Deadpool Review (PS3)

Deadpool the character made his first appearance back in 1991 and has since been spotted all over the place, bringing his crazy personality with him. He has also appeared in a slew of different video games but never as the main character, until now. Developed by High Moon Studios, who did the successful Transformers games, Deadpool the video game brings to light the crazy and off-the-wall style of the character, while also giving gamers a competent action game. The developer succeeds in at least one of these categories, but to find out you will have to read the f**king review, man!

Deadpool the character, also known as Wade Wilson, is one that rarely takes anything serious unless it’s a hot girl with big boobs. Naturally, the game featuring him is much the same way, offering plenty of raunchy jokes and jabs at the game’s development. In the story, Mr. Sinister is trying to destroy the world and Deadpool is the only one who can stop him— if he even cares to. With the help of a time-traveling Cable who talks way too much and the X-Men who try and cramp his style, Deadpool must defeat all the lame D-list villains on his way to finally killing off Sinister.

It is really great to see the game fitting so well around the character. There are times during levels where the game goes 8-bit due to the fact that Deadpool the “game” has gone over-budget. A quick call to the game’s director sets things straight, as Deadpool doesn’t believe in things like a budget. There really isn’t anything that the game doesn’t poke fun at, and that is what makes it really fun to play. Whether you are scratching your crotch with a pistol or getting googly eyes over Rogue’s boobies, there is never a dull moment.

There are a total of eight levels in the game, with each one consisting of plenty of clones to kill and a mini-boss battle at the end of each against the D-list villains. Deadpool can attack people up close with his melee weapons or from a range with guns. There are four different types of melee weapons and guns to use in the game—all of which can be unlocked and upgraded with money that you pick up throughout each level and from killing enemies. There are also items like stun grenades and bear traps, though DP will be quick to mention that there are no bears in the game. Basically, each level boils down to killing a bunch of enemies and moving on. While there are some deviations from this during your playthrough—like the ability to stealth kill and small amounts of platforming—it is mostly a hack ‘n’ slash game.

The combat works well enough and can be a lot of fun, but there are some weird spikes in difficulty that can be a tad frustrating as you will breeze through two levels only to be swamped on the next one. It is key to level up your stats as much as you can, but this can be annoying, as around time you start to really get everything leveled up, you will have beaten the game.  In fact, I believe my playthrough was over in less than six hours of game time (it felt even faster), so if you are looking for a lengthy experience, you will be disappointed. The game also offers on absolutely zero replay value.

On the side of presentation, the game is a bit of a mixed bag. Audio is really top notch, with Nolan North of Uncharted fame taking the reigns of Deadpool‘s voice-acting duties. The rest of the characters are voiced extremely well, too, and the music brings it all together nicely. The visuals are where things really start to degrade. The characters themselves don’t look overly bad, and cutscenes are solid, but the world itself is kind of boring and at some parts downright ugly. The camera is also a pain in the ass, to where I encountered moments that I couldn’t even see my character on the screen.

Deadpool is a game that never takes itself serious for one second, and that is a good thing on the humor front; I have never laughed that much in a video game. However, the gameplay and combat is mediocre, and the game is over far too quickly. The graphical hiccups are also a bit of a letdown, but are saved by the great voice work that the game offers. This is really a middle of the road title that offers some real positives and negatives. Perhaps one of the biggest negatives for me is the $50 retail price tag, which seems a bit high for such a short experience that offers very little replay value besides trophy hunting. Deadpool is a weekend rental for sure, or pick it up on sale; just don’t rush to buy it at full price.