No really, it’s Deadpool, THE GAME!

Game: Deadpool
Platform: PC, Xbox 360, PS3
Dev: High Moon and Activision
ESRB: Mature (M) <– Not for the Young’uns.

OK, I’m staring this one by saying: “Because this is a ‘family friendly blog’ I am unable to express the sheer mind-blowing properties that this game has to offer”.  A couple of years ago, I learned that there was a Deadpool game in the making (I think either from a Pax or E3 announcement).  I kind of blew it off not knowing who Deadpool was nor was I really thinking about it, filing it under “games that won’t make it out of the gate”.

It wasn’t until last year that I found the trailer, and as soon as I saw the marvel anti-hero Deadpool shooting guns and verbally yelling out “BANG! BANG! BANGBANG! BANG!”, playing in bouncy castles, disturbingly brutal kill animations, and riding a coin operated single carousel horse, I was hooked.  I’m not familiar with Deadpool, never read the comics, but man such a brutal, blood filled, zany, wacky, game where I get to play the ever so fitting mad-man character? Hell yes!  I want that!

Also, right at the beginning, I want to put out there, that I’m not very familiar with much of the inner workings of the Marvel universe.  I used to have roommates that would fill me in like a 1920’s World News reel, but I never really picked up any of the comic books.  The good news is that the Deadpool game doesn’t assume that you’ve kept up at all.  In fact, when they introduce some characters in the game, they have an option to “press A for knowledge” allowing you to get a brief background, narrated by Deadpool himself.  The one for Cable is one of my favorites… which…well…I won’t spoil it here.

Now the game is rather short, sadly enough.  It took me about six hours to complete from start to finish.  It is not as polished as most games are in today’s market.  There are a couple mechanics glitches here and there.  Character progression is a little short sighted (I was somewhat expecting more joke/silly weapons, but I guess the big…purple..cough “billy club” from Saint’s Row III has me spoiled), BUT that is all that there is when it comes to negatives.

Even though it is short, I was nearly laughing and in tears till my sides hurt the whole way through the game.  Nearly every cinema scene is 100% comedy gold (a scene with Cable is one of my favorite scenes… it involves a gun and a knife, that’s all I’m saying).

(Warning: Gamer Trailer Might Not Be Suitable For All Ages)

[youtube=http://youtu.be/NoSmHYH02nk]

Something I was surprised about: the mechanics, for the most part (where it counted), were seamless and well developed.  I was using a non-wireless Xbox 360 controller connected to my PC.  It was one of the linchpin topics.  If the mechanics between ranged and melee were junk, the whole game would go down the tubes.  But they were AWESOME! They split ranged attacks into 2 different modes.  There was “Gun-Kata” that was an extension of melee, and ranged mode with cross-hairs.  To keep it loose, it’s all done with the same button.  The difference being that for “Gun-Kata” you just use the ranged button in the middle of your melee combo moves.  For ranged mode with cross-hairs, you just start shooting without using melee, and if the camera is clogged with an obstacle, you can change which shoulder to look over.  As a quick side note, even stealth was a passive ability and done entirely smoothly.  For some reason, a guy with huge guns and shiny silver swords/sledge hammers can not be seen as long as he tip-toes as if through tulips… tulips of DEATH.

Another thing that was brilliant: it had controller support.  I have been loving my corded Windows supported game controller; it makes many PC games that would horrid controls wise, tolerable (key bindings be damned).  From the controls to the story, this game was incredibly well thought out.  Even the character model himself is a marvel (ha, see what I did there?).  It takes a little while to see, but as he takes damage in the world from stray bullets to disgruntled D list super villains, his suit gets torn and his body is rent to tatters.  Even cooler, it’s directional.  Which means that it knows “where” damage happens and emulates that specific area to display it.  There was a time in the game where I was walking around with my whole mid-section practically missing.  And if you stand still, you could see his suit and body slowly reform from your mutated super power of healing (SPOILER –>> Even his boxers were a great laugh <<–END SPOILER).

And props to the writers; comedy is neigh impossible to write.  However, it just drips from the fangs of Deadpool.  Not to mention the ability to add this extreme amount of gore, yet somehow manage to keep it freaking hilarious.  Deadpool… is not a looker.

If the movie is ANYWHERE near as brilliant as this game, shut up and take my money!

Rating:  If 1 is the town bicycle trash of video games and 10 is an orbital laser cannon to the face of shear awesome thumbs on controller action:

Deadpool (the game) gets a funky fresh 8.  I have never laughed with such intensity for such a lengthy duration playing a video game in quite long time (not since Conker’s Bad Furday for the N64).

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