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The Plot: "Dead To Rights" has often been compared to Rockstar's "Max Payne". In terms of similarities, it is a third-person shooter that also stars a cop and does boast a similar storyline. However, the game's tone and gameplay are different enough to make this feel like a game all its own. Without giving away much of the story: players take on the role of Jack Slate, an undercover cop who is investigating a murder. Unfortunately for Jack, he's framed and ends up in jail, but - as with any similar story, it's only a matter of time before he breaks out and tries to clear his name. Both games have several interesting differences: "Max Payne" concenrated on the noir-ish look and feel of the story, which was wonderfully cinematic and added heaping helpings of atmosphere and dread to the game. "Dead To Rights" is flashier, louder, often more colorful and a little less interested in story than all-out action. There's also more enemies in "Dead To Rights", making for many moments that are over-the-top in intensity and utterly chaotic. Some may find this consistent action thrilling, while others may find it tiring, lacking in strategy and even very difficult as the game proceeds. The game opens promisingly enough, with a level that involves some shooting, some problem-solving (including one part where the player must figure out a puzzle as Shadow, Jack's helpful attack dog) and more. There's also plenty of different methods of attack, including a slow-motion mode similar to "Max Payne"'s (although this one looks a little more "Matrix"-like). Unfortunately, while "Dead To Rights" has some pretty intense moments, the game turns inconsistent, thanks to some flaws it suffers from. Unlike many similar games of its kind, "Dead To Rights" throws a lot of mini-games at the viewer, which include things like having to have to control a stripper on-stage by tapping the right button at the right moment (sort of like a really dark version of the "Britney's Dance Beat" game). These games are not particularly fun and they also get in the way of the flow of the game. The stripper game was rather odd, as not only was the stripper animation awkward, but the fact that she didn't do much in the way of actual stripping wouldn't have the gritty audience in the game cheering like they do. Additionally, "Dead To Rights" sometimes turns from a shooting game to a fighting game - the former is far faster and more entertaining in comparison to the latter, as the fighting is tedious and repetitive. Furthermore, concerns in terms of controls pop-up; the targeting is flawed and the camera is occasionally difficult to control. Overall, I found the game to be an instance of a title with potential that could have used some additional work. The mini-games, which appear on a fairly frequent basis, could also have been done away with completely. Rating: 7.8/10 The DVD Graphics: "Dead To Rights" offers fairly standard graphics - enough to be presentable, but certainly not the kind of graphics that the system is capable of. While this is certainly not a terrible looking game, it will not impress XBOX users who have seen better graphics on some of the games that are offered on the system. The character models are not particularly detailed and, while "Max Payne" occasionally didn't look terribly sharp, either, more attention seemed to be paid in that game to creating detailed environments and more little objects to look at. Backgrounds and other scenes are presented in a satisfactory manner, but don't have a great deal of personality or atmosphere. Rating: 7.5/10 Sound: The game's soundtrack fares considerably better. Sound effects - whether weapons or slighter touches/ambient sounds, are crisply and clearly presented, sounding well-recorded and loud. Voice acting is excellent; while some of the lines weren't terribly interesting, all of the actors at least got the tone right. Rating: 8.4/10 Gameplay: "Dead To Rights" has some imaginative ways of presenting the action (you can use Shadow to attack, for example), but there are also some problems that are a bit difficult to overlook. The auto-targeting system does not always seem to pick the enemy in front of you, leading to some tough moments of targeting someone off-screen. Adding to that, there are moments where your player must take on a massive amount of enemies and quite honestly, the target system didn't seem to move fast enough. The camera also could have been more user-friendly at times, as it occasionally pointed in the wrong direction, which is a problem when you're trying to take on a squad of bad guys who aren't going to wait for you to get proper aim in their direction. Other than that - and admittedly, those two problems are more than minor ones - I didn't have any other concerns with gameplay. Rating: 7.8/10 Rating Issues: "Dead to Rights" is rightly rated "M" (Mature), for consistent and graphic violence (not to mention a stripper who doesn't do a whole lot). Final Thoughts: "Dead To Rights" is a game with a lot of potential, but it seems as if some of the issues within gameplay could have been worked on more. It's also a difficult game and, while that may appeal to some hardcore gamers, more casual players will likely be frustrated. Graphics are not exceptional and gameplay is flawed, but the sound fares better. Those who are interested in this genre of game may want to take a look at this one as a rental first. |