Dead To Rights: Retribution Preview [360]

06 Jul 2009 at 11:34:53 by

Jack Slate is back, and he's roaming around Grant City with his trusty side-kick, Shadow.

Dead To Rights: Retribution is a third-person shooter, brawler, action game.  Yes, it's all of those things, and it's set in a neo-noir environment which sees you taking on a cross between what seems to be the Triads' and the Joker's extended family.

A lot of emphasis has been put on the atmosphere and the environment, with Imre Jele, the game producer, confirming that lighting was one of the most important things.

"Dynamic lighting is really something we worked hard to do," he told us, and he's right, the atmosphere does feel grainy and dirty and gothically overrun by maniacs wanting to shoot you.  But aside from the atmosphere it's really hard to tell what the game does offer.  Plus, it's a "traditional, level-based game", which means that there isn't much scope to explore or do certain missions in a unique way.

Although, as a bad-ass cop, you have some pretty hardcore moves, it doesn't really offer anything new.  The shooting aspect of the game is standard, the brawling side of things is very limited and it doesn't really feel that you have a variety of moves.  You also don't have the RPG elements, or skill elements where you can add more or upgrade your arsenal of moves.  It's here that the game really falls down and it can feel repetitive.

The amount of ammo is limited, which I think is good, as it forces you to be more sparing with your shots.  More often than not though, you can deflect the enemies attempts at shooting your face off by grabbing their gun, breaking their arm and blow their brains out of their unsuspecting, make-up face.  There's a point where the line between the make-up and the blood blurs, and that's the kind of place I enjoy being. 

But it's not all about Jack Slate, you get  a chance to play as Shadow, Slate's beautiful Husky.  In the version I played, Shadow was tasked with protecting Slate as he staggered through the gang-filled streets.  Shadow, being a dog, naturally has senses which help weed out gang members.  By finding your target and pressing the LT, Shadow unleashes a violent attack, ripping the face and the gonads off the perpetrator.  The animation sequence is brutal and gory, and quite nice really.

But one gets the feeling that the game is just about those sequences.  And the same sequences can become repetitive and tedious, especially after 10 hours.

Having said all of that though, I think I'd play this game through.  It feels like a modern day Streets of Rage, and to be honest with you, it's never a bad thing.  However, unless there's a multiplayer release in DLC, it's unlikely I would go back and play this game again. 

Check out more of the Namco event here and keep your eyes out for the full interview with Imre Jele only on IncGamers.

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