A guitar thrashing, druid plowing, head banging good time!

With the economy turning around, gamers are about to find a year where their wallets become drained... recession be damned! There are a ton of great games flooding this holiday season, including many that do not ask for a call of duty. What's even more impressive are that some are brand new IP's that will merit obvious sequels or follow up projects from developers that have either been in limbo or are brand new. One such developer is the great Tim Schafer and his team at Double Fine Productions. Tim's history speaks for itself when it comes to two things... making remarkable games, and picking piss poor times to release them. This year once again harks on such praise and questionable timing with Brutal Legend . Much like Psychonauts a few years ago, Brutal Legend is an unforgettable adventure that may be looked over and forgotten if the right amount of word of mouth isn't ensued.

Brutal Legend at first glimpse, for many gamers who don't know the works of Schafer, looks just to be another beat'em up title with Jack Black supplying his voice talents and a heavy metal soundtrack. This, my friends, is the furthest thing from the truth. Brutal Legend offers a little bit of everything to appeal to many walks of life, from great action, racing elements, and even a bit of light RTS style game play, there is a lot to love about this game, especially its personality which oozes with laughter and creatively unique level designs.

In Brutal Legend you are Eddie Riggs, a metal roadie who feels he should have been born in a different era, when Metal, was... well METAL. After a failed stage stunt, Eddie is thrown into a mystic world as he is summoned to be a savior, a hero, and slayer of Nu Metal and Emo kids alike. What's intriguing about Eddie's character is he isn't here for the glory; he is born to make others become great. This not only held true for him in present day, but you'll find his personality remains even when wisped back in time to the ancient lands.

Two things make Brutal Legend very special, one is the variety of gameplay elements and humor the game brings that will appeal to all audiences. The second is the fantastic use of old school Metal, not just for the amazing soundtrack, but the great cameo voices from some Metal gods are lent for purposes of authenticity. Let's first talk about what you can do in Brutal Legend and the tons of variety that make up this fantastic game.

First off the game has a fantastic amount of action about it. You carry an axe and a guitar and you utilize then in various ways to fend off foes and baddies. The axe is for melee attacks whether you are striking a foe or tearing down the walls around you to open up doors and passageways. The guitar can also be used for attacks such as a Shocker hit that lights up your enemies with pyro, or even better you can unleash Solos that summon heavy attacks or even open up portals to worlds unknown. The Solos utilize a "guitar hero-ish" note chart that has you hitting certain button combos in time to summon your ancient powers. The further you get into the game, the more complex these solos become, but fear not, we're not talking "Through the Fire and the Flames" here or anything. While you could easily navigate to and fro on foot, it is easier if you have set of wheels to do it in, and as you progress in the game you gain access to the Deuce or Druid Plow that will get you to your destination faster, and even help you fend off bosses as well. Lastly, there is another element that helps to break up the monotony of hacking and slashing as you gather up units to either attack a large group of enemies or tear down a statue of a glam Metal god, among other stylish feats of accomplishment. These headbangining units will attack, defend, rally, and build creations that one man just can't do alone. Think Pikmin if they were Metal heads.

All this greatness is surrounded by tons of humor that aren't just flash in the pan one liners, but even some fantastic visual imagery that takes jabs and/or pays homage to Metal's past and present. Jack Black of course is the star of the game, and love him or hate him, you will find yourself LOLing at many great lines derived from a fantastically written script that is very movie worthy. Brutal Legend even allows you to choose the subject matter appropriate for your surroundings, so you can choose to either bleep the curses, or hear every syllable, or choose from tons of gore, or have parental advisory stickers slapped over every juicy detail. Lastly you'll come across characters that are voice acted by many of metal's greats such as Lita Ford, Rob Halford, and of course the prince of darkness himself... Ozzy Osbourne makes a wonderfully comical character throughout the game. This goes without even mentioning the game's soundtrack that allows you to rock out to such bands such as Black Sabbath, Motorhead, and even King Diamond (a personal favorite of this reviewer)!

All the game play elements are brought to you in a diverse open world environment that will span over many hours of gaming goodness that will make you smile from ear to ear. The art direction is pure Schafer, so expect exotic landscapes, insane enemy designs, and rich detail and color that makes games like Grim Fandango and Full Throttle cult hits today. Toss in a frantic multiplayer utilizing the RTS style game play and you have a ride that will last you longer than most Nu Metal bands stay in the memories of our young lads and lasses.

Once again Tim Schafer has created a masterpiece, but the future is always a shaky one with his creations. So much talent, effort, and hard work always seem to catch on and become appreciated long after the game has bombed when it comes to sales figures. I do believe that gamers now are not quite the sheep they were years ago, so change is now a welcome thing rather than just playing the same ol' same ol'. I guess we'll just have to see how this game fares in the wake of releases like Uncharted 2, Dragon Age, and of course the mighty Modern Warfare 2. If I had a magic 8 ball in my possession, I think it would read "chances are good." Let's just hope so as Brutal Legend deserves all the admiration and attention that some of the best games out there receive. Sales or no sales, this game is easily a contender for game of the year and is just brilliant.