Tuesday, September 29, 2009

A seriously WET review | Review


Due to the double entendre title of this game illiciting teenage boy's fantasies everywhere, let us first explain that WET, is actually short for Wetwork. Wetwork is a euphemism for assassination or killing, referring to an assassin's hands 'wet' with blood.


WET almost never saw the light of day. As one of the castaway titles from the Activision-Blizzard merger, WET lost it's publisher late in the development cycle. The team at Artificial Mind and Movement (A2M) kept working on the game, and eventually it got picked up by Bethesda Softworks, most known for their publishing RPG favorites, The Elder Scrolls series, and recently, Fallout 3.

Continue reading the full review after the jump



WET follows the story of Rubi Malone, (voiced by by Eliza Dushku), a hired-gun of sorts who soon gets caught up in a a double-crossing, globe-trotting adventure that forces her to kill up the proverbial ladder. , The game plays out in a very 70's retro feel, reminiscent of B-Movies, Quentin Tarantino films, and employs an overall grindhouse feel. This carries over to the graphics, as they are laced with film grain effects, complete with cigarette burns, and audio cues from a film projector. AM2 uses a clever "loading" screen, as they play old-timey intermission videos urging you to check out the concession stand, and get a hot dog before returning. Even the soundtrack fits nicely with the overall aesthetic.


Combat is handled with a limitless Max Payne Bullet-time effect that Rubi enables anytime she's either a) jumping, b) sliding, or c) running along walls. When in these "modes", Rubi duel-wields pistols, shotguns, Uzis or eventually some explosive cross-bows. As far as weapons go, that's it, and you'll use your pistols 80% of the time. Between sub-levels and levels, you do have the opportunity to upgrade your move set, (and as I learned at about 3/4's of the way through, your weapons), from the points you earn in keeping the combat fresh and stylish. Oh, she also swings a mean sword.



WET also tries to mix things up a bit, Kiler-7 style with it's occasional Rage Mode. Rubi's face will get covered with blood, sending her into a hysterical rage, increasing her attack speed and damage to dole out massive death against waves of enemies. These sections are presented in a bold visual style; bright red, black and white visuals really pop while she deals murderous rage until the end of the level.



In the end, the gameplay is fun enough to kill (haha) a few hours, as the overall experience will clock in for most, under 10 hours. The story never really reaches any truly great moments, though you'll likely be compelled to finish. The voice acting from Eliza is about a 6 out of 10. Other notable Hollywood stars join Eliza and lend their voices to the game, Alan Cumming and Malcolm McDowell play Sorrell/Ze Kollektor and Rupert Pelham/Mr.Ackers respectively.

Mashbuttons gives WET a 7.5 out of 10

WET is available for the XBOX 360 and Playstation 3 now

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