I’m with Riddles on this one. I enjoy Brutal Legend quite a bit, actually, but I had a very different idea about it. I’ve never really been so hyped about a game that I knew so little about before. I’m a fan of Jack Black at his best (See: Mr. Show, Kung Fu Panda, School of Rock), and although I’m not big into metal or Tim Shafer, this game seemed like it was going to be a hilarious, unique romp.
I was kinda right. The game can be very funny – especially at the beginning – and it’s absolutely unique. And like Riddles stated, that’s the problem. Brutal Legend has fun fighting and driving mechanics and a fantastic art style and strangely beautiful world. So there was no need to bring in so many extra elements. It just diluted the experience.
But everything has been said in the post below. Time for me to go out New Years Eve-ing. Happy New Year, everyone!
Okay, so… I might be the odd man out in shaming Brutal Legend like this. But allow me to explain, while I indeed consider the game a letdown, that doesn’t mean I thought it was bad. On the contrary, I rather enjoyed the time I spent with Brutal Legend, as evidenced by the largely positive impressions that I wrote on the game some months ago.
I just expected more from Brutal Legend. Or… perhaps I should say less? I don’t think Tim Schafer was quite sure what, exactly, he wanted his latest game to be. Is it a hack-and-slash action game? Or an RTS? Is it supposed to be humorous all the time, or are we supposed to occasionally take it seriously? Are we supposed to consult online guides in order to figure out the many unexplained mechanics and facets of the game, or is confused frustration supposed to be part of the fun?
I honestly don’t know, but my point is that Brutal Legend suffers from a serious lack of focus. It starts off strong, and becomes increasingly more convoluted as it goes on. Is it fun? Yes, it sure can be. Is it funny? At times, at least near the beginning. But in future endeavours, Tim Schafer needs to keep this particular saying in mind: “you brainstorm, I brainstorm, but brilliance needs a good editor.”
Runner Up: Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2
That’s not really a saying, actually. If my memory serves, it’s the title of Manchester Orchestra’s first EP. Regardless, I thought it applied nicely.
Can the inappropriate jokes, you clowns. My back really, really hurts and I’m not happy about it.
Regardless, I’m here to bring you the news as I always do; or whatever I manage to approximate. As Ethos mentioned earlier today (in a not-so-subtle reminder, methinks) there actually IS quite a bit of news to discuss.
So hang on to your butts, and we’ll get to it.
Modern Warfare 2 Opening Video Leaked – Controversy Likely to Follow
I almost have to wonder if this was intentional on the part of Infinity Ward or Activision. The opening gameplay segment of the upcoming Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has been leaked for the viewing pleasure of the internet. Check it out below:
Hmm. Anything about this video alarm you? Like… the fact that the player is clearly a terrorist, gunning down innocent civilians in an airport? Just a little bit on the brutal side.
It’s obvious that this is just a temporary segment, with the purpose of developing the plot of the game. However, I have little doubt that it will be snapped up by the mass media and blown way out of proportion.
And frankly, I doubt either publisher or developer will have a problem with that.
Modern Warfare 2 Will Feature Third-Person Mode
IN that same video, an apparent third-person shooting mode was shown off. This mode was later confirmed by Activision.
Third-person mode will only be available in multiplayer matches, and only when it is specifically set in the options menu beforehand. (i.e, players will not be able to toggle first/third person viewpoints while in a match. Also, it must be set for all players in the match.)
Huh. A “leaked” video that a) announces an unexpected new game mode and b) shows off some sure-to-be-controversial footage? Well played, Activision. Well played.
God of War Collection to Hit Stores November 17
Hey, hey, hey; we finally have a release date AND a trophy list for the upcoming God of War collection for the PS3. As the title states, that release date is November 17. For those interested in the trophy list (which is quite massive) check out the Kotaku article.
The God of War collection is the two original PS2 classics re-mastered and copied to a single Blu-Ray disc. You probably knew that already, but I figured I should clarify for posterity’s sake. I’d love to pick up personally, but between Modern Warfare 2 and Assassin’s Creed II, it’s yet to be seen if I’ll have the financial means.
First Brutal Legend DLC Free on PS3
Brutal Legend has a DLC pack coming out on November 5, which consists of two new maps for the game’s online multiplayer mode. (Which, in case you’re wondering, I’ve yet to test out.) The names of the maps are Circle of Tears and Death’s Fjord, and they’ll cost you 400 Microsoft Points.
However, if you, like me, have the PS3 version of Brutal Legend, you can download the pack for free for the first two weeks. Why? Nobody knows. So, instead of asking questions, I’ll just download it and be happy. I mean, I’ll probably never USE it, but it’s free so I don’t care.
Disgruntled Gamer Sues Sony over PSN Ban
Lawsuits! Lawsuits! Juicy lawsuits. Actually, this one is a bit lame, but it’s funny. Erik Estavillo, avid player of Resistance: Fall of Man originally filed suit against Sony back in June, claiming that his ban somehow violated his right of free speech. In that same suit, he asserted that his ban constituted theft of his pre-paid PSN points. Needless to say, his case was thrown out the window rather quickly.
Apparently he’s back at it, still representing himself, and appealing his garbage lawsuit. Why did I give this dumb fucker the time of day? Because this quote from the GamePolitics article is priceless:
Estavillo tells GP he is representing himself in these cases and, in light of his PSN ban, is playing the Wii (Metroid Trilogy) and Xbox 360 (Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe). Estavillo said that he loves playing as The Joker in the latter title and may be “a bit obsessed” with the character, adding, “I plan to wear a purple suit during my court trials. No joke!”
Win, win, win.
The Who to Rock Rock Band
God DAMN it. I knew eventually they were going to release a Rock Band or Guitar Hero that I care about, and here it is. Speaking to Mass Live.com, The Who’s lead singer, Roger Daltrey, let the cat out of the bag:
Q: The Beatles are the latest band to be featured in a video game, “The Beatles: Rock Band.”
A: The game, yeah, yeah, they’re going to be doing a Who one next year. There is one planned. (The idea) is fabulous. Anything that gets non-musical people interested in music is wonderful. In my opinion, music is our last true great freedom. They can burn our books, they can burn our paintings, but they can’t stop us singing and making music.
I love The Who. I have Quadrophenia playing as I type this, in fact. I happen to despise Rock Band, Guitar Hero, and the like.
If The Who: Rock Band ever does come to exist, it will represent a dire conflict of interest.
Alrighty, that’s all folks. You actually got a decent amount of news today, and you got it on time. So. Be happy!
By the way, just to set the record straight, I have not picked up Forza 3, and I won’t be doing so. Why? Because only stupid, scheming, theme-week stealing douchebags play that Forza, THAT’S why.
I know that the two consecutive Badass Weeks are all but completed, but better late than never I suppose. While I might have failed to mention it, (aside from some scattered Facebook statuses) I *have* played a decent bit of Tim Schafer’s latest quirkfest, Brutal Legend. The game isn’t nearly as engaging as Uncharted 2 was, but then, few games are.
Regardless, Brutal Legend is quite a unique and enjoyable experience overall. The game suffers from a bit of an identity crisis in my opinion, but the shiny production qualities tend to compensate for that.
THE GOOD:
Good Use of Celebrity Talent – No doubt about it, Jack Black was born to play Eddie Riggs. Or, rather, Eddie Riggs was meant to be played by Jack Black. The point is that Black puts his heart and soul into the role, and as a result, Eddie Riggs is not only a complete badass, but one of the more likable protagonists in recent memory. But it doesn’t stop there; numerous celebrities lend their voices to the game, and all of them do a fantastic job. Like him or not, if you don’t laugh your ass off the first time you run into Ozzie’s character, then you have no soul.
Sharp Scripting – That would be Tim Schafer for you, I suppose. The script in Brutal Legend never misses a beat. It’s sharp, it’s funny, and occasionally, epic. The game refuses to take itself seriously at any point, but its sheer ridiculous nature is nothing but charming.
What a Wonderful World – I guarantee you’ve never seen a fantasy world quite like that of Brutal Legend. To explain it in-depth would take many, many paragraphs; it would also spoil the fun of discovering it for yourself. Suffice to say, it’s quite literally the heavy metal genre personified. I’m not anything close to a metal-head, but it’s impossible not to be amused by the ingenious world and mythology that Schafer & Co have created here.
Sharp Mechanics – Brutal Legend combines a lot of different mechanics into one game. There’s a little hack-and-slash, a little real-time strategy, and a smattering of various other… stuff. They’re actually quite well-done as standalone mechanics, HOWEVER
THE BAD:
GAH I’M LOST – As much as I tend to dislike them, Brutal Legend is one game that desperately needs some in-depth tutorials. And, ironically, it’s one game that just doesn’t provide them. You’ll get some decent tutorials on the individual mechanics, but once it comes time to combine them all together in the game’s massive “stage battles,” you’ll probably feel quite lost. And overwhelmed. And small, very small. And… hopeless. And… uh…
Anyway. Frankly, that’s the only real complaint I have with Brutal Legend. It’s fun. It’s flashy. It’s funny. And it is, indeed, unique. It doesn’t introduce a never-before-seen mechanic or gimmick, but it puts a bunch of familiar ones together in a way that’s never been seen. And it does it all with style.
Damn straight, it’s getting good. Things are finally coming together in Kingdom Hearts: Dumb Name and I’m very curious to see how it all wraps up. It’s very refreshing to have more blanks filled in for that VERY confusing space between I and II. What about Brutal Legend, you say? Didn’t some AMAZING stuff just happen in that game? The answer is yes, yes it did, and I want to talk about that at length. However, there might be more time to appropriately discuss the badass that is Eddie Riggs here at Riddlethos than you might think…
Yup, I had a LOT more fun last night. Sidequests were placed on the map, I fully understood a lot more of the visual cues, I figured out how to release the Bound Serpents, I found more Motor Forges. Yup, everything is turning up Ethos. In fact, I spent 2 hours just completing sidequests. I was going to go to bed after I cleared the map of currently available missions, but then I decided that I should push on a least a bit of the main quest now that I was having such a blast.
It was also awesome.
I’m very glad I’m having so much fun since it was a little nerve-racking after my first night with the game. I look forward to playing way more tonight since I get off earlier than 11pm today. Later!
Welcome to your first instalment of Scatter Storming as a regular Wednesday feature. Because this is Badass Week and I was finally able to break out Brutal Legend for about 3 hours last night after work, I expect most of my scattered brainstorming to rain down in that direction. But who knows for sure? Let’s find out.
LEFT FIELD! Brutal Legend is an RTS? -
Seriously, that seems to be one of the game’s core mechanics. I mean, there’s more than that, but I would go as far as to say that the demo is misleading. Don’t get me wrong, the game is still good, I just wasn’t expecting to summon a group of headbangers by spending fans who are siphoned through merch booths to a giant stage. In fact, I think the unexpected style threw me off a bit at the beginning. But more on that later, I just had another thought.
OZZY’D! Unexpected hilarity –
I can’t say I’m particularly a fan of Ozzy Osbourne or Black Sabbath. More apathetic than anything, but Ozzy’s cameo in Brutal Legend is one of the funniest parts of the game I’ve played so far. He’s a perfect fit for the quirky “don’t hold back” attitude the game embodies. I hear the humour tapers off near the end, but Ozzy certainly helped keep most things hilarious for the first few hours.
SPLAT! Squishing Monsters -
Why do I feel strangely guilty for running over the monster/animals in the Brutal Legend world with my car? It’s extremely satisfying in most respects, and the porcupines in particular aren’t really cute, but for some reason I usually cringe as if I’ve done a great injustice. Weird.
FUN! Yes -
Like I was saying, it took me a little bit to really get into Brutal Legend. Although IGN’s review prepared me for many gameplay elements and even the RTS aspect, I was a bit thrown off. Also, I didn’t really feel like I was properly introduced to all facets of the game for the first little bit. But about 3 or 4 missions in, those worries are starting to fade away and I think I “get” the game and its pacing. The tone is fantastic, and the writing is really tight. I think I’m going to enjoy tonight’s session a lot more than last night’s. In fact, once I move into my new place with competent router settings, I might partake in the online multiplayer a lot more than I usually would. I think I like RTS-lite style games. Maybe this’ll be the first game I Platinum, actually. Which would definitely be helpful in my perpetually losing battle against Abe80 (he has this week’s stats as the top post on his site).
OH YEAH! Kingdom Hearts: Dumb Name -
Right. This game. I’m still playing it and still loving it. Very likely I’ll beat it this month. Then back to Suikoden!
That’s it. The show’s about to start at work, so I’m leaving. Suck it!
Not being a penniless fuck like Ethos, I bought both Uncharted 2 AND Brutal Legend at the same time. And I have this beautiful picture to prove it.
In these last 24 hours, I’ve managed to reach Chapter 11 of Uncharted 2. Proper impressions will come later, but for now, I’ll confirm that it’s every bit as mind-blowing as the hype suggests. In fact, it’s so damn good that it’s hurting me not to play it right now.
Brutal Legend will come next. However, I have it on good authority that Ethos is playing the game as I write, so look for some initial impressions from him in due time.
And finally, expect a Hey! Look! Listen! in a matter of hours.
This morning – October 13, 2009 – I woke up and bought Brutal Legend. In that order. Notice that “breakfast” didn’t make the list? I’m unsure why I was so eager. Perhaps because I wanted to ensure I had a copy, perhaps because I just want to look at the case all day, but the terrible truth is that I can’t play it for another 8 hours at the time of this writing. Yes, I bought the game close to Noon O’clock and I can’t play it until around 11:30pm. Ugh. It’s going to be a lot day. At least the show that I’m staying late to work on has a Playmate as a guest, but the word is that she declined the suggestion to do the show in a bikini. Boo.
Brutal Legend
God of War Collection to Hit Stores November 17
