THE OFFICIAL BORE™ BRUTAL LEGEND THREAD - ROCKTOBER 13TH COMETH!

[pilonv1]

waiting for this to bomb and get it 50% off in january

Ugh.

Giant Bomb with the real talk.  $29.99 game.

willco annhilated

[The Fake Shemp]

Even the Giant Bomb review liked it!

The game has a solo that allows you to summon a flaming Hindenburg which crashes into the ground, destroying everything in a swath of fire.

That's incredible.

[Mr. Gundam]

Even the Giant Bomb review liked it!

The game has a solo that allows you to summon a flaming Hindenburg which crashes into the ground, destroying everything in a swath of fire.

That's incredible.

[The Fake Shemp]

I recognized the reference earlier today.

[The Fake Shemp]

... I just got my ass handed to me in my first battle with the Tainted Coil. Is there a defense against those ridiculously overpowered horsemen dudes?

[Stoney Mason]

First, a note on the differences: In an RTS game you float high above the action, making one split-second strategic decision after another. You often command individual units to position them based on their heath and context. In Brütal Legend, you make strategic choices once in a while, but then you jump into the battle and slug it out in person. You can fly, but it's mostly for quick scouting and transportation. You will spend a few seconds every once in a while popping into a menu to build troops or pick a guitar solo, but then you should be right back in the action. To play the game most effectively you need to be on the ground with your army most of the time, mixing it up with your axe, and your guitar, but most of all-using your Double Team attacks.

Double Team attacks are critical to your success in Stage Battles. Every friendly unit in your army has a move that they can only perform in conjunction with the player character. These moves are extremely varied, extremely powerful, and extremely fun to perform. Sometimes you might simply gain control that unit's weapon-for instance, when a Razor Girl jumps up on your shoulders-but when you do so you increase it's damage significantly. Other units, like the Bride, seem to be just passive, debuffing units most of the time (the Bride slows down enemy units) but when you Double Team with her she has a devastating lighting attack. More complicated Double Teams include the Frightwig, who Ophelia can pick up and throw onto an enemy unit. The Frightwig then wraps itself around the enemy's head and causes the victim to join Ophelia's side in the battle. (You can even use this to commandeer the enemy's Rock Crusher!) The Organist is another passive unit whose Double Team attack allows you to gain direct player control over an enemy unit, giving you command over whatever attacks they normally have.

There are important strategic choices to make in Stage Battles. Should I spend my fans to upgrade my stage and gain access to more powerful units, or should I spend it now on cheap infantry? Which fan geysers should I fight for and which should I concede? What is the right time to block my enemies troop production with a Rock Block solo? Would anti-infantry units be better against the current enemy army, or should I switch to anti-vehicle? But these strategic decisions only take a second, and then you should get right back in the action. You should never be up in the air or away from the battle for too long.

Some people find it hard to split up the army and give individual orders to individual troops. This is kinda true, mostly because you shouldn't be doing it! That's how you play an RTS game, not how you should play Brütal Legend. True, there are times where you might want to split your army, but it's not common. I play complete Stage Battles most of the time without issuing a single Individual order. Your army is most effective when it's together. The AI automatically groups your warriors into battle formations where the troops support each other. Many of the units buff or heal each other. When they are together they can all be enhanced with a single Battle Cry (or other buffing) solo. And when they are all together and you are in the middle of them, that is when you have the greatest number of options for Double Team attacks.

So to summarize my advice for playing Brütal Legend Stage Battles:
Get in the center of the action!
Use Double Team attacks!
Don't stay in the air too long!
Use Double Team attacks!!
For the most part, keep your army together!
Use Double Team attacks!!!
Don't think of it as an RTS game!

If you have tried the Stage Battles before reading these tips, and felt overwhelmed by the controls, or frustrated with the lack of detailed troop controls, I'm hoping you will be able to take this info and go back into the fray and be much more successful. We know that the Stage Battles are tons of fun for most players-and for people who are open to new kinds of action gameplay experiences, they are in fact the core of what makes Brütal Legend a fun game experience and unlike any other. I'll see you online!

-TimOfLegend (that's my name on both XBL and PSN. Play against me and you'll get an achievement!)

P.S. Here are some more tips from our Lead Designer, Erik Robson:

General Tips
*Early in the game, low-level troops are vulnerable to enemy Avatar harassment; make sure you watch over them and protect them if necessary.
*USE YOUR DOUBLE TEAMS!
*Don't play timidly. The game is about projecting power and taking control of territory. If you try to play defensively and stay in or near your base, you'll be at a resource disadvantage.
*If you set the beacon on a building, your dudes will attack the building until it's destroyed, ignoring any incoming attacks.
*The right solo played at the right time can be devastating - don't forget you have those tools at your disposal!

Ironheade Tips
*Ironheade is extremely mobile - use this to your advantage.
*Razor Girls' Double Team is great for dealing with early-game Avatar harassment.
*Remember that you can upgrade your level 1 troops once your stage hits level 3. If you've spent the game massing up those small infantry, an upgrade can really pay off.

Drowning Doom Tips
*Gravediggers, while more numerous, have lower health than other basic melee troops. They may need extra support in the early game.
*Use your debuffers (Bride, Organ, and Dirgible). They're powerful, and the Bride and Organ stack their debilitating effects.
*Bride's Double Team is great for dealing with early-game Avatar harassment.
*Remember that you can upgrade your level 1 troops once your stage hits level 3. If you've spent the game massing up those small infantry, an upgrade can really pay off.

Tainted Coil Tips
*Your hierarchy units (Nuns, Warfather, and Overblessers) are extremely vulnerable while alone. They're much safer when they're surrounded by minions, because they get a small stacking healing bonus from each nearby minion.
*Punishing Parties' Double Team is good for dealing with early-game Avatar harassment.
*Remember your Superior and Divine troops - for example, if you build a Warfather, he can then build a Superior Nun, which in turn can produce Superior Soul Kissers and Punishing Parties. Superior and Divine squads are more powerful than the basic troops, but cost the same!

http://kotaku.com/5382233/tim-schafer-explains-how-to-play-brutal-legend

[The Fake Shemp]

A lot of those strategies helped. Thanks!

... I'm nearing the end, I think. I really hope there is a ray of light at the end of this story, because it's pretty dark and dreary.

Definitely onboard for a sequel if they tighten up the gameplay.

[The Fake Shemp]

You have to play against Schafer to get an achievement?

[Human Snorenado]

You have to play against Schafer to get an achievement?

You have to play against Schafer or someone else who has the achievement.

[demi]

No, it's probably one of those viral achievements - "play against schafer / dev team or someone who has"

I hate those achievements

[The Fake Shemp]

Because it's not easy.

For any future games, I think if it played more like Overlord and less like this weird hybrid, it'd be a far more satisfying experience.

[demi]

Because its not easy

Son, leave the skill to me. You worry about your nickelodeon cartoon

[cool breeze]

So far I'm not really liking this too much 

and the only part that was funny so far has been the intro. 

[The Fake Shemp]

swaggaz am weeaboo confirmed.

[cool breeze]

I just don't like metal much.  When they were making fun of the emo metal shit, that was funny.  Now it just seems like a big wank fest to metal stuff and not really satire or anything.  It's just people making observations about metal culture and it's totally lost on me.

The gameplay and all that is alright.  The big problem is that there is no feedback for anything you do or happens to you.  Like, in one of the missions, I was fighting some guy and suddenly it says brutal defeat without even giving me a hint of what I did wrong.  Apparently I was escorting someone, but they never mentioned that they were in trouble.  Even damage done to your own character doesn't seem to register until the screen goes red.  I only said so far because the RTS stuff is building up and it can get better from here.

[chronovore]

[youtube=560,345]8jzk5T4RfBg[/youtube]

I'm digging the getup, but the voice is clearly unsustainable. It's more weird because that's not Rigg's voice in the game, right?

[The Fake Shemp]

I just don't like metal much.  When they were making fun of the emo metal shit, that was funny.  Now it just seems like a big wank fest to metal stuff and not really satire or anything.  It's just people making observations about metal culture and it's totally lost on me.

... Why would you buy Brutal Legend, though? That's like me purchasing Bayonetta, only to be surprised to this a weeaboo body pillow game?!

Apparently I was escorting someone, but they never mentioned that they were in trouble.

When was this? The only escort missions I know of are the vehicular ones, and they constantly tell you if the enemy is too close or if they're getting hit.

[cool breeze]

I just don't like metal much.  When they were making fun of the emo metal shit, that was funny.  Now it just seems like a big wank fest to metal stuff and not really satire or anything.  It's just people making observations about metal culture and it's totally lost on me.

... Why would you buy Brutal Legend, though? That's like me purchasing Bayonetta, only to be surprised to this a weeaboo body pillow game?!

Apparently I was escorting someone, but they never mentioned that they were in trouble.

When was this? The only escort missions I know of are the vehicular ones, and they constantly tell you if the enemy is too close or if they're getting hit.

Because I liked most other Tim Schafer games and the demo was pretty funny and I thought the humor would be more inline with that than straight up metal jargon.  His past games didn't actually require you to have past experience with the setting to find them interesting.  Like, I'm not a biker or even into that stuff but Full Throttle is probably my favorite adventure game.   I'm also still hopeful that as the RTS stuff expands it becomes more interesting.  So far it's more of an action game than previews led me to believe.  Everything I've been saying has been prefaced with "so far" because I'm not even half way done (according to the percentage counter) and it could end up getting better.  Just so far it hasn't been too great.

And the escort mission was that one where you first went to meet the guy from Motorhead.  Also doing some of those side mission with the headbangers ambush.

[The Fake Shemp]

There are definite audio cues for the escort stuff, ambush side missions are just that - ambush side missions. They're kind of like tutorials for the larger stage battles.

Sorry you don't get all the metal stuff, but that's why I find it incredibly awesome. My brother and I are pretty big metal fans, and this is kind of like a dream come true for the two of us.

[Joe Molotov]

Is there any point to the effigies, other than the inevitable achievement for buying everything? I buy all of them because I always have more money than stuff to buy, and I finally found the place where you can go to change them on the mountain, but it seemed pretty pointless. Woo, I put Myself, Ophelia, Killmaster, and the Ozzie up on the mountain, woo!

[cool breeze]

When the RTS combat starts to resemble something playable, the game starts to get pretty fun.

[cool breeze]

my final consensus on single player is that it was alright.  It really did feel like a tutorial and when it seems like you finally learned everything, it just ends.  I don't know if it has online skirmish battles or not that might add to it.  It never really became funny and the story was mildly interesting.  The actual world and metal style grew on me, and some of the music I enjoyed more than I expected to.  And it says I played for about 8 hours.  I didn't do all the side missions but I did spend a good amount of time just driving around finding stuff.

[Eel O'Brian]

 

[Jansen]

haha holy shit does this game blow.

i feel ripped off and i only rented the game.

[Himu]

So far I'm not really liking this too much 

and the only part that was funny so far has been the intro. 

What?!

It's not actually funny outside the intro? There's nothing as outrageously funny as The Milkman?

[demi]

haw haw, poopfest confirmed. i win

[The Fake Shemp]

It's not actually funny outside the intro? There's nothing as outrageously funny as The Milkman?

The game is pretty funny throughout, but will rely on musical knowledge the deeper the game goes on. I could see people with no knowledge of metal or rock not getting a lot of the humor.

... swaggaz, if you feel that way, you should play the game online. The single player was built around the multiplayer - even Schafer thinks the game is more like a tutorial for its online component.

I thought the story and everything was rad. Really dug it. One of my favorite games of the year.

Looking forward to what Double Fine has in store for DLC.

[Himu]

I'm going in expecting emphasis on the single player, rather than the multi, so this is complete news to me.

[The Fake Shemp]

I still think the single player is stronger than the multiplayer, I was merely talking about how he felt the gameplay was a tutorial - and in that effect, it is.

The game has flaws. It's a jack of all trades and a master of none. Schafer tried to reinvent the wheel, when merely using preexisting methods of gameplay from any number of action titles and Overlord would have sufficed.

It's still fun, but I do felt that the core gameplay never, truly feels completely satisfying. I never felt like I mastered anything.

The story and characters and world are incredible, though. Some of the missions are really fun.

Music rocks.

[Himu]

Yeah, I just want to have fun and it sounds and looks like a blast.

However, I've gotta ask. How's the level design?

[cool breeze]

I'll probably play online sometime.  I checked and saw that there are skirmishes against the AI, which is good enough for me.

What I was expecting the structure of the game to be was:

spoiler (click to show/hide)

glam rock group covers the tutorial -> depressing/dark rock is a series of battles -> demon rock is a series of battles.  You barely had one with the demon rock guys.

[close]

and that's just about the RTS stuff.  Early on, there were still some signs that it was an action game, like in that spider lair, but then that stuff just disappears.  It's just a really weird single player game.

[Himu]

I thought it was action game but the rts stuff is heavily emphasized?

[EmCeeGrammar]

SUCH a poser.

[cool breeze]

wait, I remember another time when the game was funny.  One section has Through the Fires and Flames (that Dragonforce song) playing and it seems sarcastic because it was used was such cheesy usage of it.  At least I laughed when it happened.

I thought it was action game but the rts stuff is heavily emphasized?

It's hard to explain.  Everything you do before you're in the thick of the RTS gameplay is still there during the RTS gameplay.   Like, you're expected to drive the car around on the battlefield, hack and slash enemies, team up with the units, etc.  But that action gameplay and driving stuff isn't too good because the "true" gameplay doesn't really focus on them.  The single player basically teaches you the game by evolving from the action game from the demo to something like Overlord to the full on RTS mode.  But nothing from the previous stages is really lost.  It's all to teach you how to play the final RTS stuff.

[The Fake Shemp]

... The game is constantly funny.

What about when Riggs and Mangus are talking about "preparing to die"? Eddie's dream montage of walks on the beach and slaying demons? Anything with Genral Lionwhyte? Etc.?

All the stuff the emo units say ("Nobody understands our sorrow...")?

C'mon, dude.

[demi]

not funny grow up. schafer is a loser

[Himu]

None of that sounds funny at all, but maybe it works better in the game. Can't wait! Got my copy, just need a ps3!

[Human Snorenado]

not funny grow up. schafer is a loser

Don't you have a date with some horse nipples?  Begone, troll.

Willco is basically right about the game- it has some errors in design but that doesn't stop it from being really fun and definitely worth a purchase imo. 

Honestly, "errors in design" is probably too harsh a criticism... lack of focus on any one aspect of the game kind of keeps it from excelling in any one area and instead just ends up being merely good in a couple is a better way to put it I suppose.  I still haven't beaten the game yet but I kind of feel like the RTS battles (which aren't REALLY rts battles, as Schafer pointed out in that Kotaku piece posted earlier in the thread) are the best part of the game but there aren't that many of them... yet anyway, like I said I figure I'm probably half way through the game.  I need to play some online multi soon too.

[pilonv1]

is this $30 yet?

[cool breeze]

Even if it seems I'm down on the game I'd also say it's worth the purchase (granted, I got it at around half price) if you enjoy RTS games.  I mean, it's one of the few good console RTS games out there that seem to be designed for consoles.  And it is an RTS despite Schafer claiming it's not.  The only thing that makes it different is the ability to go down and fight with your other units; however, alone you barely do any damage and double teaming with a unit is basically a buff to make them stronger (with you in control).  It's not like the game becomes a Musou game where you can take out piles of enemies alone.  Even with the most powerful car weapon, you won't be doing that much damage to enemies or buildings.  When in the air, your character just acts like a cursor.  You can't do solos or attack from up there and only command troops.

[Hitler Stole My Potato]

I don't get it.  Is there a way that I can find out how much damage I've taken besides having the screen turn red right before I die?  I need a lifebar up in this.

[The Fake Shemp]

The screen turns red and the music fades about three times before you die. Since it's regenerative health, an indicator seems kind of meaningless. Not to mention, that the only way to really die in combat is to assault a vehicle or from another avatar.

[Hitler Stole My Potato]

Well then I've discovered a new way to die.  I'm somewhere towards the beginning of the game where you're going through the spider caves and have died about 3 times now from the swarm.  Maybe I'll bump the difficulty back to normal.

[The Fake Shemp]

You realize you can run right past those things? Unless you're referring to the tiny ones that crawl up your body, and a simple earthquake move kills 'em.

[Hitler Stole My Potato]

Well either way, I just passed it.

[The Fake Shemp]

I just played team multiplayer, it's pretty fun. I think it would work better as a LAN game than XBL matchmaking, though.

[chronovore]

I just played team multiplayer, it's pretty fun. I think it would work better as a LAN game than XBL matchmaking, though.

Is that your subtle way of hinting that an EB match needs to happen? 

[The Fake Shemp]

 

[chronovore]

I'm expecting a copy in about a week. WE WILL CONSUME THOSE WHO OPPOSE US.

spoiler (click to show/hide)

[close]

[Hitler Stole My Potato]

As much as my inner Psychonaut slut wants to like Brutal Legend, I just can't get into this.  I loved the demo but the retail game is like a mish mash of ideas that are never fully realized.  Very disappointed with this one.

[Olivia Wilde Homo]

So far I'm not really liking this too much 

and the only part that was funny so far has been the intro.

haha holy shit does this game blow.

i feel ripped off and i only rented the game.

 
 
    http://www.evilbore.com/forum/index.php?topic=32116.msg946652#msg946652   
 
 

[Himu]

As much as my inner Psychonaut slut wants to like Brutal Legend, I just can't get into this.  I loved the demo but the retail game is like a mish mash of ideas that are never fully realized.  Very disappointed with this one.

Can't wait to play it in a month!

[The Fake Shemp]

Don't listen to the haters. Cheat and I still love it.

[Junpei the Tracer!]

I'm like 50% through and my favorite part of this is Ozzy. I love his little comments.

[Hitler Stole My Potato]

A coherent Ozzy sounds a lot like Austin Powers....or is it the other way around?

[Junpei the Tracer!]

Beat it. Nice game.

[pilonv1]

Still waiting for $30

[FlameOfCallandor]

Is anyone still playing this?

[demi]

*TUMBLEWEED*

[Human Snorenado]

Beat it yesterday, probably gonna trade it in tonight with another game using that 30% coupon at GS towards Dragon Age.  Alright game, not as good as Psychonauts other than the setting.