10 Video Games That Totally Wasted Their Biggest Selling Point

9. The Coolest Video Game World Ever - Brütal Legend

Brutal Legend
Double Fine

Okay, I'm biased a tad; being a fan of all-things chock-full of distorted guitars and wailing screams, Brütal Legend appealed to me (and millions of fellow metalheads) like nothing else.

Not only was Jack Black going to be voicing lead character Eddie Riggs, but everyone from Lemmy to Rob Halford and Ozzy Osbourne would appearing in support as exaggerated versions of either themselves or side characters, the whole thing was being written by self-confessed rock-fanatic Tim Schafer - y'know, the guy who tends to write some of the most funny and well-scripted adventures of all time?

Trailers had shown gameplay being a hack n' slash extravaganza of music references and humorous abilities (you could even shred on guitar to scorch your foes), but in reality it turned into a weird, real-time strategy. Rather than be 'God of War with headbanging', you were quickly running between things you'd otherwise control from an overhead menu, the biggest disappointing factor being that this was not at all what anyone expected or wanted.

It felt as weird to play and understand as it is to describe or read. What was set up to be a love letter to heavy metal and action-adventures ended up being Command & Conquer's more anarchic little stepbrother. It was just, so, weird.

Gaming Editor
Gaming Editor

WhatCulture's Head of Gaming.