Brutal Legend – Welcome to the Age of Metal

*This is written from the perspective of an Xbox 360, much of this still holds true for the PS3, just replace all instances of X,Y,A,B with Square, Triangle, X, Circle. The trigger commands will be listed as needed.

After Jack Black shows you the album of Brutal Legend, and you have chosen to begin the game, we see our protagonist Eddie Riggs, tuning a guitar backstage at a concert. 3 musicians come up talking. The Lead Guitarist turns to Eddie and apologizes for smashing his guitar last night, then turns back to his band mates, laughs and is then startled that Eddie presents the guitar he was tuning, apparently the same “smashed” guitar, now like new. This person takes the guitar and says he won’t “Smash it so much this time”. The bassist says he doesn’t like Eddie, that he scares him as the trio steps out onto the stage. The lead signer then comes up and asks Eddie when he is going to build them a new set. He never really looks at Eddie, instead spends all the time texting, saying that it was funny at first, but now they want something that appeals more to their ‘tween demographic. He then goes out on stage and the show begins.

This leads to the first choice, profanity or none, as the Guitarist apparently is a complete idiot. Little after this, a great Demon is summon after a drop of Eddie’s blood falls into his belt buckle’s mouth. The great Fire Beast, Ormagoden, appears, points to Eddie, and then you are given your second choice, gore or not. It only varies a little here, if you choose Gore, the band member’s heads pop off, roll away and the bodies fall in a pile or without Gore, they just pass out. The Fire Beast then smashes the drummer, sets Eddie in a safe place, roars into the crowd which changes from cheers to screams as the scene fades to black.

Game play is about to begin. Eddie comes to in a temple to Ormagoden, with 3 Priest in worship, saying that the time has come for them to serve their master. Running around listening to the dialogue is nice, but will likely result in a stab or three. Run off the raised altar you are on, down the stairs and head for the Axe that the Priest were gathered around. This “Y” to grab the Axe, the Separator, and the game will tell you how to use it, tapping “A” for a regular attack and holding it for an unblockable one. At some point it will also tell you about holding “B” to defend yourself. The first goal though is to deal with the priests that have been attacking you. Take them down with the Axe, and then head back up the stairs, Eddie will comment on the Priest that is after his Guitar, kill this Priest then hit “Y” to grab the guitar, Clementine. Clementine is useful for more ranged attacks, tapping “X” for Lightning, which shocks the enemies, in some cases paralyzing them and holding “X” for Pyro, burning the enemy, and sometimes launching them into the air. Slay the next round of Priest with your Axe and Guitar.

Once all these Priest are dead, the game tells you about your first Power Chord, the Earth Shaker, which is done by hitting “A” and “X” together. More Priests will appear and you have a few options, kill them all as you have been, or through the power of Rock, level the temple, and with the right timing, the Priests as well. Either way, the temple is leveled and Eddie is now standing on an open bone pile with pieces of the old temple falling away. A tall and slender female, with her back to Eddie, appears on a Walker of sorts. Eddie suspects her a demon Nun, she turns around, revealing a zipper mouth and no visible eyes, confirming Eddie’s guess (and getting him to admit she is oddly sexy). She, and the entourage that appear, have to die. The game now chooses to tell you about the targeting system, by holding L-Trigger (L2), to lock onto an enemy and to use “B” to dodge an attack. Once the Nun falls, Eddie makes a comment about killing Nuns and bad luck. There is the Walker that the Battle Nun came up on, and as she is dead, that leaves it completely at your disposal. Hop onto it with “Y”. There is some very good dialogue as Eddie “rides” (you have to steer it) the Walker off the Corpse Heap, down the winding path to a different area. The Walker falters when you reach the end of the path and a collection of Priest will trap you in a spell. One Earth Shaker removes this particular block, but one remains. Swing your Axe at this one.

This will reveal a Young Woman and Eddie comments briefly on all those he’s killed so far. A few more Priests die during the dialogue scene. The game wisely tells you about Double Team attacks, which are easy enough to do, by walking up to the person you wish to team up with and tapping “Y”. Now you will face a few groups of Priests and Nuns. All of the Nuns have engines above them, so to do some quick damage, simply use the Earth Shaker Power Chord to have the Engine fall on them. This usually won’t kill them, but it will hurt them decently. Slaughter your way through all them, and you will eventually reach some very large Double Door. The Woman will run up to them and all the dialogue hints for you to head there, do so. Hit “Y” to begin the scene. After the Priest’s hand is stabbed, the Woman will explain that they are in a Temple of Ormagoden. The camera will now be focused on the structure you were running around. It will show an area with some glowing surfaces. Go toward the part that is flowing, and the game will tell you about raising Relics, a simple process of holding R Bumper (R1), angling the control stick around 11’o clock, hitting “A”, then inputting the sequence that shows on the tabs as shown. This causes multiple things to raise out of the ground. The dialogue is pretty cool, if brief. Hit “Y” without moving to assemble the Deuce, a.k.a. the Druid Plow. More great dialogue and the basics of driving the Deuce are explained, R trigger (R2) for gas, L Trigger (L2) for reverse, and steer with the Thumbstick. The course is very simple, the main thing to avoid here would be not the little minions or braziers (those can be run over) but the big walking cages. Try not to run into too many things, as the car can explode. This course is only a few minutes with some explanation of the situation in the World of Metal.

When this course comes to an end, you find a closed gate and even more Priests. Eddie at least is blatant enough to say he’s tired of killing the Priests, asking the Woman to get the closed gate open. Slaughter them, this also tells you about the Grand Slam Combo (A, X, A). After this, Eddie lights a cigarette and our first boss appears. Eddie hops in the Deuce, and you are then told about how to use the Emergency Brake, hitting “B”, to pull a quick 180 turn and how to use Nitro, pressing in on the Thumbstick (L3). Listen to Eddie’s comments and when he sounds panicked, or that this creature is going to attack him is when to hit the Nitro, wait a few seconds after the creature hits the ground, hit the E. Brake to pull a 180. You, hopefully, should have enough space to line up with the barbed tongues that are now stuck to the ground. RAM THEM! Repeat this process 2 more times for a good scene.

The creature attacks one more time, attacking the Woman, who is now on the feeding grounds gate, enticing the creature to attack. Go between the two gates. Notice the 2 engine blocks holding the other gate up? Time for Earth Shaker! One last scene and you two are now in the get away, about to enter the world of Brutal Legend in Full!

This last car sequence is notably harder than the first, but the Woman, Ophelia, will help you navigate the course. The sequence is:
Right side, center, Leftside (you will a walker on the right), weave on the road keeping to the opposite sides of the Walkers, Ophelia will call out to head to the sides, favor the left to make the upcoming jump more easily, then break right, and stay right through the pair of jumps.

Welcome to the land of Metal!
We also get to see the ruin left by Eddie and Ophelia, as well as meet Emperor Deviclus, who comments on the return of Sakuria, looking at Ophelia’s blade, commenting on how he can smell her blood. This can only mean one thing: War.

Back with Eddie and Ophelia, you gain the map and the location of Bladehenge ...



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