Common Sense Media Review
By Marc Saltzman
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Jack Black as funny rocker roadie, but expect gory violence.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 18+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Play
Videos and Photos
Brutal Legend
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 10 parent reviews
Parents say this game features a unique blend of heavy metal music, humor, and action, but it's not suitable for children due to its excessive violence, foul language, and suggestive themes. However, players appreciate the option to toggle settings to reduce these elements, making it possible for older teens to enjoy the game while still providing an engaging storyline and gameplay experience for mature audiences.
- mature themes
- toggle settings
- engaging storyline
- heavy metal soundtrack
- mixed reviews
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
Based on 8 kid reviews
What's It About?
From the ingenious mind of game designer Tim Schafer (Day of the Tentacle, Psychonauts) comes an über fun – and funny – action-heavy adventure that stars Jack Black as roadie Eddie Riggs. One night, a freak stage accident knocks Eddie unconscious, and when his blood drips into his beloved belt buckle, a gift from his father, he is magically transported to a fantasy world, where heavy metal album covers come alive, guitars emit lightning strikes, and mountains are made up of piled amps. Your "battle axe" and super-charged hotrod will help rally an army of head-bangers to save humanity from an oppressive emperor and his demonic army.
Is It Any Good?
Yes, BRUTAL LEGEND is a blast, not just because it delivers a fresh balance of fantasy adventure, humor, and great music (er, if you're into hard rock, that is), but it also successfully borrows elements from three different genres: action brawlers, real-time strategy games, and racing. Plus, this third-person game offers a host of optional side-missions that add to its replayability, while multiplayer modes kick it "up to 11" online, too. Packed with more than 100 killer rock tracks and voice talent from the who's who of heavy metal gods -- namely, Ozzy Osborne, Rob Halford, Lemmy Kilmister, and Lita Ford -- Brütal Legend is one of the more refreshingly unique games to debut in a long while.
Online interaction: This fantasy adventure is easy to connect to a central lobby from the main menu, then find people to play against in real-time strategy (RTS)-focused matches. You can chat, as well, therefore potentially hearing inappropriate words online.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why more games aren't as funny as this. Should humor matter, as it does in many movies? Can't game designers use humor to create more memorable characters, dialogue, and creatures? Or is it too hard to pull off well, as Tim Schafer has done successfully?
While this is an "M-rated" game, do you think it is less offensive because it is unrealistic?
Game Details
- Platforms : PlayStation 3 , Xbox 360
- Pricing structure :
- Available online? : Available online
- Publisher : Electronic Arts
- Release date : October 13, 2009
- Genre : Action/Adventure
- ESRB rating :
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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