BRUTAL LEGEND
(PS3, XBOX 360)
7 out of 10

I’m not sure if there’s a more perfect game to review for 107.7 the Bone than the very METAL Brutal Legend. The story is simple:  A roadie named Eddie Riggs, voiced elegantly by Jack Black, is frustrated having to cater to the emo music movement. During a show, Eddie Riggs is killed and magically transported to an alternate dimension that is, simply stated, a Heavy Metal universe.

You team up with a small group of rebels, trying to bring Heavy Metal back to a land that’s been overrun by Glam Rockers. During the game, you recruit head bangers, hot heavy metal chicks and roadies and meet up with the digital-likes of Lemmy, Rob Halford and Ozzy Ozbourne.

After downloading the demo, I figured Brutal Legend for a tongue-and-cheek, button-mashing fighting game; however, after playing it, I feel like it’s more of a Role Playing Strategy game. The player is able to upgrade certain fighting units, send certain groups to fight certain enemies and keep other groups back to protect your stage to keep your fans. The player is also able to upgrade their car with better weapons and armor.  The battles are challenging, keeping you on your toes and forcing you to figure out the best way to defeat your enemy. 

The game also forces you to think as the main objective of your current mission isn’t always so black and white in front of your face. The side missions are fun and allow you to get points to upgrade yourself and your axe for the next battle.

The game is filled with fun little digs at the music industry with your player taking on emo kids, glam rockers and more. The soundtrack to the game is nothing short of amazing, as you are allowed to unlock a healthy amount of classic and new metal for your car.

The game play is pretty seamless and the map for the game is decent, giving the player a lot of ground to cover and a lot of fun little knicks and knacks to discover. This game is good for a not-so-serious gamer that is just looking for a fun title to kick around every once in awhile. Serious gamers might get frustrated with the games repetitive nature of the side missions and the relative ease of some missions.

All in all, Brutal Legend is fun for the dialogue, the look into a land of Metal, and above all, THE MUSIC. Check it out – you won’t be disappointed.  I give it 7 out of 10 stars.

- A. Drake