Developer: High Moon Studios
Publisher: Activision
Genre: Action-Adventure
Platforms: Microsoft Windows / Xbox 360 / PlayStation 3
Released: June 25, 2013
Website: deadpoolgame.com

Ratings

Story: 8.1/10
Design: 7.7/10
Gameplay: 7.6/10
Presentation: 8.6/10
Overall score: 7.8/10

Comic books and video games share a close bond. If there was a comic book superhero, chances are they would appear in a video game sooner rather than later for fans to experience their powers firsthand.

We’ve seen great games like Injustice and Marvel Ultimate Alliance, where players can pick their favourite character. Yet one of the most infamous characters within comic books was strangely never given his own game, until now. With developer High Moon Studios taking the helm, the Deadpool game looks to bring all the smart, funny, wise-cracking jokes from the “Merc with a Mouth” to a video game along with some fun gameplay to boot. The question is, is this a misadventure you would be willing to partake in?

The game starts, oddly enough, with Deadpool getting in touch with various people and “convincing” them to make a game about him. He calls up the voice actor over the phone for the part, and is sent a script by the developer, which he proceeds to edit in his own manner. One of the plotlines of the script involves him taking a mission to assassinate a media mogul, which oddly enough, Deadpool accepts. After crashing into the headquarters of the television channel run by the man and doing what he does best, Deadpool discovers that the man has already been killed by Mister Sinister.

The writing is penned by one of the former Deadpool comic scribes, and contains as much humour as you could possibly imagine. Deadpool makes wacky remarks about other games and characters, has a constant conversation with the voices in his head, and breaks as much of the fourth wall as we would expect. The writing is clearly for teens and adults, and brings the character to life in a bizarre, zany and insane way.

Deadpool may be a comic genius, but he’s also known for his deadly skills in firearms and weaponry. In the game, you’ll be making use of melee attacks and shooting mechanics to dispatch waves of enemies that come at you. Using standard swords and guns, you can dispatch most early game enemies, and over time, Deadpool will expand his arsenal by equipping new weapons such as sledgehammers and laser guns, which can be bought and upgraded with the points you earn when defeating enemies.

While the expanded inventory makes combat more fun, some of the moves feel sluggish and not as quick, resulting in a bit of a drag once the action ramps up. You can also make use of stealth to dispatch your foes, though the mechanic is wonky at best and doesn’t have as much finesse to it as the actual combat, even with the close-up camera angles that let you view your handiwork in gory detail. Ultimately, killing enough enemies’ powers up your Momentum meter, which you can use with certain weapons to unleash devastating room-clearing Momentum Attacks, adding further to the palette of moves you have.

There’s also a teleportation device that Deadpool fashions which can help you out in a jam, and makes for a great way to chain combos within a fight while evading at the same time. However, even with all these additions, the fighting seems a bit too formulaic and safe, which works more or less. Even though there’s no real wow-factor to the combat mechanics, the hack-and-slash gameplay does work properly and gives you something to look forward to.

Outside of combat, you’ll be making use of Deadpool’s acrobatic skills to navigate the environment as you make your way to the next objective. The areas that you visit are the standard run-of-the-mill places such as office buildings, sewer systems and island citadels, as well as throwing in some unique twists in game design such as a two-dimensional platformer and strange dream sequences. There’s an absence of hidden collectibles within the game, or anything which increases the replay factor. The level design is pretty straightforward and linear, offering little to nothing when you choose to deviate from the path set by the game. In many games that can be worked with but Deadpool’s overall experience can’t help but leave you feeling wanting for more.

With a character as colourful and vivid as Deadpool, you’d expect to see some wild things happening within the game. The visuals hold up well with comic-book-like cell shading in places and panels popping up for certain speech dialogues. It’s got some nice visual effects to it, though the environments could have used more attention to detail. Voice acting hits a great note with Nolan North taking the reins once again as the insanely hilarious Wade Wilson, while the rest of the supporting cast does a serviceable job of keeping you entertained.

Deadpool’s newest game seems to have all the right things when it comes to character – there’s some genuinely funny dialogue, inventive scenarios and some very clever writing and acting involved in the whole process.

On the gameplay front, it comes off as a bit mediocre due to its design choices. While we wouldn’t really expect anything else from an anti-hero who uses his guns and katanas for a living, there are instances where you wish there was a little more content and polish involved in the entire process. It’s not a bad game per-se, just one that could have used more work to nail everything perfectly. If you’re a fan of the character, then there’s no reason to not play this game. But if all you’re looking for is a good action game, you might want to test and see how this game holds up to your tastes.