Brutal Legend

[General Zod]

So. I figured I'd bite the bullet and make a thread on this since none of you peons have. I've been playing this through a couple days now and making decent progress, so I think I've got a fairly decent handle on it.

Overall, I'm kind of disappointed. The game gets a lot of things right, like the setting, the dialogue and the writing. The gameplay itself isn't horribly offensive for the most part; the hack and slash is pretty straight forward, and even the RTS elements are manageable if a bit awkward. But when you start making a decent amount of progress it becomes clear that they were trying to do too much at once. The sheer amount of RTS elements is disappointing when the game was billed as action heavy, and the way they handle is somewhat counter-intuitive to what you'd normally expect from an RTS.

You can't really select all your units without going through a couple extra steps, but you can get near them and call them to your side, order them where to go, etc. but only the units in your immediate vicinity. The degree that the RTS overshadows the action aspect becomes rather painfully obvious when you go up against a large group of enemies. In most action games you could easily fend them off by yourself, but here unless you have a lot of support you'll get overwhelmed rather easily.

Which brings me to the difficulty. I've been doing my first playthrough on Brutal (hard), and the game seems ADD about how tough things really are. Fighting small groups and even individual bosses as Eddie isn't really that bad, it's just when you're up against groups of enemies more than ten or so that the RTS elements kick in and you realize how weak Eddie is on his own. So yeah, overall I definitely wouldn't recommend anyone to go out and snap it up immediately. It's entertaining enough given there's no other titles worth looking into this month, but definitely firmly in rental territory for most people. Of course if you don't care about metal chances are you won't even want to do that, since that's one of the main draws.

[Zixinus]

I would definitely make a try for the game, if it was only released for the PC.

I loved Psychonauts and I heard good things about the game. Pretty much the only thing to look forward to aside Operation Flashpoint 2 and Machinerium.

[Brother-Captain Gaius]

I'm loving it.

It is true however that the RTS stuff can get a little awkward, especially for a PC gamer. I did just pick up a solo that lets me summon all my dudes from anywhere on the battlefield, but the RTS fights are still annoying at times. Fighting General Lionwhyte was a huge pain - the last fan geyser must have went back and forth 5-6 times over the course of 20 minutes as I tried to just maintain a staging ground to attack his stage with. Every time I'd get over there, my dudes would take too many losses to do much damage, I'd have to slowly build up a new force, and by that time he'd retake the fan geyser there and start harassing my middle ones. And I couldn't help myself because their little tank-things would just blow me away.

Blocking I find to be pretty useless. The only time I use it is when I powerslide through a bunch of dudes to spam earthshaker, only to find myself getting hammered by ranged guys.

Solos are problematic as well. I really want to blow people away with Facemelter, but if you try to play it when you're around any number of enemies that would actually make it worthwhile, they just kill you before you can finish. Which makes me sad, 'cause I wanna hear KK and Glenn's badass work.

Other than those little complaints though, this game kicks ass. In terms of gameplay, it isn't exactly what I was expecting - I'd assumed it would be along the lines of a much more metal God of War with some minion and car gimmicks. It's really a lot more like a seriously souped-up Ocarina of Time (complete with ocarina songs guitar solos!).

[General Zod]

I'm loving it.

It is true however that the RTS stuff can get a little awkward, especially for a PC gamer. I did just pick up a solo that lets me summon all my dudes from anywhere on the battlefield, but the RTS fights are still annoying at times. Fighting General Lionwhyte was a huge pain - the last fan geyser must have went back and forth 5-6 times over the course of 20 minutes as I tried to just maintain a staging ground to attack his stage with. Every time I'd get over there, my dudes would take too many losses to do much damage, I'd have to slowly build up a new force, and by that time he'd retake the fan geyser there and start harassing my middle ones. And I couldn't help myself because their little tank-things would just blow me away.

I've found that the key to winning the stage battles is zerg rushing. Build up a few easy to access fan geysers, build as many small units as you can then rush their base. If you get distracted by enemy troops instead of focusing on their stage you can get stomped easily.

[Brother-Captain Gaius]

Problem is, if I just ignore their tanks and rush, then their tanks kill half my guys. Even the supposedly stealthy roadies.

[Losonti Tokash]

You can pick up another solo that lets you establish a rally point. This has been the key to most of my successful stage battles.

[Brother-Captain Gaius]

Aaaaaahahahahahaha.

I just found the "Zeppelin" solo. Game instantly becomes twice as cool.

Go on. Use it.

[Brother-Captain Gaius]

...And I beat it. Maybe it's the PC gamer in me talking, but that was depressingly short. It's paced well for the first half (what I assumed to be the first third or fourth)... then you zip through the jungle, grave land... bam, final boss. At least you get to roam around doing stuff afterward.

And of course I expected "Painkiller" to be saved for the final boss fight, but I was hoping for him to actually show up and start kicking ass. Ah well, I suppose they'd have difficulty licensing it...

[General Zod]

Also, for anyone interested I wound up snagging the Six Degrees of Schafer achievement last night. So just let me know if you want it and I can get on for a stage battle this weekend.

[Losonti Tokash]

...And I beat it. Maybe it's the PC gamer in me talking, but that was depressingly short. It's paced well for the first half (what I assumed to be the first third or fourth)... then you zip through the jungle, grave land... bam, final boss. At least you get to roam around doing stuff afterward.

And of course I expected "Painkiller" to be saved for the final boss fight, but I was hoping for him to actually show up and start kicking ass. Ah well, I suppose they'd have difficulty licensing it...

Yeah, seriously. The game built up to Deviculus not really being the major bad guy...and then it turns out he was. I wonder if the rushed feeling the last part of the game has has anything to do with when Activision dropped them and they were in publisher limbo for a while.

[Brother-Captain Gaius]

Oh I expected Tim "Doviculus" Curry to be the Bad Guy, but I was pretty unhappy with:
Spoiler

Absolutely no resolution with Eddie's parents. Both Riggnarock and Succoria are left pretty much unexplored or explained.

The "time travel" business between Succoria, Riggnarock, and Doviculus is poorly explained.

Bladehenge and the Ironheade army just poof afterwards, leaving the world pretty deserted. Can't talk to Mangus, Lita, Ophelia, etc. even if it would only be "Hey, the world is saved!"

After defeating Drowned Ophelia, I was expecting quite the grueling advance into Doviculus' turf and slowly getting introduced to the remaining Tainted Coil units... instead boom, final battle. I was really hoping to see more of the style and aesthetics of the original prologue - mountains of skulls amidst thunderstorm-wracked seas and the like.

[SylasGaunt]

Spoiler

Bladehenge and the Ironheade army just poof afterwards, leaving the world pretty deserted. Can't talk to Mangus, Lita, Ophelia, etc. even if it would only be "Hey, the world is saved!"

Are you referring to after you beat the game and it just lets you roam? I haven't tried talking with Mangus or lita yet but I know you can start a makeout session with Ophelia, and I see Ironheade units slugging it out with other factions pretty often.

[General Zod]

Oh I expected Tim "Doviculus" Curry to be the Bad Guy, but I was pretty unhappy with:
Spoiler

Absolutely no resolution with Eddie's parents. Both Riggnarock and Succoria are left pretty much unexplored or explained.

The "time travel" business between Succoria, Riggnarock, and Doviculus is poorly explained.

Bladehenge and the Ironheade army just poof afterwards, leaving the world pretty deserted. Can't talk to Mangus, Lita, Ophelia, etc. even if it would only be "Hey, the world is saved!"

After defeating Drowned Ophelia, I was expecting quite the grueling advance into Doviculus' turf and slowly getting introduced to the remaining Tainted Coil units... instead boom, final battle. I was really hoping to see more of the style and aesthetics of the original prologue - mountains of skulls amidst thunderstorm-wracked seas and the like.

Spoiler

I just assumed the time travel quip by Eddie was a throwaway line and not meant to be taken seriously, just his limited understanding of how he got there.

[The Vortex Empire]

Such a flawed masterpiece. The game itself is great, but it's so damn short. I finished it in 5 hours, and I could have in less time if I ignored side quests and other stuff.

The time travel thing is explained better if you find all of those legend artifacts.

[General Zod]

Such a flawed masterpiece. The game itself is great, but it's so damn short. I finished it in 5 hours, and I could have in less time if I ignored side quests and other stuff.

The time travel thing is explained better if you find all of those legend artifacts.

I figure the legend artifacts explain more of it, but I've only found about 80% of those so far.

[Brother-Captain Gaius]

Spoiler

Are you referring to after you beat the game and it just lets you roam? I haven't tried talking with Mangus or lita yet but I know you can start a makeout session with Ophelia, and I see Ironheade units slugging it out with other factions pretty often.

Where are they then? I didn't see them in Bladehenge or anywhere else.

[SylasGaunt]

Ophelia is up on that hill with the big iron cross looking monument.

The various ironheade units are scattered all over but I've seen them fighting tainted coil near Bladehenge, and Drowning Doom down in the swamps.

[Ritterin Sophia]

Rented it, played it, beat it, loved it. I even liked the RTS part that many complain about. My only real gripe is that the end game felt very abrupt and you were thrown at the Tainted Coil with little idea of what they're capable of. I can't remember the last time I had this much fun with a game.

[born in shadow]

Just beat it, was quite happy with my purchase, even with the flaws.
Spoiler

I agree with all the end stuff, it just sort've hits you right away after beating Ophilia. It really feels like Double Fine ran out of time/money, especially if you just wander around. Looking around, you'll see lots of very cool, very distinct looking places...which you have no reason to go to. It really feels like there were sections of the game you were meant to spend more time in (especially the swamp) but were just shuffled out of. I mean, I didn't even see half the critters in the swamp until after I beat the game!

The ending just feels like a "By the way, maybe we'll finish up the loose ends in a sequel...or DLC." but given Double Fine's perpetual publisher/money woes, I'm kind've doubting that.

[Ritterin Sophia]

Ophelia is up on that hill with the big iron cross looking monument.

I tried finding Ophelia but she wasn't at the Iron Cross. Spoiler

I did however find the KISS Amazons at their temple, if you talk to the leader she asks if you've come for the ritualistic mating combat, Eddie says he's already seeing someone.

[General Zod]

Ophelia is up on that hill with the big iron cross looking monument.

I tried finding Ophelia but she wasn't at the Iron Cross. Spoiler

I did however find the KISS Amazons at their temple, if you talk to the leader she asks if you've come for the ritualistic mating combat, Eddie says he's already seeing someone.

She's on the cliff-side of the cross, almost right up against it and near the racing secondary mission.