The character of Deadpool is like the frat boy that everybody expects to pitch up at a party, uninvited with a case of beer and two girls hanging on his arms. He is the forgotten hero of the comic book world, but that is alright – as he will quickly remind you why he is the best.
In his own video game, players naturally assume the role of Deadpool and put up with all his quirky mannerisms and the ridiculous things that he says.
While it might not be such a shock to graphic novel lovers who are familiar with him, being introduced to him for the first time can leave a player slightly traumatised.
He is crass, straight-forward and often speaks without thinking. But more often than not, it is precisely those qualities that makes him a great choice for a videogame character. But what is his video game all about?
What we like about it
The premise of the title is that Deadpool has been offered to star in his own video game, and once he reads the script, he naturally wants to change everything – and add bigger explosions. But the title runs parallel with “real-world” events, and as soon as things start going pear-shaped, Deadpool thinks it is all part of the game that he is supposed to star in.
The quirky humour is the first thing that players will notice, as Deadpool is slightly psychotic with a tendency to be self-serving. Players will also quickly realise that Deadpool hears two voices in his head – one intelligent, the other not so much – which gamers will also be able to hear.
At its essence, the title is actually your average melee-and-gun combat game, where players will have a variety of melee weapons for close-combat, and a number of guns for added distance. When an enemy is killed, Deadpool can collect Deapool Points, which players can use to upgrade their currently weapons and enhancements, as well as buy new weapons.
With that said, and while the plot might be a little thin, it is actually a lot more fun that what it sounds. Deadpool does have some aspects in common with the Wolverine title that came out a couple of years ago, but it is not as polished.
What we don’t like about it
As mentioned, the title could have been a bit more polished, as there are a number of areas that feel neglected or even incomplete. Some of the level designs made little sense, and while it did not feel like a chore to complete some of the fetch-tasks, it could have been handled differently.
The title follows the age-tested formula of players having to clear an area of enemies, do something mission related, more enemies spawn, which ultimately culminates in a boss battle – rise and repeat about six times. From that perspective, the title actually brings nothing new to the gaming table.
If it was not for Deadpool’s hilarious character flaws and questionable personality, the title wold have felt incredibly stiff with no soul. In terms of portraying Deadpool for who he is, the developers certainly got that spot on.
Conclusion
Deadpool’s video game is great fun, but it does not really do anything to advance gaming in general. It is one of those titles that are pure entertainment at the time, but the replay value is not as high as previous titles that have been released – and might be soon forgotten.
While the button layout and configuration is pretty easy to grasp and the plot does not require a degree in Dramatic Arts, there are a number of frustrating aspects. The final battle, as an example, was just way too crowded to effectively plan a strategy.
But, when all is said and done, fans of Deadpool will really enjoy this title, and if gamers are looking for an entertaining, hilarious and bloody title, they cannot go wrong either. Below the score is the official Deadpool launch trailer, which pretty much sums up the game…
Our score: 7.9/10
Charlie Fripp – Consumer Tech editor
