Brutal Legend

Play Magazine

There's never been anything like it and there may never be again. Brütal Legend is truly a gift to metal and game fans alike and my new, best 3D game ever.

Gaming Age

A masterpiece...Brütal 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.

Playstation Universe

Brutal Legend offers everything you could ever want in a game. Incredible battles, hilarious dialogue, a compelling story, and awe-inspiring locations.

IGN AU

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.

MEGamers

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.

Vandal Online

Lots of humour, heavy metal and a gameplay you'll fall in love with.

GameShark

This is a heavy metal fairy tale, spun with love and copious amounts of good humor from Shafer and crew – and it’s every ounce the game fans hoped it would be.

GamingXP

Let‘s bring up the facts: Brütal Legend is unique, has great music, is fun as hell and stars Jack Black! Aside from that, a great story about heavy metal, dreams and love awaits you - but don‘t forget to kick some ass. Simply brütal!

Playstation Official Magazine Australia

If God gave rock ‘n roll to us then it is settled: Tim Schafer is God. A must play. [Dec 2009, p.62]

Playstation: The Official Magazine (US)

You don't have to be a Metalhead to love Brutal Legend, but if you are, you'll love it even more. [Holiday 2009, p.68]

Cynamite

Brütal Legend comes with many cool ideas and a great soundtrack. Nevertheless, the boss fights could be more challenging and the controls are sometimes annoying.

Telegraph

The enthusiasm and joy that was involved in crafting this game is evident in almost every single frame and it's an undeniably unique gaming experience.

GamePro

A fun game with some very noticeable flaws and some less-than-stellar presentation, but in the end it's a memorable adventure I'd certainly recommend to any aspiring roadie. It comes pre-packaged with its fair share of issues, quirks and bugs, but all of the near-misses in the world can't take the fun out of this inspired adventure. [Jan 2010, p.70]

ZTGameDomain

The side missions may be repetitive, but the story is interesting, the characters are great, and the atmosphere is encompassing. Brütal Legend is definitely one of the better games I have played this year, and I look forward to seeing what the guys at Double Fine come up with next.

IGN

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.

Games Radar (in-house)

Brutal Legend won us over with its complete package: the aspects that are decidedly outside “gaminess” are its strongest and most lovable. The dialogue made us laugh, and not just a little. We cared about the characters enough to feel sad to say goodbye to them. We never got bored of exploring its world and continued to do so after completing the main story.

GameSpy

The soundtrack in particular won me over from the very start. But despite all the references to this beloved material, I also felt satisfied as a gamer, challenged by its unique blend of exploration, action and strategy.

PSX Extreme

What you need to know is that not only is the voice acting sensational, but so is the freaking soundtrack! I would seriously pay good money to buy this compilation of amazing work all as one set.

Game Over Online

The game is certainly worth renting for a weekend, as the single-player campaign lasts a minimum of seven to 10 hours on a modest difficulty setting. A full purchase may depend on just how much the subject grabs you, and whether you can find friends to play online. In any case, the game is very promising for Double Fine's future.

Extreme Gamer

Brutal Legend is another creative release from Double Fine that showcases how you can mix several conventional game mechanics together with an original concept to make a fun and interesting game.

PSFocus

Another great game of Tim Schafer. It has really great humor, nice and original gameplay. A brilliant soundtrack and pretty nice graphics.

NZGamer

It oozes atmosphere and totally delivers a believable world which you'll long to spend time in, long after the game is done. It's genuinely funny 95% of the time and feels like a solid story experience, rather than a tacked-on justification for the action.

Everyeye.it

A thrilling tribute to Metal. A shiny example of original gameplay, a nice multiplayer experience and an "explosive" plot.

GameSpot

This amazing tribute to metal delivers a hugely entertaining gaming experience despite missing a few chords.

SpazioGames

Tim Shafer is back (in Black!) with an original action-adventure game that finds its strength in an awesome art direction and an innovative gameplay that mixes pure action into real time strategy. The result is a funny rollercoaster ride between over the top characters and beautiful environments. On the other hand, controls are sometimes frustrating, A.I. is disappointing, and the overall lasting appeal of the game suffers from a short single player campaign. Nonetheless, if you're looking for an old-style funny adventure, a post-modern fairytale, or the work of artists of the art direction, this is the game to buy this fall.

Console Monster

Brutal Legend lives up to the hype. The combination of a humorous action-adventure story with music and gameplay to match, makes the game one of the most unique titles on the market at the moment.

3DJuegos

Brutal Legend ups to date Heavy-Metal with a charming and humorous mixture of Sandbox, Real-Time Strategy and Hack and Slash.

Multiplayer.it

Playing Brutal Legend is like walking the stairway to the hell of Metal, a fierce battle through a world where glam headbangers and sad emos are your worst enemies. The game looks like a simple hack'n'slash but beyond the surface there's much more to do, including large battles in rts style.

XGN

A game starring Jack Black and Tim Schafer as creative director, could hardly go wrong. And fortunately it hasn’t gone wrong. Brütal Legend has become a pretty decent game.

1UP

The main problem is that it doesn't feel like it was poorly designed, but that simple things were simply forgotten. But really, those things don't make the story any less entertaining, the rock god theme less enjoyable, nor the characters' well-animated faces less expressive. And with long practice and good friends, the multiplayer can be incredibly rewarding.

GameDaily

There's nothing revolutionary about how it plays, but the likeable characters, rockin' soundtrack and jaw-dropping scenery make it worth experiencing. We certainly hope that Eddie Riggs (and Jack Black along with him) appear in the future sequel.

VideoGamer

It's undoubtedly a fun game, packed full with humour (although this does tail off towards the end), metal references, amazing encounters and memorable characters. It's the RTS sections that really let the game down for me, feeling like a good idea that hasn't quite been implemented well enough to gel with the rest of the game.

Play.tm

We were hoping for a little more innovation from Brutal Legend beyond the standard sandbox set up and button mashing, axe-wielding action. But then again, if the Gods of Metal are pleased with it, then who are we to complain?

Game Informer

The unwieldy Stage Battles maim the battle system and multiplayer, but this gaffe doen’t take away from Brütal Legend’s charm. If you’re a fan of Tim Schafer’s humor and the type of person who decides between wearing a Metallica and Slayer tee-shirt when you wake up, this is a must-play.

Eurogamer Italy

Double Fine manages to create an enthralling and entertaining product, whose unbelievable originality clouds every imperfection related to a gameplay less complex than expected. Brutal Legend holds the real essence of metal, depicting it in its purest form, in the way that each of us has dreamed of at least once in his own life. Whether you love heavy metal or not, this title will offer you an experience you will not forget… and, who knows, you could discover a hidden passion!

Gamer.nl

Eddie Riggs is the character that brings together the entire metal world and the smartly written story. His charisma and wit make Brütal what it is. The game mixes genres in unusual ways, but it’s a shame the side-missions all look alike and the game is pretty short. But it’s always a sign that you’re playing a good game when you’re left wanting for more. Brütal Legend isn’t the best game of this year, but it certainly rocks the most.

DarkZero

It’s a celebration of a genre, and one done with such style, such detail and such incredible imagination that it’s difficult not to love it. Brutal Legend won’t appeal to everyone, but to those it does, it’s sure to hold a very special place in their blackened hearts.

InsideGamer.nl

Tim Schafer’s latest game-baby is a tribute to Metal, with a little parody to the genre. The game has a lot of varieties that is either a curse or a blessing to the game. The game loses a lot of depth because of the varieties, but delivers a humoristic and ever changing package. However the game is technical a little messy, it plays a great tribute to the Metal genre.

Gamervision

The combined gameplay styles work well together to provide players with enough variation that the game doesn’t become too repetitive, save for the times you’ll die and have to replay lengthier portions of the game.

PS3bloggen.se

Tim Schafer has created a wonderful and rich world of heavy metal for us to enjoy. His screwball sense of humour, mixed with all metal stereotypes known to man, is worth every penny. The game is as action-packed as we'd like it to be, but the storyline is far to short. We want more!

Eurogamer Portugal

Tim Schafer is a single conductor and Jack Black shows his versatility beyond music and acting.

Playstation Official Magazine UK

A brilliantly weird and different experience. [Dec 2009, p.124]

Play UK

There are some brilliant moments, but it's too specific to be recommended to anyone but the serious metal contingent. [Issue#185, p.70]

PSM3 Magazine UK

The story is great, the characters are likeable and it's utterly unique on PS3. It's just a great shame the core mechanics here are so disappointing.

Strategy Informer

The story falters towards the end, and the fact that the game is so short is the biggest bummer of all. Regardless, it’s a great game that will be remembered for a long time coming.

9Lives

Brütal Legend is the perfect ode to heavy metal. Everything reminds you of the music genre and that's how the game sucks you in effortlessly. Once you come into contact with the gameplay however, some notes are a bit off key. In order for the group to top the charts in the future, it would be a good idea to kick out the bass player (RTS) and to give the spotlight to the lead singer (hack&slash).

Worth Playing

Brutal Legend isn't a bad game by any means, and there is certainly plenty of fun to be had while playing it. It simply tries to do too much at once, and as a result, doesn't do anything as well as it should.

GamingExcellence

It would have been a fantastic film, but as an interactive experience, it isn’t ready for the main stage. The tragic thing is that with some fine tuning and more mid-game jokes it could have been great.

Game Revolution

The operative words here are "Heavy Metal". Not all that black metal with all that panda make-up, or that judd-judd hardcore or that god-awful crap with turntables either - this is the good stuff.

GamerNode

Brutal Legend has one of the best stories, and some of the best writing, this generation. Unfortunately, the gameplay turns experiencing it into a chore, rather than a joy.

Cheat Code Central

Brutal Legend didn't live up to my expectations. While I absolutely loved the immersive world, despite the graphical shortcomings, and the amazing voice work and soundtrack, despite the inclusion of Whitesnake and Skid Row, I was left miffed by the lack of main story content and the uninspired gameplay.

DailyGame

Unless you're absolutely die-hard about hard rock and heavy metal, Brutal Legend is one game you can relegate to a rental.

Absolute Games

If only Brutal Legend's gameplay was as imaginative as its cool look! Try not to fall into a rut of side-missions spread over 64 square kilometers, and you’ll enjoy the short single-player campaign. And yet, Shafer & Co. can do much better than this. Just ask Ben, Manny, or Raz.

RealGamer

Brutal Legend serves up a strange mix of action adventure gameplay and heavy metal that even more bizarrely works quite well.

games(TM)

It may have its flaws, but at least those mistakes were made in the course of trying to do something new. [Dec 2009, p.100]

LEVEL (Czech Republic)

BL is original, hilarious and a notable action game. Likewise, it missed opportunities with a lot of weak spots. The side you take depends on your affinity to heavy metal. [Dec 2009]

D+PAD Magazine

Brutal Legend has clearly been a labour of love for Double Fine Productions, and this is reflected in the degree of ambition demonstrated on nearly every level. Unfortunately, like the LOVE and HATE tattoos emblazoned on the knuckles of many a Hell’s Angel, with one you must have the other, and Brutal Legend is no exception.

Wired

Brütal Legend does a lot of things wonderfully: It’s a technically adept, graphically beautiful game with a surprisingly good story and a great soundtrack. The hybrid gameplay just doesn’t meet these high standards.

PALGN

Melding exemplary artistic merit with uninspiring gameplay, Brutal Legend is by turns captivating and clumsy, and certainly more fun to watch than it is to play.

Giant Bomb

The gameplay, as singular a combination of gameplay styles as it is, suffers from being a jack of all trades and master of none. Like most teenage metalheads, this game has got issues, but if you're willing to look past some very uneven gameplay, Brutal Legend will rock you. Hard.