Eddie Riggs doesn't exactly have it easy being a roadie. It's a lot more work than you and I can ever imagine.

It's his job to stay out of the light and let the band take centre-stage. That is, until he seemingly dies and gets drawn back in time into a world that darkly resembles Hell — in a heavy metal album cover way.

In this supposedly ancient world, Eddie Riggs is given the task of assembling a band of misfits — demons and metal heads alike — in an attempt to free mankind from the slavery imposed by an evil emperor.

Surprisingly enough though, actor Jack Black carries the role of Riggs very well, with the dialogue often being hilarious and the quips between Riggs and other characters bound to leave you with a silly grin on your face.

The concept behind 'Brutal Legend's' gameplay has left a confused look on many a gamer's face though, as it blends hacking and slashing with real-time strategy — and dumps heavy metal music into the mix.

The hack and slash aspect features most often in 'Brutal Legend', with Riggs using a battle axe to chop, dice and juggle enemies. Taking down enemies feels fun, despite the lack of depth in the combo system. Riggs also has a guitar at his disposal... but more on that later.

The real-time strategy system fits right in with the hacking and slashing, allowing you to send in troops, defend key landmarks and bark out orders. This is all easy to get into, though the unit AI has its quirks at times, such as not responding to orders at times or running straight for an objective without trying to kill enemies blocking the path. The system also means you can run around and battle yourself while dishing out commands.

The last part of the concept — the music — is a brilliant feature, allowing you to play riffs with your guitar to do anything from summon your car (the Druid Plow), to melt the faces off of enemies. The guitar riffs all have different tunes that refuse to get unstuck from your head, much like Ocarina of Time's melodies — and that's a good thing.

Graphically, 'Brutal Legend' is a mixed bag, with bland-looking environments interspersed with some complex structures and imaginative stages. Fog is a big problem for the game, with draw distances drastically cut, but still the frame-rate tends to drop when you do so much as turn the camera or fight a few enemies.

Of note are the special effects used in the game, with bursts of fire, electricity and light looking particularly snazzy and lighting up the environments as you do battle. There is also a healthy level of sheen added to many of the objects and enemies in the game, such as the chrome temple of the Killmaster (Lemmy from Motorhead) and the buckles on Eddie's clothing.

Character models are humorously rendered, with huge-fisted, gimp-like enemies leading the charge. Your fellow liberated troops also look hilarious, with impossibly thick necks and hard skulls giving away their head-banging tendencies.

With over 100 songs, the music in the game is what makes 'Brutal Legend' though. As mentioned before, the guitar riffs and music will really have you playing air guitar and head-banging — always a sign of a fun time!

Multiplayer sees you take on opponents online using RTS elements in an attempt to take over the opponent's stage, though it is also possible to play this mode with bots.

A note needs to be made of the world in which Eddie Riggs finds himself though. It's imbued by demonic characters, symbolism and nefarious elements. Although it's hidden behind a veneer of playfulness, you should practice discretion when contemplating a purchase.

'Brutal Legend's' heavy metal-inspired world is a tribute to the genre, squarely aimed at fans while attempting to not alienate other music fans. Take a look at any heavy metal album cover of the 80s and you'll have a good idea of what to expect.

8.2/10

Buy this game: PS3 | Xbox 360

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Brutal Legend An imaginative tribute to heavy metal, but its dark setting will not appeal to everyone.

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