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Brutal Legend Multiplayer Preview
By Phil Theobald | Aug 13, 2009
We engage in a little headbanger-to-headbanger competition.
Plenty of games feature half-baked multiplayer modes, seemingly tossed in at the last minute simply for the sake of getting an extra bullet point on the back of the box. Has anyone ever been impressed by a bare-bones deathmatch or capture-the-flag mode, tacked onto what is primarily a single player experience? Apparently, Tim Schafer hasn't. At a recent press event to unveil Brutal Legend's multiplayer mode, the founder of Double Fine Productions revealed that his latest game began its life as a competitive title -- no afterthought here.
One might presume that a multiplayer match in a game involving an ax-wielding roadie who battles demons would focus on mindless hacking and slashing, but that's not the case here. Instead, it's similar to a real-time strategy game, where careful planning is more likely to win than brute force.
Schafer described the tone of the multiplayer bouts as a \"rock concert crossed with a battle,\" and that seems to be a fitting description. At the start of the round, you choose which army you will command. During the match, you directly control the army's leader and issue orders to your troops. You choose from three teams: Ironheade, which is lead by the game's hero, Eddie Riggs; the demonic army, Tainted Coil; and the gothic Drowning Doom. Each army features different warriors with varying abilities, so you can select a side that matches your fighting style.
The battlefields' terrain looks as though it was ripped from a heavy metal album cover, and as soon as you're dropped onto it, you'll discover that you're standing in front of your stage. The goal of the match is to build up your army and tear down the other band's stage. The first order of business, however, is to bring up your troop menu and summon your first wave of warriors.
Each of the army leaders can sprout demonic wings and take flight to quickly move around the map. You direct troops by setting beacons and issuing commands with the d-pad. With some added muscle at your disposal, your next task is to earn your band some fans by claiming one of the \"fan fountains\" scattered around the battlefield: Once you reach a fountain, a quick guitar riff (played with rhythm-game-style button taps) causes a geyser of ghostly metalheads to burst from the ground. The more fans you have, the more troops you can build. Of course, you'll also have to fight off the opposing army, which is also trying to claim said fountains.
Marching Off to War
In addition to sending troops to battle the opposing band, the leader can merge with an individual warrior for a double-team attack. Each class of soldier provides a different team-up move, which makes for plenty of variety in your attacks. During my match, I controlled the Drowning Doom army, which requires more defensive tactics; my initial troops included grave-diggers that could bury me underground, allowing me to stealthily move around and burst up for a surprise attack. Dancing with a gloomy, parasol-sporting gal allowed me to call forth lightning bolts. As you earn more fans, you have the opportunity to level up your band and create more powerful troops. Eventually, I was able to build a mobile pipe organ that let me possess enemy troops, and an electric car that fired extremely powerful lighting blasts.
Unfortunately, I was also at the mercy of the other band's double-team attacks, including a giant two-legged walker that could stomp my army flat, and the Stonehenge Blade -- which traps its victims within its rocky perimeter before dropping an enormous sword on them. Little touches like that served as welcome reminder that Tim Schafer's trademark sense of humor wasn't left behind in the single-player mode.
Even with all the troop management and double-teaming, you're still free to take on the enemy in a one-on-one capacity. Once you've issued orders to your loyal followers, you can jump into the fray yourself and crack a few skulls. Guitar solos like the one used to capture a fan fountain are also integral to the fight: Playing these at the right time can unleash a devastating attack or strengthen your troops. You'll need all the tricks at your disposal if you hope to become strong enough to trash the enemy's stage.
Brutal Legend's multiplayer mode is surprisingly deep, but it comes at a price. For those who aren't used to playing RTS games, it may seem extremely overwhelming at first. Once both sides have their troops marching around, it can be a bit tough to focus on the action while flipping through two jam-packed menu screens (which manage your available soldiers and guitar solos). Even so, this added depth should make the battles more rewarding and help maintain extended interest in the multiplayer aspect of the game. Given that these strategy battles also figure into the single-player game, you can consider the story mode practice for when you face off against online foes.
:clap: :falldown:
