Brutal Legend

 Xbox 360
User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 309 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 221 out of 309
  2. Mixed: 56 out of 309
  3. Negative: 32 out of 309
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  1. Lance
    Oct 18, 2009
    6
    The game starts out lively and fresh. The dialogue and characters are both interesting and witty. Combat is introduced as simple button smashing. At times mixing an x after a series of a. It doesn't go anywhere though. In addition there are combat mechanics such as blocking, which really do nothing other then hinder the player. During large fights the player will be juggle resource The game starts out lively and fresh. The dialogue and characters are both interesting and witty. Combat is introduced as simple button smashing. At times mixing an x after a series of a. It doesn't go anywhere though. In addition there are combat mechanics such as blocking, which really do nothing other then hinder the player. During large fights the player will be juggle resource management, strategy, build cues, army orders, music riffs (rythm game), personal combat and well most players just have too much on their mind to time blocks. Moving on the game's story progresses nicely with additional side missions available for those wishing to earn extra fire tribute, the game's currency. These side missions just like combat, they start out simply enough and never progress. And because of the ratcheting difficulty they sort of turn into a must if the player is on a harder level. Because of their repetitive nature it in essence turns into grinding/farming. The RTS elements of the game are great but with the added demands of Eddie's presence on the battle field to ensure victory, it's just another burdensome mechanic. In the end the player is left juggling grinding side missions, tracking down ball gagged dragons to earn boosts need to stay competitive, and a host of other items. Adding in the god awful, unbalanced races and it's enough for some players to walk away. On a side note, I suspect if neither Jack Black, or Time Schaffer were attached to this game, we… Expand
  2. aadms
    Nov 24, 2014
    6
    I really would like to give this more, but I have to admit the combat in this game, a mixture of button mashing and tower defense, leaves a lot to be desired. The story is written very smart, humorous and somewhat engrossing. The extra love they give this game in its nostalgic look, sound, and heavy metal references didn't go unnoticed. The animation was good, the voice acting greatI really would like to give this more, but I have to admit the combat in this game, a mixture of button mashing and tower defense, leaves a lot to be desired. The story is written very smart, humorous and somewhat engrossing. The extra love they give this game in its nostalgic look, sound, and heavy metal references didn't go unnoticed. The animation was good, the voice acting great with special congratulations for the more than satisfactory voice work by rock stars Ozzy Osborne and Lemmy Kilmister. Jack Black really sells the story most of all with his timed delivery. So, Enjoyed the story and nostalgic music, but the fighting and battles wasn't fun.… Expand
  3. ShaneC
    Oct 13, 2009
    5
    Other than the metal head window dressing, this game doesn't accomplish anything new. I would suggest that anyone interested in this title should give it a rental first. To those tempted to drop their $60 on this title, I would also suggest check out an upcoming release list and pick something with a LOT more replay value.
  4. AdamD.
    Oct 15, 2009
    5
    A real bitter disappointment after the brilliance of Psychonauts. Suffers from a severe lack of cohesion in it's ideas. As an homage to metal I'm sure it is unsurpassed but as an interactive experience it is severely flawed. Combat is loose and unsatisfying, you act as merely a modifier to the mess of an RTS component which serves as the meat of the dish. Clunky and convoluted, A real bitter disappointment after the brilliance of Psychonauts. Suffers from a severe lack of cohesion in it's ideas. As an homage to metal I'm sure it is unsurpassed but as an interactive experience it is severely flawed. Combat is loose and unsatisfying, you act as merely a modifier to the mess of an RTS component which serves as the meat of the dish. Clunky and convoluted, this is what the single player game is preparing you for, but what early previews did not. The metacritic score is sorely unbalanced as I feel this game has been getting high scores due to the 'underdog' nature of this game. In this case, I feel it deservedly retains that underdog moniker. Tim Schafer and his team are undoubtedly talented and really shine when it comes to scripts, however Tim's background in point and click experiences have not prepared him for branching out into more tactile experiences. Games need to have interesting and satisfying mechanics and controls for ideas to hand off of, not often does it work in reverse.… Expand
  5. theedee
    Mar 4, 2013
    5
    Such a tragedy. I can understand all ratings between 0 and 7, but the 8-10 is just plain wrong. The game itself is bad. The Action parts are few and not outstanding, but still the best the game has to offer gamewise. The driving parts are horrible because the driving physics are the worst i have seen in ages. The strategy parts are a nice idea but the controls are Who wants to play aSuch a tragedy. I can understand all ratings between 0 and 7, but the 8-10 is just plain wrong. The game itself is bad. The Action parts are few and not outstanding, but still the best the game has to offer gamewise. The driving parts are horrible because the driving physics are the worst i have seen in ages. The strategy parts are a nice idea but the controls are Who wants to play a RTS where he cant control his units fluently? No one. Still the game has something that makes up for all the failures: The setting. Yes, I love Metal. And this game is such a great tribute to Metal, and it even does it in an intelligent way. On Top of that the Characters are the best i have seen in Games for a while. A lovely bunch of Metalheads all around. I would give this a 10 out of 10 if it was a movie, but the actual playing part sucks so hard that it gets down to 5. And much difference to a movie isnt there anyway, since the game is only about 4-5 hours long.… Expand
  6. CodyB.
    Nov 6, 2009
    6
    Its too bad that a game is nearly ruined by horrible glitchy gameplay mechanics. I only give it points for story, music, and voice acting. Other than that, I had a headache after playing it each night. So frustrating and unpolished. I hope they do a sequel and polish it up.
  7. Gary
    Dec 21, 2009
    7
    Everything about this game is awesome... except the gameplay. The soundtrack, voice acting, writing, environment, and art direction are original and very well done. However, the gameplay, while starting out as a fun hack-and-slash, ends up turning into this terrible RTS/hack-and-slash hybrid and the gamelplay turns into a nice blend of boring mixed with frustration. Real time strategy Everything about this game is awesome... except the gameplay. The soundtrack, voice acting, writing, environment, and art direction are original and very well done. However, the gameplay, while starting out as a fun hack-and-slash, ends up turning into this terrible RTS/hack-and-slash hybrid and the gamelplay turns into a nice blend of boring mixed with frustration. Real time strategy games do not work on consoles. Period. I wish this game was better but the good aspects of the game make up for the bad aspects just barely enough for me to keep playing it.… Expand
  8. ChuckD
    Dec 19, 2009
    7
    game starts out strong, good graphics and soundtrack but it tries to be too many things at once. when you start having to manage your fan troops and do all this battlefield stuff, it lost me. i liked the humor and exploration/upgrading aspects as well as how they made metal music and it's culture integrated into the game in nice ways. but it got tedious and kind of boring after about game starts out strong, good graphics and soundtrack but it tries to be too many things at once. when you start having to manage your fan troops and do all this battlefield stuff, it lost me. i liked the humor and exploration/upgrading aspects as well as how they made metal music and it's culture integrated into the game in nice ways. but it got tedious and kind of boring after about 3-4 hours of gameplay. definitely try before you buy.… Expand
  9. Tempest-Lord
    Oct 7, 2011
    7
    Brutal Legend serves as sort of the "Jack of all trades; master of none" of video games. The game is an enjoyable and funny creation from Tim Schafer and his team at Double Fine, and it incorporates several elements from other games into a single package. The problem is that it doesn't seem like any of those elements drawn from other genres are incredibly well-refined or utilized toBrutal Legend serves as sort of the "Jack of all trades; master of none" of video games. The game is an enjoyable and funny creation from Tim Schafer and his team at Double Fine, and it incorporates several elements from other games into a single package. The problem is that it doesn't seem like any of those elements drawn from other genres are incredibly well-refined or utilized to their fullest. It's got the combat of an action game without the fluidity, elements of an RTS without the needed ability for precision and management, and a sandbox-like open world that's only full of the same three or four mission types. With all that being said the game isn't necessarily "bad," but rather too ambitious for it's own good. As unrealized as many of the game's elements are, each one is tolerable to solid at what it does. The game is also quite hilarious in it's writing and contains top notch voice talent from Jack Black and Co. to really bring the world to life. There's an inherent lack of side-mission variety (like I said before) and the game's story missions are usually placed right next to the completion area of your last objective, so it doesn't do a great job of encouraging exploration. However, if you do take the time to get out there and see a bit more of the game's world, you'll find an adequate amount of enjoyment can be pulled out of the game in the long run.… Expand
  10. [Anonymous]
    Oct 14, 2009
    7
    This game has a great soundtrack, mostly great voice acting, good graphics and good writing. However, there's not much game to the game itself. The fighting doesn't feel that satisfying as enemies later in the game take countless slashes to kill, even with multiple upgrades and combos. The driving doesn't feel right and the many obstacles often get you stuck which gets This game has a great soundtrack, mostly great voice acting, good graphics and good writing. However, there's not much game to the game itself. The fighting doesn't feel that satisfying as enemies later in the game take countless slashes to kill, even with multiple upgrades and combos. The driving doesn't feel right and the many obstacles often get you stuck which gets frustrating after a while. The RTS part that dominates every key battle is not very well designed. You don't have a map so it's hard to spot enemies or even your own troops. You're usually left disoriented and overwhelmed. After a while you get used to it but it still stays the same tedious task. Order units, guide them somewhere, fight forever or simply use a Solo such as the Facemelter (which does look pretty awesome) to kill your foes quickly. This whole setting had much more potential. Unfortunately all we have here is a game that can be enjoyed if you're willing to tolerate its obvious and at times very frustrating design flaws. The side quests are forgettable so all that's left is a very short ride (6-8 hours max) and the feeling that they didn't even get close to the potential this game had. Too bad. Enjoy the soundtrack, though!… Expand
  11. ArjanS.
    Oct 14, 2009
    6
    I didn't like the way it turned into a RTS game (I hate all things C&C-ish). I bought this because it's a Tim Schaeffer game and I love the man but this is too much of the same thing. I also think Jack Black is good in this game (because the Jack Blackness is minimal) but it could have been soo much better.
  12. Zeneko90
    Jul 14, 2022
    7
    Nettes. Spiel es hat echt viel Spaß gemacht. Mehr davon! Nicht zu lang, nicht zu kurz. Genau richtig.

Awards & Rankings

39
#39 Best Xbox 360 Game of 2009
12
#12 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2009
49
#49 Most Shared Xbox 360 Game of 2009

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
82

Generally favorable reviews - based on 88 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 74 out of 88
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 88
  3. Negative: 0 out of 88
  1. IGN
    90
    Brutal Legend is a tour de force that wraps up humor, music, and clever gameplay into one highly polished package. You haven't played a game quite like this before and won't want to miss it.
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  2. IGN AU
    93
    Charming and clever in equal portions, Brütal Legend is a classic example of cohesive game design...In an age of ever-increasing monotony and creative stagnation, a game like Brütal Legend is brash, proud, subversive and triumphant - and it deserves to succeed. Get on board, crank it up and make it so. Two horns up.
    Read full review
  3. MEGamers
    92
    There are very, very few games which truly make me sit back and go “wow”. Among the slew of games that I’ve reviewed this year, there are only a couple that I really enjoyed playing, and continue to do so. Brutal Legend is one such game – even though I aced my Public Speaking and English Literature classes, words only slur together when I try to describe this game. Truth be told, I only heard about the game in the last month or so, but after spending a good amount of time with it, I was transformed from a mere gamer into a rocking, die-hard fan.
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