Review: Brutal Legend

PlasticTree

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May 17, 2009
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Slycne said:
PlasticTree said:
Hmm, I'm still not totally convinced. Every review seems to mention how awesome the style and the metal stuff is (which I can't deny, after seeing every bit of info I can find about Brutal Legend), but the gameplay itself looks shallow, both the combat and the rts-part. And the demo doesn't help either, since you can't judge a game's gameplay on the first 5 minutes. So the question is: is the gameplay shallow but is it irrelevant because of the awesomeness of everything else, or isn't it that shallow as it looks?

Now listening to Breadfan by the way. Great song, don't have a clue how I missed that one.
From what I saw while putting the review video together, it's no more shallow then swinging a sword was in Zelda. Sure, you have hit buttons to see your character swing melee weapons X into bad guy Y, but it's the setting and environment are what are really make it a fun experience.
But in Zelda the combat is only a distraction from the main experience. When I see videos of Brutal Legend it's 50% juicy metalawesomeness, and 50% combat. And in Zelda the setting and environment are integrated in the gameplay: the puzzles, the struggle to overcome a dungeon, for example.

I'll probably still buy it later this year. Maybe not now, but there is no way that I'll be able to resist this one when it's cheaper (and the competition lower). But I still wonder why all those gamereviewers seem to overlook the whole gameplay issue. Ah well, they're either blinded by their metalfanboyism, or the setting and environment totally overrule any 'average' gameplay elements.

..

Guess I'll have to pay the store a visit in the morning after all. ;)
 

Doug

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Apr 23, 2008
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Vanguard_Ex said:
Doug said:
The_root_of_all_evil said:
Russ Pitts said:
Brutal Legend is f*&#ing metal. (That's a good thing.)
Is that why the Escapist's date is now "Rocktober"? :)

I see what you did there.
Oh sweet tap-dancing jesus, I hadn't noticed. BUT ITS AWESOME!
Same, but I like it. Fuck that, I love it! Can we make this permanent? :p
I like it too. Russ, can we, pleeeeeeease?
 

Russ Pitts

The Boss of You
May 1, 2006
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PlasticTree said:
Slycne said:
PlasticTree said:
Hmm, I'm still not totally convinced. Every review seems to mention how awesome the style and the metal stuff is (which I can't deny, after seeing every bit of info I can find about Brutal Legend), but the gameplay itself looks shallow, both the combat and the rts-part. And the demo doesn't help either, since you can't judge a game's gameplay on the first 5 minutes. So the question is: is the gameplay shallow but is it irrelevant because of the awesomeness of everything else, or isn't it that shallow as it looks?

Now listening to Breadfan by the way. Great song, don't have a clue how I missed that one.
From what I saw while putting the review video together, it's no more shallow then swinging a sword was in Zelda. Sure, you have hit buttons to see your character swing melee weapons X into bad guy Y, but it's the setting and environment are what are really make it a fun experience.
But in Zelda the combat is only a distraction from the main experience. When I see videos of Brutal Legend it's 50% juicy metalawesomeness, and 50% combat. And in Zelda the setting and environment are integrated in the gameplay: the puzzles, the struggle to overcome a dungeon, for example.

I'll probably still buy it later this year. Maybe not now, but there is no way that I'll be able to resist this one when it's cheaper (and the competition lower). But I still wonder why all those gamereviewers seem to overlook the whole gameplay issue. Ah well, they're either blinded by their metalfanboyism, or the setting and environment totally overrule any 'average' gameplay elements.

..

Guess I'll have to pay the store a visit in the morning after all. ;)
I think you can ultimately say of any game "all you do is ...." I mean, at the end of the day, playing any game all you do is stare at the screen and press buttons in a carefully orchestrated sequence in order to make shit happen on-screen. The deciding factor should be whether or not the experience is enjoyable. And that is determined by the confluence of things like art, story, music and how well the gameplay mechanics are integrated into the whole.
 

Vanguard_Ex

New member
Mar 19, 2008
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Doug said:
Vanguard_Ex said:
Doug said:
The_root_of_all_evil said:
Russ Pitts said:
Brutal Legend is f*&#ing metal. (That's a good thing.)
Is that why the Escapist's date is now "Rocktober"? :)

I see what you did there.
Oh sweet tap-dancing jesus, I hadn't noticed. BUT ITS AWESOME!
Same, but I like it. Fuck that, I love it! Can we make this permanent? :p
I like it too. Russ, can we, pleeeeeeease?
[http://photobucket.com/images/puppy%20dog%20eyes]
 

CaptainCrunch

Imp-imation Department
Jul 21, 2008
711
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Nerdfury said:
EDIT: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DqCWSeUBws if the thing won't load.
Youtube embedding follows the format "< youtube=StringOfCharacters>" and doesn't require termination.

OT:
I wasn't quite sold on it until I saw the game in action. Yeah, it's basically a Zelda game. A multi-platform Zelda game with laser panthers and an awesome soundtrack. Laser Panthers! Meeeettaaaaaalll!
 

PlasticTree

New member
May 17, 2009
523
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Russ Pitts said:
PlasticTree said:
But in Zelda the combat is only a distraction from the main experience. When I see videos of Brutal Legend it's 50% juicy metalawesomeness, and 50% combat. And in Zelda the setting and environment are integrated in the gameplay: the puzzles, the struggle to overcome a dungeon, for example.

I'll probably still buy it later this year. Maybe not now, but there is no way that I'll be able to resist this one when it's cheaper (and the competition lower). But I still wonder why all those gamereviewers seem to overlook the whole gameplay issue. Ah well, they're either blinded by their metalfanboyism, or the setting and environment totally overrule any 'average' gameplay elements.

..

Guess I'll have to pay the store a visit in the morning after all. ;)
I think you can ultimately say of any game "all you do is ...." I mean, at the end of the day, playing any game all you do is stare at the screen and press buttons in a carefully orchestrated sequence in order to make shit happen on-screen. The deciding factor should be whether or not the experience is enjoyable. And that is determined by the confluence of things like art, story, music and how well the gameplay mechanics are integrated into the whole.
Absolutely, if good games weren't more than 'the sum of all parts' I wouldn't be playing them. I've already decided to buy Brutal Legend as soon as I can (Dragon Age isn't coming out this month anyway), but in this case most reviewers seem to have forgotten to tell us why, exactly, the sum is more than the parts. The great experience that Brutal Legends seems to provide makes a detail like shallow combat irrelevant, but that doesn't mean I don't want to hear about it.
 

Doug

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Apr 23, 2008
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Russ Pitts said:
Snip - quoted for attention ;)
Vanguard_Ex said:
Doug said:
Vanguard_Ex said:
Doug said:
The_root_of_all_evil said:
Russ Pitts said:
Brutal Legend is f*&#ing metal. (That's a good thing.)
Is that why the Escapist's date is now "Rocktober"? :)

I see what you did there.
Oh sweet tap-dancing jesus, I hadn't noticed. BUT ITS AWESOME!
Same, but I like it. Fuck that, I love it! Can we make this permanent? :p
I like it too. Russ, can we, pleeeeeeease?
[http://photobucket.com/images/puppy%20dog%20eyes]
 

Russ Pitts

The Boss of You
May 1, 2006
3,240
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Man, who can resist the power of the puppy?

I tell you what, we'll consider keeping the Rocktober thing on the site and - OH LOOK! Bunnies!

 

Doug

New member
Apr 23, 2008
5,205
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Russ Pitts said:
Man, who can resist the power of the puppy?

I tell you what, we'll consider keeping the Rocktober thing on the site and - OH LOOK! Bunnies!
Yay! And bunnys! And ROCK! Can this month get any better?
 

ZeroMachine

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Oct 11, 2008
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That video... is it just me, or do the worlds look a little like "if World of Warcraft was invaded by the Metal Gods"?

Fucking awesome. I didn't realize the game had that much depth. Can't wait to get it.
 

LewsTherin

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Jun 22, 2008
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If someone were to somehow get them to put it on the P.C. that person would attain the rank of Lews Therin's Best Ever Friend.
 

JusticarPhaeton

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Jul 29, 2009
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Artemus_Cain said:
I can see why "über-underground" metalheads are against this, but there's a reason they have no friends.

This looks like a ton of stupid fun that a metalhead like myself can easily enjoy. Plus any game with Dark Tranquillity's "Cathode Ray Sunshine" is destined for epic.
Don't forget Deathstars and In Flames :eek:

I'm surprised no one's drawn any parallels between this game and No More Heroes yet. Similar absurd, lampshading and satirical styles, tastefully overdone visual style, a monster vehicle you drive around a sandbox map, and gratuitous violence with silly weapons and equally silly opponents. I loved No More Heroes despite its gameplay flaws, and I'm sure i'd like this.

I'm a bit of a niche metal fan myself, more into prog/alt/cyber/symphonic metal than thrash or the regular sort. But I still appreciate that sort of metal. I'd like to pick this up but unfortunately i don't have a ps3 or 360. Here's to hoping for a console port.
 

Lord George

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Aug 25, 2008
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I'm still wondering if I'll enjoy this or not, I'm not massively into metal though I do like bands like Black Sabbath, Led Zepplin and motorhead, but I guess there more hard rock then metal. Still I liked the humour of the demo and I've always loved the artwork on metal albums even if I dislike the music so who knows.

Now if they just make a sequel based in the world of Rock N Roll or Punk.
 

khaimera

Perfect Strangers
Jun 23, 2009
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I am not going to get this game, and I think I might be the only one. I love metal, but I'm not excited to play a fantasy third person action game has a metal skin over it. The music will be awesome, but I play my own music when I play other games anyways. Maybe I'm just over third person action games.

This post is not to say that I don't understand why others are excited. Just to share that I, for one, am not.
 

This-is-Hip-Hop

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Feb 21, 2009
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Regardless of my predispotion towards metal, this will still make it onto my game shelf. Fore the sole reason of a guitar riff bringing lightning down to the earth. It really makes me wonder how this was not already done before. Though in honesty this makes me rather sad, for it will be a dark day when a Hip-Hop game/parody/celebration will come along. Mostly due to the Gangsta image most rappers have to keep active in order to keep eating.

-This-is-Hip-Hop
 

Devil's Due

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Sep 27, 2008
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Such hype for such a lame game. Everyone and their child wants it because it has Jack Black who all he does is act randomly and somehow becomes a god.