i think it may be good buy even just for this music? (I have it on steam already). Climatic game.
OK, I like Jack Black, and I have it in my library, but I never looked at the game images or videos.
Your high score makes it go on my to do list now. 😀
It is really fun, old school, yes, but really fun!
It is a pretty amazing game! Great to see you agree! 😀
I am glad you liked the review.