Brutal Legend PS3 First Impressions

So Brutal Legend from Asda for £25. I popped it in got it updated and took it for a test drive.
The opening sequence is exactly as the demo. Jack Black plays Jack Black, sorry plays Eddie a roadie with a Heavy Metal band that's light on the Heavy and the Metal. During an accident Eddie is wounded, blood drips onto his belt buckle and a giant metal 'dog' demon appears and transports him to a Heavy Metal universe.

From the demo I had two reservations - The press two buttons at the same time combos, and the what the hell do I do situations. For the main game it seems at least one has been altered, surprisingly not the one you might think. Seems someone's been fiddling with the response set of the buttons making it delightfully easy to pull off a Square + X button combo; during one quest I had to do them constantly and found it a breeze.

Sadly that still leaves the confusion. The first part I'd already done, so I'll skip past that to the base camp. Quests show up on the map and a line appears to connect them, in a vehicle lights on the back indicate which way you should head, two lights mean you're heading the wrong way. This is all explained with no problem.

However at the camp I decide on a quick wander and come across Devil Thorns, I get a new 'page' in my book, but these have been popping up along with concept art being unlocked so it's white noise to me. However Eddie keeps talking about having to do something whenever he sees these thorns. Hmm nothing to interact with, I remember the page and lo it tells me Devils Thorns grow at the site of Relics which can be raised with the Relic Raiser rhythm game.

Onto the quest and the revolution. On the way I jump a bridge to collect some sparkly electric barbed wire which um no I've no idea at the time what that is. I spot and raise another relic and am told that it looks like it's for a car, I jump in and drive to the Workshop where I discover what I need to buy parts etc. Turns out to be those sparkly things as well as doing cool stuff.

Onto the revolution and in a nice touch you get an option of whether you want to start the quest or not; so you won't get sucked in when you're not ready. The revolution provides a basic tutorial on manipulating followers and is done well. Into combat and the system performs fine, except now I've got extra icons on the screen and oh I see they're warning me about what areas are under attack and location. Done and oh all my followers are gone and I'm in a boss fight.

A few attempts later and I discover how to prevent the boss from blocking and knock him into the lava. Sadly he's summoned a whole bunch of guards and I don't have enough followers to take them out; but there's more on the big wheel how shall I get them to join me? Again you're left floundering until the game relents and basically tells you want to do. Oh use that with this, great where's that again?

Okay I haven't got to the full RTS parts that people have been complaining about, but so far it's just been fun. Even the driving bit which is very Burnout Paradise like, in fact in overall 'feel' it has the same exuberance as Burnout Paradise - move around do what you like yee hah!