Brütal Legend a game with many elements

“Brütal Legend” is a game of contrasts- heavy metal and careful strategy, humor and betrayal, that just doesn’t seem like it should form a cohesive product.

But each disparate element is eventually tied together well under the dawn of battle.

This is due mostly to the creative influence of designer Tim Schafer, a leading force for integrating engaging stories and hilarious dialogue into games ever since his significant contributions to the classic 1990 adventure title, “The Secret of Monkey Island.”

The game tells the tale of roadie Eddie Riggs, voiced by Jack Black, who is transported to a world of living heavy metal album art and warring factions of rock.

He meets diverse armies of metal-inspired characters like the Kill Master (voiced by Motörhead’s Lemmy Kilmister) and a properly bespectacled Ozzy Osbourne in the robes of an oracle of the metal gods.

The characters are all charmingly memorable and manage to be consistently amusing while not two dimensional- even the gangs of headbangers and markswomen Eddie orders around in combat.

There are few games that mix as unlike forms of gameplay as action packed beat-em-up, vehicular combat, and real time strategy with much less than disaster. It’s remarkable that “Brütal Legend” succeeds as well as it does.

That being said, no single element of the actual gameplay is particularly awe inspiring.

The ground action is flashy as Eddie mixes guitar riffs with axe swipes to slice and melt the faces of legions of foes, but is ultimately somewhat stunted.

Driving segments in the “druid plow” Deuce are competent and exciting but not very deep.

True mastery of ground combat is elusive, however it’s ultimately unnecessary as the game’s biggest “stage battles”

as well as its online multiplayer are played out from the skies and are spent managing resources and commanding squads of troops or vehicles to defend and assault fan pleasing “merch booths.”

Again, this element of real time strategy is implemented decently but the real enjoyment comes from its integration of the other game styles, encouraging Eddie to occasionally join his troops on the ground for a rousing guitar solo or to introduce the enemy legions to the Deuce’s cowcatcher.

Taken without the signature Schafer humor, stellar voice acting, and pervasive love for all things metal (the soundtrack includes 107 tracks) “Brütal Legend” would be a fun but forgettable experience.

The entire package is metal enough that it’s a sure bet for anyone who wants to never say die through the fire and flames.

- Four out of five stars