Zadzooks: Brutal Legend review

Superhero and cartoon characters are integral parts of the electronic entertainment industry. With this in mind, I salute the meld of pop-culture character and video game with a look at Brutal Legend(from Electronic Arts, reviewed for Xbox 360, rated M for mature, $59.99).

Tim Schafer and his developing band of Psychonauts bring the fantasies of heavy-metal music to life in a third-person adventure game loaded with bloody combat, a pinch of vehicular slaughter and real-time strategy battles.

Entering a postapocalyptic world ripped from a Meatloaf or Iron Maiden album, a player commands a cocky hero within testosterone-drenched action; the fate of humanity is at stake.

What’s the story? From the game’s manual: Somewhere in time, the Titans prophesied the arrival of a legendary warrior destined to tame a land beset by demonic evil. Or maybe destroy it. Not real big into details, those guys.

Eddie Riggs, however, was a details man and unquestionably the best roadie in rock history. He lived on tour, always staying out of the spotlight, until the fire beast Ormagoden transported him to a nightmarish - but kind of awesome - land plagued by evil. Now Eddie finally takes center stage to set the people free through the power of rock.

Play the role: The player manages the cigarette-smoking, overconfident Eddie as he roams a wasteland and challenges General Lionwhyte, Doviculus and the goth forces of black metal with help from Lars Halford, his sister, Lita, and the mysterious Ophelia.

Between freeing the lands from evil; entering the bowels of hell; and fighting a bunch of Skull Rakers, reapers and occasionally an enormous serpent and leech, Eddie’s primary objective is completing missions such as defending a tour bus from a band of ticks on motorcycles or hunting razor-fire boars to supply female warriors with weapons.

He also seeks side missions, such as ambushing Lionwhyte’s soldiers, and will unlock relics to add to his arsenal. He even can spend a few minutes looking over the landscape with a special viewer.

Get to the action: Eddie’s main weapons include a heavy-duty ax and an electric-bolt-spitting guitar nicknamed Clementine.

If that’s not enough, he drives a slick hot rod called Deuce on demand. This baby comes complete with a controllable radio that plays dozens of ear-bleeding tunes.

Eddie even can command and reinforce an army of roadies and headbangers powered by a geyser of undead fans in massive stage battles against the minions of Lord Doviculus and General Lionwhyte.

Best of all, a player follows the ancient power chords of the gods to perform actions, including calling the Deuce, inspiring troops with a battle cry or summoning a burning zeppelin of lead. (Get it?) Yes it’s a button-mashing, rhythm-based minigame and was absolutely required, considering the source material.

Memorable moments (in no particular order): Freeing the headbangers to the loud sounds of Def Leppard’s “Rock of Ages,” meeting the Guardian of Metal, fighting against a spider metal queen, riding along with the Killmaster on his Thunderhog, taking flight as a winged-demon Eddie, and forming a headbanger stampede.

Violent encounters: Although this game might seem like the 15th circle of hell, complete with decapitations, spurting blood and profanity, it keeps its spiked tongue firmly planted in its makeup-covered cheek the entire time.

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