Wet Review page 2

16 Sep 2009 at 17:55:30 by
Systems used to review this title: (360)

However all of this is broken up at certain points throughout the game (usually after an arena battle) when a brief cut-scene shows Rubi dispatching a foe with a close-kill to the head, that leaves her pissed-off face splattered with her opponent's blood (complete with Kill Bill siren noise). This kick starts ‘rage mode' where the graphics turn cell-shaded in hues of red, black and white. During these times your multiplier builds faster and there are a lot more enemies to target, which is fun whilst it lasts, but takeaway the fancy filter and you realise that it is still the same kind of action, unfortunately the game's fault, repetition. Yet there are some amusing QTE on rail levels but these are sadly few and far between. This usually has Rubi fighting goons on a highway, jumping from car to car and off the side of trucks, just like the car chase in The Matrix Reloaded. Great fun whilst they last, and the movie influences don't stop there. There is an extremely OTT escape from an exploding plane, if anyone has seen the film Shoot ‘em Up where Clive Owen dispatches opponents whilst hurtling to the ground... well you know what to expect. It's moments like these that wanted me to like Wet more, but there just are not enough of them.

Platforming elements are introduced early on in the levels and get progressively bigger, requiring you to manoeuvre Rubi up buildings, navigating jumping from ledge to ledge and pole-to-pole, however once you get your head around some wonky camera angles, this becomes a breeze. Once in the right position you cannot really fail to make the jump, which takes away any feeling of danger. The platforming only seems to serve as away to prolong the game experience, rather than an actual key component. Another gripe with the platforming in the game is the enforced training every time you un-lock a new weapon. Rubi being the international ass kicker she is deserves a cool hideout and training ground, hers being a disused airfield complete with abandoned bombers and fighter planes. Once a new weapon has been acquired, you are required to navigate a predetermined course through your hideout, trying to complete it within a set time limit. Red rings that you have to pass through denote the course, some of which are flaming, which tell you that you can perform acrobatics at this section, which triggers targets that you can shoot. Shooting these targets reduces your time enabling you to hopefully beat the fastest times on the course. The annoying thing about this is that you have to do them, they are not overly demanding but can be very frustrating if you miss a jump whilst too high up as it is a massive pain in the rear to get back on course, leaving you out of time and having to repeat the process.

Sadly the training sessions also make you realise that Rubi really is not as agile as you are led to believe. In fact she's a bit clunky, even in the arena fights, with environments tailored to show off your skills, there were far too many times that I found myself inadvertently grabbing onto a pole or ledge that I was not aiming for. Stringing Rubi's moves together just did not sit right either, once a move is performed you are locked into it and quite often I would end up knee sliding into a wall and not being able to jump off of it to continue my onslaught plus there is a short lag between pulling each move off. I realise that this is so you can plan your next leap, but it just seemed to break the gameplay up. Frustrating.

There is some great voice talent on show, with Rubi being voiced by Elisha Dushku and the main villain by Malcolm McDowell, who seems to have made a new career for himself playing video game bad guys. Does he have a contract with Bethesda? Sadly they are let down by a poor and clichéd script. But there is redemption in the soundtrack, which is an awesome mix of toe tapping dark rockabilly rock, perfectly fitting for the grindhouse theme of Wet.

If you find the retro film filters irritating, you can turn them off, although this only serves to seriously highlight the games reliance on its artistic style. With the out the filters and grindhouse feel all the characters and action seem insipid and you get the familiar feeling that you have seen it all before.

With all of its film references Wet is trying really hard to be an ‘AAA' title with a true cinematic feel, it has all of the right ingredients, but none of them seem to have been polished. The ending leaves it open for a sequel; if it gets made I am hoping it becomes a more fluid rounded game experience. Wet could have been brilliant.

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