NOT
Suffers from Repetition
Deadpool is a lunatic capable of captivating viewers and as such, you might expect him to avoid the monotony that so many other third-person action titles fall victim to. Sadly, this isn’t the case here. The combat is brutal enough with its dismemberment, blood splatter and ragdoll animations, but when you manage to make it a few hours in the combat’s simplicity really starts to show. All of the character enhancements, extremely limited combo upgrade offerings and handful of weapon unlocks don’t take too long to acquire, at least a majority of them. Chances are you will see everything long before you make it to the end of this 6-7 hour game. Those looking to play on the higher difficulty levels will find even more repetition as they will be forced to use hit-and-run guerrilla tactics in the same manner for most encounters in order to survive the overpowered firearms wielded by many enemies.
Comedy IS the Plot
Deadpool is a game about the popular over-the-top Marvel antihero with little substance backing him. The game kicks off with Deadpool contacting High Moon Studios to make his game. He glosses over the script, doodles some random images and that’s about it. Mr. Sinister and notable X-Men characters appear throughout the campaign, but they really aren’t there for anything more than to please fans. Each event is loosely connected together via one-liners and genital jokes. That’s not to say it isn’t entertaining, because it certainly is at times. But you won’t find some gripping narrative worth following like you may recall from some of the comics in your collection. So, unless you’re dying to hear Deadpool’s jokes again or just HAVE to experience the opposite option (ex: one section gives you the option to squeeze Cable’s chest or let go) for some interactive sequences, there’s very little reason to replay the game.
Verdict
Deadpool is a game that is both exciting and dull. On the one hand, High Moon Studios has done a phenomenal job recreating Deadpool’s character. I must admit, his dialogue has caused me to laugh and point at the screen in disbelief/amazement during certain segments. Unfortunately, the game is a bit generic in terms of (bloody) action. High Moon Studios has Deadpool poke fun at various design choices, which warrants a laugh, but you can only laugh at it so long until you realize that the game developers aren’t doing it ironically anymore. The repetitive encounters leave something to be desired and they don’t meet the expectations set by Deadpool’s opening narrative. Honestly, it’s the strength of Deadpool’s character alone that holds this game up from being easily dismissed and forgotten as another generic action title. Because of the quality of his character, the dialogue and the consistent humor, I have to recommend Deadpool to his fans, but I can’t say I’d brag about it to any other group.
[Editor’s Note: Deadpool was reviewed on the PlayStation 3 platform. The game was provided to us by the publisher for review purposes.]
