Tim Schafer blends action, real-time strategy and heavy metal concert into a UFO with more heart than it gets credit for. Jack Black carries the story with gusto and the soundtrack lines up genuinely legendary metal riffs.
Your verdict
Category
Action Adventure1 player16+
Description
Action-strategy by Double Fine Productions and EA, October 2009. Eddie Riggs, heavy metal band roadie, is transported to a medieval heavy metal fantasy world and must unite human tribes to defeat a demonic tyrant. Melee and electric guitar combat with solo-triggered spells, base building and real-time army command. Unique metal-fantasy universe created by Tim Schafer.
Brutal Legend review
MAX
Art direction
★★★★★
"Iconic"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
4/5
Story
★★★★★
"Captivating"
Heavy metal made flesh: mountains of blades, blazing skies and creatures inspired by album covers compose a delirious, grandiose world. The metal imagery pushed to the extreme gives a jubilant visual identity. This art direction, unhinged and inspired, stands as a love letter to an entire musical genre.
An anthem to heavy metal, the game rolls out an avalanche of licensed classics, from Ozzy Osbourne to Judas Priest, doubled with an equally thunderous original score. Devastating riffs and blazing solos embrace the over-the-top universe of this world forged in metal. This sonic celebration, jubilant and erudite, delights fans of the genre.
European (PAL) edition of Brutal Legend, a Double Fine action game by Tim Schafer, a love letter to heavy metal carried by flamboyant art direction and singular humor, become cult despite modest commercial success. Still common in Europe, its desirability rests on this status as an auteur gem and a tenacious niche demand rather than scarcity. A prime piece for fans of strong-personality games in PAL.
Is Brutal Legend still worth playing in 2026?
Released in 2009 on Xbox 360, Double Fine and Tim Schafer's Brutal Legend is a love letter to heavy metal carried by Jack Black's voice. You roam an open world born from an album cover, full of hot rods, oversized set pieces and irresistible humour. The core mixes axe action with stage battles, a disorienting blend that divided players but asserts a unique identity. The art direction and the anthology soundtrack stay a joy. For fans of singular pitches, of metal and of the Double Fine world, this cult title keeps a charm like no other today.
