In short order, Eddie dispatches a group of disfigured cultists (after his grand entrance interrupts their rituals) with a giant axe he christens "The Separator" and a magical Flying V guitar called Clementine (Eddie's go-to ranged weapon); hooks up with a naïve young groupie-in-training named Ophelia and convinces her buddies Lars and Lita to join his "band"; and makes a go at liberating their dark world from the grip of big bad Lord Doviculus and his glam rock stooge General Lionwhyte.
Eddie and Ophelia get cozy in the Deuce.
My first hands-on foray into Eddie Riggs' whole new world put me behind the wheel of the Deuce, a sweet hot rod that gets Eddie around quickly (distant light columns signal important destinations, while the Deuce's turn signals provide helpful feedback about which way to go). Linear driving levels comprise a few of Brutal Legend's missions, one of which is a frantic early-game getaway. Sections of the suspended roadway crumble and cave, forcing quick reactions to avoid fatal falls. Clearing the course unscathed (not too tough, as the game does a great job of introducing the various controls at a manageable clip) and defeating a giant, demonic mini-boss awarded me the ability to "Drop the Deuce" (one of several magical guitar chords, played with timed button presses) whenever and wherever I wanted.
The driving sequences just open for the main attraction, though: Eddie's crack roadie skills shine during on-foot missions, where more face-melting guitar chords attract the allegiance of numbskull natives known as Headbangers. After emancipating these enslaved mutants and convincing them to join your cause, you can issue them orders with your D-pad, sending them to assault specific objectives or guard key locations. It's an interesting mechanic that certainly affords Eddie a bit of longevity (especially since the minimal HUD doesn't include a health bar -- you have to play that part by ear), and I can't help but think it feels a bit Overlord-ish (just an observation -- not a knock).
Does it get any more metal than this?
In fact, Brutal Legend sports an entire strategy-lite system, in which your band-mates -- Ophelia, Lars, and Lita, as well as a healing-savvy badass who calls himself the Kill Master (I'll let you work out the amusing real-life rock star references) -- aid you in putting on "shows," where fans (or their souls, anyway) act as a collectible resource in tactical squad-on-squad battles versus aforementioned baddie Lionwhyte's foul forces. Headbangers mosh the opposing metalheads to death (while handily protecting Eddie), female ranged fighters tentatively known as Runaways engage enemies with lighter attacks, and Eddie and pals pack unique team-up specials (Eddie can throw Ophelia for big damage, for instance).
EA's attendant rep cut me off before I got too far into the real-time strategy stuff (I suppose that's a story for another day), but pointed me toward another scenario -- one in which the aforementioned Kill Master makes his debut, and sends Eddie into a metallic super-spider's lair in search of a crucial reagent to save a wounded Ophelia. Not to get into the habit of comparing Brutal Legend to other games, but the giant arachnid brought back memories of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time's first boss, in which a telegraphed weakness -- in this case, a red flash of the creepy crawler's eyes -- prompted a stunning ranged guitar-wailing attack, followed by a few swipes of the Separator and the occasional radius ground-pound maneuver to take care of the big bug's tiny brood.
I'm told a few beloved songs will make Brutal Legend's soundtrack -- Black Sabbath's "Symptom of the Universe," Dimmu Borgir's "Progenies of the Great Apocalypse," Motley Crue's "Kickstart My Heart," and Anthrax's "Metal Thrashing Mad," to name a few -- with some additional surprise voice talent waiting in the wings as well. Let's hope it amounts to a game that puts on a better performance than Psychonauts!
