Nov 8, 2007

Tim Schafer and Jack Black. What a match. The latter has molded a career from escalating rock fandom into an extreme comedic art form, whilst the former creates comedic gaming masterpieces that induce the fervent fandom usually reserved for rock gods. One so adored, paired with another so well versed in adoration can only be a good thing. And has led to this good thing.

Now, for those unfamiliar with Schafer's work, shame on you. Printing a three page biography of the man that brought us the comic musings of Monkey Island before creating Grim Fandango and the grossly under-bought Psychonauts would not only fail to make a dent on a lifetime of a game dev genius but would also waste this opportunity to get up close and personal with what looks to be one of his finest works yet. Brütal Legend (with Motley umlaut application over the 'u') is looking epic.

Popped into the shoes of roadie Eddie Riggs, Brütal Legend eschews spaced-out M&M anecdotes for a reality-bending tale that sees a cursed belt buckle rip Riggs from his backstage domain to a world whose bedrock is rock itself. Had God listened to an AC/DC, Black Sabbath and Metallica mix tape on the seventh day of creation instead of putting his feet up we'd perhaps be living in the heavy metal wonderland envisioned by Schafer and all at Double Fine.

This is a world torn from lyrics and made flesh. Volcanoes puke up bubbling chrome, hot rod parts take the place of dinosaur bones and those yonder blackened cliffs are in fact piles upon piles of buckled amps. Schafer would have it that at any one time the game should look like the album covers that so terrified your granny when she got you them for Christmas (er, presuming you ever were into the likes of Sabbath). Which, for the Jack Black-voiced Riggs, must be a good thing… right?