Brütal Legend overload...!

[ThunderPeel2001]

Is this downloadable somewhere?

The future...?

[thorn]

The future...?

I meant the presentation, not the demo.

[ThunderPeel2001]

I meant the presentation, not the demo.

Oh, lol

[Roderick]

I was present at the EA conference and after that had Tim demo the Brütal Legend multiplayer component for me and a couple of other journalists. We shook hands! It was such a thrilling, longawaited moment, I was beaming =)

Just came back from Germany, by the way, so I'm completely messed up and won't be anything like a valuable fount of information for the next couple of hours at least.

[Thyroid]

Brutal Legend is a trending topic on Twitter! So awesome.

[SignorSuperdouche]

We shook hands! It was such a thrilling, longawaited moment, I was beaming =)

Awesome!

Brutal Legend is a trending topic on Twitter! So awesome.

Yeah but it was manufactured, so not actually all that awesome.

[Ben X]

I was present at the EA conference and after that had Tim demo the Brütal Legend multiplayer component for me...

Just came back from Germany, by the way, so I'm completely messed up and won't be anything like a valuable fount of information for the next couple of hours at least.

It's been hours! Fount! Fount!

[Roderick]

Actually, I don't know how much has already been written on other blogs and such, but I'll just put some of the impressions of the multiplayer demo here.

First off, it's a pretty familiar, pretty standard affair, but executed with the dazzle that inspires all of Brütal Legend. You play skirmish battles against another person or an AI opponent. You can pick from three factions: Eddie Riggs and his heavy metal crew of headbangers, electric chicks and what-have-yous. Then there's a gothic metal crew lead by a really cool designed woman (I believe Ophelia was her name?) that appears to float. She's kinda Morticia-esque and has a gothic band of followers like Medusas and gravedigger zombies. The third party I'm unfamiliar with as it wasn't demoed, but it's a 'demon' themed faction.

Now, it's an action/strategy affair, with your upgradeable home base being a stage somewhere on the map. Geisers of 'fans' act as resource points that you can capture and defend. As you collect more fans you can upgrade your stage, buy new units and generally sway the tide of battle. The battling itself is done pretty much automatically by your crew, or so it seemed (perhaps when playing it that becomes clearer). You always directly control your lead character (Riggs, Morticia, the demon dude), walking and flying over the landscape and targeting things for attack. You've got your standard attacks and, just like in the game, you have double teams where you use one of your minions for a special attack, for instance throwing a Medusa onto an enemy, thereby taking him over. Then there are also insane cars and vehicles you can buy to terrorize the enemy. That seemed really cool.

So, it's pretty overseeable and familiar, but it's really the rock theme that makes it fun and fresh. Whether it'll be awesome, only a playthrough will tell, so I'm awaiting the opportunity (perhaps the demo will already shine some light on that). But already a ton of nice details and touches became apparent. For instance, say that your stage is under attack and you've got nowhere to go; you can then take control of the actual stage lights and try to blast your enemies with them, serving as turrets. Also, one of Morticia's (not her real name) vehicles was the 'Mamakazi', a coquettish little perambulator that you drive to a designated spot and then let it crash into it, causing an explosion. Fun!

[ThunderPeel2001]

What game would you say it's closest to in terms of gameplay, then?

[Roderick]

Gah, that's a great question, actually. Or maybe also an irrelevant question? What I mean is, it obviously shouldn't matter whether or not it resembles something else, but I did raise that expectation by saying it was familiar. But now that I'm thinking about it, I can't really find any particular example that it reminds me of. Rather, what I meant with Brütal Legend's multiplayer feeling familiar was that it is composed of all these well-known strategy tropes and the mechanics themselves are pretty basic. So it feels like something you already know, you instinctively understand it.

But also, again, that doesn't cause it to feel stale or anything. Whether it's fun, though, is really anyone's guess until it's in our own hands.

[Roderick]

AND ALSO...

Brütal!!

[toblix]

Aweome! Also, is that an Gay Theft Auto shirt you're wearing?

[SignorSuperdouche]

Heh, I love the massive NO CAMERAS sign behind you. It adds to the hardcore, rebellious nature of the photo.

[ThunderPeel2001]

Heh, I love the massive NO CAMERAS sign behind you. It adds to the hardcore, rebellious nature of the photo.

I was just going to say the same thing... Rock n' Roll!

[Roderick]

The truth can't be stopped!!

And yes, that is a very Gay Theft Auto shirt.

[syntheticgerbil]

So envious of Rodi! Awesome picture.

[Thrik]

I think that's the first picture I've seen of Schafer in a really long time where he's not wearing some kind of brutal/metal/death shirt.

[ThunderPeel2001]

I think that's the first picture I've seen of Schafer in a really long time where he's not wearing some kind of brutal/metal/death shirt.

Those dots on his shirt are not dots at all, but tiny drawings of satan in various metal poses.

Probably.

[elmuerte]

actually, they're guitars

I also like how that guy on the right has no idea half of his head is now on the internet

[Thrik]

That's what he gets for standing in front of a massive 'NO PHOTOS' sign.

[Roderick]

OKAY, I've finished Psychonauts, and there's two things that I have to say. Three things, actually.

1. Meat Circus wasn't as bad as I remembered it! In fact, it was kinda fun! There were a few frustrating bits, but otherwise, it was really nice! =)

2. Psychonauts still has one of the best, most fulfilling endings I've ever seen in a Video game. It just hits all the spots, both emotionally and narratively.

3. I never noticed this, but Crispin Whitehead is voiced by Dwight Schultz! Yeah, Howling Mad Murdock! He's a great voice actor, I've heard him in many animations. Good stuff!

[ThunderPeel2001]

Excuse me while I lolz...

linky

[thl]

man that intro movie (linked on several sites, none of which are accessible through my work's firewall) is really great. Makes me about as excited as ever to get my hands on the thing.

Is that kabbage Boy guitarist doing the Raz dance up on that stage cliff? It sounds like it but I can't see to be sure.

[ThunderPeel2001]

What intro movie?

[thl]

http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/60475

apologies if this doesn't work. Like I mentioned above, my firewall blocks most game-related news sites.