Poll: Brütal Legend

[HigherTomorrow]

Brütal Legend is a highly debatable hit or miss. You will almost never meet someone who merely enjoyed Brütal Legend; only someone who thinks that the game is a work of art. And you will never meet someone who thought the game was kind of meh; They will always claim it was a boring game held back by gameplay. I am one of the former.

Meanwhile, everyone I know of my gaming circle was either not interested in the game, or thought it was terrible or boring. Perhaps my opinion is a bit more biased than theirs, considering the fact that I obtained the game for the low, low price of $1 (bought off one of the previously mentioned friends), but I can truly say Brütal Legend is one of my favorite games of all time. It's funny, looks good, the gameplay is unique and entertaining, the soundtrack is flawless, and the story, while extremely short, kept my attention throughout.

I think it's a work of art. Obviously, not everyone agrees with me, but I would like to ask:

Escapist, what is your opinion of Brütal Legend?

 

[random_bars]

I effing love it, it's my favourite of Schafer's games and quite possibly (in fact, most likely) my favourite game of all time. Like all of Schafer's other games, it has an incredible world, great characters, well written dialogue, and is based of an awesome idea. But its gameplay, rather than just being okay or average, is incredible too - it takes the convential idea of an RTS and twists it so it not only works on a console, but is far more enjoyable than Starcraft or Age of Empires could ever dream of being. The problem people have with it, essentially, is that while the gameplay is great once you understand it, it's not very well explained, and if the game's not played right it quickly becomes frustrating and boring. And since it's not a straightforward game in a traditional genre, people struggled with knowing exactly how much strategy to use, what attacks were useful, stuff like that.

Basically, it was an amazing game with a difficulty curve that drove a lot of people off.

 

[baddude1337]

I like it, but still haven't finished it. Love the mix of genres and the general tribute to metal.

*SPOILERS*

Got stuck on the stupid sea of tears bit against Ophellia, so I kind of gave up.

 

[MiracleOfSound]

I loved Brutal Legend for the first 2 or 3 hours until it brought in the RTS type stuff. That shit drove me nuts and made me not want to finish it.

But I did, and the ending was cool.

Also, flying around in my hot-rod to Megadeth and Black Sabbath never got old.

 

[Drakmeire]

I think is was an amazing game that had a chance and being a masterpiece if EA didn't rush it out and screw up the pacing and final campaign of the game.

 

[MiracleOfSound]

I The problem people have with it, essentially, is that while the gameplay is great once you understand it, it's not very well explained, and if the game's not played right it quickly becomes frustrating and boring. And since it's not a straightforward game in a traditional genre, people struggled with knowing exactly how much strategy to use, what attacks were useful, stuff like that.

This is a good point.... Schafer himself had to come out and explain in an interview how to play the game, as so many gamers were getting frustrated with it.

Honestly I was sad that it didn't stay a fun hack'n'slash like the lying bastard of a demo told me it was.

 

[random_bars]

This is a good point.... Schafer himself had to come out and explain in an interview how to play the game, as so many gamers were getting frustrated with it.

Honestly I was sad that it didn't stay a fun hack'n'slash like the lying bastard of a demo told me it was.

But it WAS a fun hack'n'slash... You could just command other guys to hack'n'slash alongside you, or better still, hack'n'slash WITH them i.e. double team attacks.

 

[MiracleOfSound]

This is a good point.... Schafer himself had to come out and explain in an interview how to play the game, as so many gamers were getting frustrated with it.

Honestly I was sad that it didn't stay a fun hack'n'slash like the lying bastard of a demo told me it was.

But it WAS a fun hack'n'slash... You could just command other guys to hack'n'slash alongside you, or better still, hack'n'slash WITH them i.e. double team attacks.

I know, I figured that out after losing lots of battles. I think the training and tutorials in the game were inadequate to be honest, the difficulty spiked too quickly and too much. It never told me so much stuff, like how to use the 'Horn Thrower' or how to fight the different enemy types.

After the Black Metal battle I just threw it on easy and mashed my way through to see the story.

 

[random_bars]

I know, I figured that out after losing lots of battles. I think the training and tutorials in the game were inadequate to be honest, the difficulty spiked too quickly and too much. It never told me so much stuff, like how to use the 'Horn Thrower' or how to fight the different enemy types.

After the Black Metal battle I just threw it on easy and mashed my way through to see the story.

Yeah, I agree. It's kind of sad, really, because there's a really amazing game in there, but so many people won't end up seeing it because the mechanics just aren't explained that well.

 

[brodie21]

i liked it until it became an rts. the rts part was pretty shitty

 

[Worgen]

I fucked loved brutal legend, Im pissed off at reviewers for talking me out of buying it when it came out with all the crap they talked about it, I really really enjoyed the rts elements of it enough to play the hell out of skirmish and be seriously tempted to get a gold account to play against other people

still wish it came out on pc tho, pc gamers would probably be much more willing to play its rts elements then console ones are

 

[CarpathianMuffin]

It was a game that surprised me with how much I enjoyed it. Hell, looking at reviews I couldn't believe I was playing the same game that was being reserved. While I think the story mode should've been expanded on a lot, the gameplay was solid enough to get several hours of enjoyment out of me.

 

[[.redacted]]

I'm a metalhead and an RTS player.

I take it that this game is something worth getting as a result, but I looked into it a while ago and most reviews said it's crap.

What are they missing? What makes the game worth getting?

 

[88chaz88]

The only game that I managed to get 100% completion of single player for, and that really is an achievement considering how bored I get with other games.

 

[MiracleOfSound]

I know, I figured that out after losing lots of battles. I think the training and tutorials in the game were inadequate to be honest, the difficulty spiked too quickly and too much. It never told me so much stuff, like how to use the 'Horn Thrower' or how to fight the different enemy types.

After the Black Metal battle I just threw it on easy and mashed my way through to see the story.

Yeah, I agree. It's kind of sad, really, because there's a really amazing game in there, but so many people won't end up seeing it because the mechanics just aren't explained that well.

Well I'm not an RTS fan anyway so it was double the reason to not enjoy it. But man oh man, what a world they built and the soundtrack was amazing.

 

[rokkolpo]

I The problem people have with it, essentially, is that while the gameplay is great once you understand it, it's not very well explained, and if the game's not played right it quickly becomes frustrating and boring. And since it's not a straightforward game in a traditional genre, people struggled with knowing exactly how much strategy to use, what attacks were useful, stuff like that.

This is a good point.... Schafer himself had to come out and explain in an interview how to play the game, as so many gamers were getting frustrated with it.

Honestly I was sad that it didn't stay a fun hack'n'slash like the lying bastard of a demo told me it was.

Damn that awesome demo.
And seriously...he explained how to play the game?
link?

 

[Jay D Gee]

Enjoyed would certainly stop short of calling it art.

 

[The Wykydtron]

I could drive around the world listening to the epic soundtrack forever. Probably GOTY for me

 

[MiracleOfSound]

I'm a metalhead and an RTS player.

I take it that this game is something worth getting as a result, but I looked into it a while ago and most reviews said it's crap.

What are they missing? What makes the game worth getting?

The soundtrack for a start - everything from Manowar to Sabbath to Motorhead to In Flames.

The world is awesome, built completely from metal imagery.

The story is great with lots if humour and fantastic acting.

I didn't like the RTS parts but other than that, great game.

 

[rokkolpo]

I'm a metalhead and an RTS player.

I take it that this game is something worth getting as a result, but I looked into it a while ago and most reviews said it's crap.

What are they missing? What makes the game worth getting?

They lack fun, Which is what the game is about.
It's not perfect and the mechanics are tough to figure out sometimes.

But it's so much stupid fun! reviewers don't ''get'' that.
Since they want their reviews to be professional and serious.