Brutal Legend comes out next week. If you care enough about it to have downloaded and played the demo, you're probably already sold, come hell, high water, or Gamestop employees harassing you to pre-order. But for everyone else, there are a few things you should probably know about the game.

After the jump are six things you should know about Brutal Legend before you get it.

1) You do not have to be into metal

I can't stress this enough. The song list doesn't do anything for me. The soundtrack of my teenage angst was punk instead of metal, but that didn't detract at all from my enjoyment of Brutal Legend. It's full of nods, winks, and thrown horns at metal culture, but at its heart, it's about the love of a type of music. If you've ever loved a specific type of music, you'll appreciate what Brutal Legend is doing. As for the specific tracks, if you grew to hate DragonForce's "Through the Fire and Flames" because of Guitar Hero, prepare to have it redeemed. Also, get ready for a powerful visual association for Ozzy Osbourne's "Mr. Crowley". It's used in Brutal Legend for one of this year's most memorable gaming moments.

2) Don't be dissuaded if you think Jack Black is annoying

Because - let's face it - he is. I think the needle for my tank of Jack Black tolerance approached the "E" somewhere around King Kong. It bottomed out at his detailed promises of fellatio in Tropic Thunder. I can barely bear to hear Tenacious D anymore. But this is not that Jack Black. This is the Jack Black you remember wanting to see more of in High Fidelity. He's clearly invested in the material and it's sharp, funny, and even touching stuff.

3) You will get stuck a few times

Brace yourself. There are maybe three or four really frustrating points in the game. But don't be discouraged. You'll be able to back off and do something else for a while. Buy more upgrades. Sleep on it. Look up the solution online. It's worth it to come out the other side.

4) You'll want to take your time

Brutal Legend can be a short game, but it doesn't have to be. You'll want to take your time with it. Feel free to explore. Do some of the side missions and don't make the mistake of thinking they're just a way to get extra money (be sure to look for the Overslaughter hunter in the hills near where you start). Give yourself the freedom and time to appreciate the smaller touches. It'll pay off. Plus, you're just going to be sad when Brutal Legend is over. Delay that moment as long as you can.

5) You shouldn't play multiplayer until you've finished the single player game

A tooltip on one of the loading screens suggests you play the multiplayer once you've gotten a taste for how the stage battles work. Don't listen to this tooltip! Like many real time strategy games, Brutal Legend consists of different factions with different units. Also like many real time strategy games, Brutal Legend uses the single player game to introduce the new units in the context of a story. But unlike many real time strategy games, Brutal Legend has a great story, some of which will be spoiled if you jump immediately into a full game with all the units from all the factions.

6) The multiplayer only works with people on your friends list

As with the firefight mode in Halo 3: ODST, you can only play multiplayer games with people on your friends list or your "recently played" list. You can play games against the AI, but to get the most out of the multiplayer - which is a full-blown, bona fide, card-carrying real time strategy game! - be sure to talk your friends into getting Brutal Legend.

6) Tom Chick is wrong about the multiplayer only working with people on your friends list

Unlike the firefight mode in Halo 3: ODST, you can play multiplayer games with strangers online. Which is a good thing, because Double Fine has gone to a lot of effort to create a full-blown, bona fide, card-carrying real time strategy game! However, you should still talk your friends into getting Brutal Legend.