So, I'm done... For now. I have to say, I put way more time into Brutal Legend than I ever thought I was going to. I've, thus far written WAY too much about my playtime, so I'll try to wrap this up as succinctly as possible. Up first, the BAD:
.
Stage Battles: For the greater part of the game, I dreaded these. They're clunky, difficult to understand, and you often feel at a severe organizational disa
dvantage vs the AI.
.
Wide Open World: How wide open is one of the initial charms of Brutal Legend. It's landscape is littered with amazing vista designs dedicated to the Heavy Metal theme. Unfortunately, the farther you get into the game, the more tedious it becomes to traverse the landscape. Double Fine could have avoided this tedium by simply making the Motor Forges, which you summon at various locations throughout the world anyway, warp points as well as shops.
.
Multiplayer: The progression of the Stage Battles was really just a tutorial and slight dick-tease to try to get you to do the online multiplayer. At least one of the best troops in the game was only given to you on the penultimate Stage Battle. Not to mention, the other two factions in the game were never playable at all in Single. Think about how it would be, playing StarCraft & only being able to play the Space Marines story... Er... Well, original StarCraft, anyway.
.
Maybe a bit much at the Metal Forge: Upgrading yourself is one of the more compelling things about Brutal Legend, but at some point in the game, it begins to all feel like filler. Items that are expensive, but really make little difference in the gameplay, or worse, some which are simply cosmetic. Would have rather seen more consideration paid to what some upgrades would do, or have the shop pared down a bit.
.
So... A little rough, but not overwhelming. Now, on to the GOOD:
.
The Story: In the end, I feel bad for people who aren't willing to slog through Brutal Legend to be awarded with an epic, well-written, creative narrative. As far as story goes, Tim Schafer deserves every bit of the reputation he has. Like I had to tell you, or anything.
.
The Design: If you have any affinity for Metal at all, it's hard to resist the charm of the world they built. Absolute perfect compliment to the vision of the game. The subtle nods to metal lore is great.
.
The Characters: Top Notch, every one of them. Not to mention, extremely well voiced. Jack Black goes above and beyond what would generally be asked of a CELEBRITY voice actor in a game to bring life to Eddie Riggs. The thing that really put me on my ass, however, (even though I'd heard rumblings about it) was what amazing performances the celebrity musicians gave. Lita Ford, Rob Halford, and Lemy Kilmeiser are all surprisingly good in their roles, but it's Ozzy Osbourne who really shines through as the Guardian of Metal. The game is commendable for not using it's celebrity voices to advertise the game, but to compliment it.
.
The Legend: Throughout the game, you are able to unlock short cinematics giving you an in-depth back story on the world of Brutal Legend and the events that led up to state of said world. They are awesome. Way awesome.
.
The Collectibles: From Dragon Statues, to Legends, to Hunter challenges, to non-frustrating Racing, to etc., this game gives you plenty to chase after. In most cases, it gives you either tiered, or full-completion rewards that affect the gameplay nicely.
.
The Stage Battles: What is this?! CONTRADICTION! Well, yeah. Sort of. Turns out, the stage battles can actually be pretty fun, once you know what you're doing. After completing most of the Stage Battles (which, actually comprise a rather small portion of the game, if you're going after everything.) and finding myself quite frustrated with them, I threw aside personal pride and went a-searchin' for some guides. Turns out, I really didn't know what I was doing at all. Following these guides, I began to find an enjoyment in these battles. It made me want to go through the game again & see what my new found knowledge would get me. Unfortunately, I don't think anyone will "get", how to play the game on their first playthrough. The game has painstaking tutorials, I just think that it never really gives you a clear idea how to strategize properly.
.
Yep. Succinct. That's me. What can I say? The feeling just takes over me. In the end, I'm really glad I pushed my comfort zone on Brutal Legend. I'm on the fence as to whether the post-mortem hype around the game, calling it a major disappointment is apt. I certainly got bogged down, myself around the middle of the game. However, I've come out the other end with changed perceptions as to what Double Fine was trying to do. If you do happen to pick up Brutal Legend, and I suggest that you do. If you find yourself frustrated by the Stage Battle play, I would also suggest that you look into guides on GameFaqs, or elsewhere. I do have to say that I really, REALLY hope that they're allowed to forward this story. It will be hard to imagine, considering sales, that we'll see a sequel to Brutal Legend, but I'm placing big hopes on it. Big hopes, indeed.
.
Up next, I shall brave the post-apocalyptic as The most Bionic of Commandos!
No comments:
Post a Comment