Deadpool Review

High Moon Studios (the guys responsible for Transformers: War for Cybertron, Fall of Cybertron and Dark of the Moon) acquired the rights to create their very own Deadpool game, but how well does it live up to fan expectations?

Story
As you begin, you find yourself sitting in an ugly armchair, scratching your privates with handguns and lazing around like a slob in typical Deadpool fashion, before being prompted to stand, leaving you free to browse your favourite anti-heroes living quarters.

Matching Deadpool's personality, the story is quirky, incongruous and is one gigantic piss take from start to finish. In short, this is a plot that doesn't take itself seriously, throws jokes at you from all directions and breaks the fourth wall at any given opportunity.

Without spoiling anything, you're thrown into the shoes of Deadpool, a comedic murderer with an undying love for gore, guns, tits and arse. Once a bad guy, he now fights for the side of good amongst the ranks of the X-Men. As such, you'll come across familiar faces within the X-men Universe varying from Cable to Rogue and fan favourite, Wolverine. The cameo's are a nice addition to the game even if the plot doesn't take itself seriously, but then that's the point of Deadpool's adventure and anyone wanting something more serious will be better off playing something else.

What did I... chase last night? Think Cable, think!

Deadpool, consciously aware of being within his own game has primarily funded this adventure after constantly complaining that the Studio responsible for his title (High Moon Studios) is skimping out on the special effects he deserves for his one, big, epic adventure. It's fairly funny and accurately portrays the consequences of our anti-hero getting his own way and with Deadpool having three different personalities (all of which can talk to you, the player), the dialogue is always witty (though sometimes tries too hard) and the conflicting views between each personality make for some very interesting situations that would most likely result in someone's death. With Wolverine's DNA and Healing Factor preventing this however, Deadpool has a lot of time to kill, so it's no surprise he's gone a little crazy over the years.

As original as the story is, as over the top as Deadpool's actions are and as hilarious as the plot and dialogue often make things, Deadpool is sadly not a title you'll likely remember. As long as you don't die often, you'll find yourself having a great deal of fun in what's an entertaining, original and exciting experience, but with so much going on at all times and with dialogue feeling as random and spontaneous as the inner workings of Deadpool's mind, the overall experience is confusing and the plot, easily forgettable.

Gameplay
The gameplay is also a little underwhelming at times. There are a fair few upgrades available to you, but when you have limited combo's and can make your way through the entire campaign by spamming the same basic moves you learn to alternate between at the beginning of the game, you have no real reason to mix things up, but that's not to say it's less enjoyable when you do.

Available to you are a number of guns, grenades and melee weapons to abuse and combo between on the fly. Your primary weapons (upon starting your crazy adventure) consist of two handguns and dual Katana's, but you'll gain a handful more in addition to several weapons you can pick up from the larger and more brutish enemies you'll be facing, before you reach the closing credits. Your guns can be used to aim and fire in a clunky kind of third person shooter (with the ability to take aim, zooming the camera in towards your targets ever so slightly), or you can mix your gunfire into melee combo's that act as crowd control while building up your combo meter, helping to increase in game currency. Doing this is known as Gunkata.

My gun is bigger than yours!!

It's safe to say that Deadpool has taken a lot of inspiration from the most recent Batman games (Arkham Asylum and Arkham City), but where combat moves should seamlessly transition from one into the next, Deadpool's system mostly lacks fluidity and is in need of some tweaking.

Swapping between weapons on the fly can be a little confusing at times, with right on the d-pad changing guns and left changing between melee weapons. The vertical directions would have been better off switching between guns, while the horizontal directions would have served better to switch between melee weapons on the fly. This could just be down to my own personal preference though, as it doesn't make Deadpool any less playable.

In addition to what's already available to you, pressing circle (when prompted) counters and specifically interrupts enemy attacks, while finishing moves can be performed on stunned/dazed enemies to reduce them down to bloody puddles, pulps and lifeless, limbless cadavers. You also gain four different special attacks that become your saviour in the toughest of situations. These vary between breakdancing at your enemies, shooting stylishly in all directions and spinning forwards towards your enemies with razor sharp Katana's (or whatever weapon you have equipped at the time).

One hand guys, ONE HAND!

Each weapon can be upgraded multiple times, with guns offering faster firing rates and extra ammunition for example, while melee weapons such as Deadpool's trademark Katana's or heavy hitting dual hammers offer options to increase damage output, with the option of purchasing additional combo's. In addition, Deadpool himself can also be upgraded, though options available felt too few and mostly seemed worthless. As such, I felt the combat lacked depth, which is a shame as it had potential had High Moon expanded upon it more.

A few nice touches however, included cheesy but amusing 8 bit segments (unfinished areas due to in-game budget constraints apparently) and a full level seemingly dedicated to fans of Little Big Planet. Needless to say, if movie or game references amuse you, Deadpool brings them in by the dozen.

Platforming within Deadpool is average at best. Early on you'll quickly discover your ability to teleport. This can get you out of tight spots and overpowering fights with ease, while on the platforming side of things, allow you to pass hot steam vents and later upgrades, offering the ability to teleport much farther, up to ledges otherwise out of reach, and can increase the speed of level navigation. The platforming elements are what you'd expect from any other platforming title, only lessened by the clunkiness of movement and poor execution. You also have the option to rebound between walls to reach higher ledges and although slightly satisfying, it's basic at best.

Graphics/Sound
The cinematics in Deadpool are fairly fresh, funky and cinematic, but sadly the same can't be said for the in-game graphics. Although not bad, the often distant camera behind Deadpool doesn't do the game much justice and although the visuals are stylised, they're not always great, with a lot of enemies feeling like they need better textures and enemy costume design mostly lacking imagination.

What is nice however, is the fact High Moon have taken the time to model Deadpool on such a highly detailed level that when he takes battle damage, it feels as though each individually targeted area/body part (upon taking a hit) semi-realistically reacts to the type of damage dealt. Bullets create bullet holes, claws shred and tear (creating bigger rips with each slash), while more excessive damage can reveal protruding bones and other gory details.

Me? Whyyyy? Your insults amuse me! Continue!

As for sound, this is an area I felt needed a lot of work. The sound effects of each hit feel underwhelming, often coming across as dull, lacking impact and feeling toned down in the process. This takes a great deal of satisfaction away from the player and the soundtrack doesn't feel much better either. With bland tunes and repetitive beats doing nothing to increase excitement or pump adrenaline, the only thing to watch is a hyperactive, suit wearing nutjob.

Final Verdict
Despite its flaws, Deadpool is a crazy, fun and entertaining title to play. It doesn't take itself seriously and isn't the next big triple A title, or even a great title, but it's something most fans will likely appreciate. Fan service is high, film and game references are everywhere and although it has some nice moments, none of them really seem to stand out that much and once you've reached the end, it's doubtful you'd want to run through it a second time.

Story = 5/10
Gameplay = 6/10
Graphics/Sound = 6/10

Final We Know Gamers Score = 5.7/10
Had a chance to play the game? Have a different opinion to mine? Let us know in the comments section below or tweet me - @CaptainCortez