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Preview

Brutal Legend

Format Xbox 360

Developer Unknown

Publisher EA Games

Genre Action, Adventure, Beat 'em Up

27-Jun-2009 Journey to the land that rock built and wield some seriously heavy metal

We had no doubt that Brütal Legend would be gut-bustingly funny and a work of visual genius, but having spent a bit more time with a more finished version of the game, it's becoming increasingly clear that this going to be great fun to play as well as watch.

The world that Tim Schafer, of Monkey Island, Day of the Tentacle and Full Throttle fame, has created not only looks like a rock fan's fever dream, it's also a vast and varied sandbox, with different regions of the 64km-square environment taking on varying elements of the metal mythos. Within that world are separate factions, each with their own musical tastes.

In terms of mechanics, the game appears to start as a straightforward thump-em-up. Eddie is bequeathed with the Separator, an enormous axe, and the initial combat is straightforward four-hit combos and charged attacks. Things get more interesting when Riggs discovers that his beloved guitar, Clementine, has mystical powers in this dimension.

Different riffs, learnt by reading music from stone tablets dotted around the world, have different effects. Some might set off stage-show style pyros which can be used to damage foes, others such as Earth Shaker, are powerful enough to level entire buildings. Not all the riffs are weaponised though, others will be used to rouse your own army or summon useful objects into the world.

Early on, Riggs meets with Ophelia, a sassy member of the human resistance against Doviculous, the demon Emperor.

She's one of 11 friendly characters that can fight alongside Eddie, and with each buddy there'll be the opportunity to perform a team move for extra damage. In Ophelia's case, Eddie actually throws her at the enemy to add some weight to her attacks.

Later you'll meet Lars and Lita Halford, the brother and sister duo who not only lead the resistance from their base in Bladehenge, but also round out its membership at a rather unhealthy three. Fortunately Eddie Riggs is the ultimate roadie, and his organisational skills will be the key to building an army and overthrowing Doviculous and his puppet, General Lionwhyte.

Of course, you'll need transport and with the Relic Raiser riff you'll be able to summon the parts to build the Deuce, a tricked out Hot Rod. This isn't just a means of transport - it's also a weapon.

We saw one boss battle where an enormous many-tongued worm is attacking Eddie and Ophelia. With a series of deft handbrake turns, Eddie is able to avoid the attacks and ram into its tongues, damaging it.

Everything seems to be coming together beautifully. The animation is subtle and genuinely funny, Jack Black's performance as a rock obsessed roadie is predictably brilliant and the album cover-styled world seems ripe for exploration.

The only real unknown is the soundtrack - Schafer has plenty of songs he'd like to include, but until all the licensing deals have been sealed we can't confirm any tracks yet. Given how crucial music is to the experience, here's hoping the playlist is just as rocking as the rest of the game.

Mike Channell

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Reviews:

Brutal Legend

Previews:

Brutal Legend

News:

New Brutal Legend DLC revealed

Brutal Legend due more DLC, "tuning patches"

Brutal Legend demo hits Live... just not here

Brutal Legend lets you choose F-word

Beat Tim Schafer, unlock achievement

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