Deadpool has led a troubled life, even by comic book hero standards. His background was rewritten so many times it’s a wonder that he doesn’t suffer from dissociative identity disorder...oh wait, he does. Nevermind. His manic mental state is tied to his regenerative healing abilities, as well as his physical disfigurement. In the comics, Wade Wilson was given Wolverine’s healing ability, which in turn exacerbated an underlying mental disorder as well as supercharging an undetected cancer, ultimately responsible for his disfiguring tumors, and he might have been set on fire, a bit. Part hero, part villain, Deadpool is known for his mixture of martial arts and gunplay, his manic split personality, a compulsion for breaking the fourth wall, and a love for portable Mexican food. He is an unlikely anti-hero for the latchkey generation.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLCLRkYElAI
So, if Deadpool isn’t a hero, and he’s not a bad guy, then what the hell is he? He’s a mercenary. Deadpool is not necessarily motivated by a sense of right or wrong, he just wants to get paid. Chimichangas and ammunition don’t pay for themselves.
This is the comic book Deadpool, not the mouthless abomination from the Wolverine Origins movie, so players can expect a lot of mouth, swords that are not attached, and an almost non-existent fourth wall. Prepare to be entertained.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzcuh118f2s&list=PLtsNauw_icaFqroAnAJxu45...
Enough History, Already...Let’s Play!
So, High Moon Studios teamed up with those bastards at Activision to bring Deadpool, who ranked 182 out of the top 200 Comic Book Characters of All Time, to your game console: sounds like a bit of a gamble. Deadpool is presented in a third person brawler style. Now I know what you’re thinking: third person smart ass with swords and guns...it’s Devil May Cry without the white hair, or is Dante’s hair brown now? Does Deadpool even have hair? How did I get so far off track already?
All of Deadpool’s weapons are upgradeable, and players are able to purchase additional upgradeable weapons like giant hammers, SMGs, shotguns, and crazy plasma energy rifles, all of which are dual-wielded. Gunplay is impressively tight, so kudos to High Moon for that. Melee, however, is a button mashapalooza where combos build to a momentum attack that can dispatch several enemies at once. Several Marvel heroes and villains make cameo appearances in Deadpool’s adventure, so expect to see a few familiar faces like Wolverine, Rogue, Cable, and Darth Vader...okay, maybe not that last one. Deadpool also frequently calls Peter, from High Moon, to complain about the game.
The Mind of a Manic Mercenary
Wade has one foot in reality and the other in a boob and taco-filled fantasy land, and the dev does a fair job of representing the protagonist’s shattered perception of reality. He perceives Cable as a talking taco in one part of the game and mistakes an enemy lair for a strip club. The guy just ain’t all there.
This split with reality is also represented by in game achievements: I was awarded an achievement for making a thousand pancakes and for playing with shit in Deadpool’s apartment. That’s never happened before. Sneaking up and dispatching enemies by surprise was much more fun in this game than other sneaky games, such as Hitman or Skyrim.
This is the Part Where I Shit on the Game
Unfortunately, one of the most appealing aspects about the game, Wade’s signature Merc with a Mouth personality, tended to get on my nerves if I played for more than an hour. The guy never fucking shuts up. Since a lot of his schtick is repeated frequently, frequent breaks are a necessity. Enemies are also very repetitious, and players will find themselves fighting the same group of guys everywhere they go, with a couple of bosses thrown in for spice.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdKGCQzFcAU
Final Verdict
Deadpool is not a great game, but it is a very, very entertaining game. It’s a must have for Marvel fans, but a must have at a reduced price for everyone else. There’s just too much button mashing and same old shit to give it a top rating. Wade can take players to to some very entertaining places, for a short time, just don’t let him fly the Blackbird.
