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Dead to Rights' star Jack Slate is back. But rather than connecting to the past since it has been four long years since this cop cuffed the last dirtbag, developer Volatile Games has decided to start from scratch, rebooting the franchise with Dead to Rights: Retribution. Jack is here, as is his partner Shadow (who, coincidently, is a dog). As for everything else, toss it out the window and onto the criminal-infested ground.
Starting up the demo stirred an immediate appreciation for Retribution's atmosphere and graphics. Thrown into a chaotic scene where officers are accompanying Jack in his efforts to lay the law on an unruly criminal element, impressive rain effects made the scenario complete. Though the environment was run-of-the-mill for any action title, there was an underlying sense of grit, one that increased the urgency of Jack Slate's precarious position.
Controlling Jack felt extremely intuitive and hassle-free, a noticeable accomplishment considering that the demo was of an early build. The face buttons act as Jack's hand-to-hand techniques. He can easily string combination attacks together, disarm enemies, and even perform various takedown maneuvers depending on how much damage an enemy has sustained. Jack's versatile fists of fury are also multidirectional, so nudging the analog stick in a specific direction can help the Grant City police officer take on multiple miscreants as they come at him from all angles. Focus, Dead to Rights' version of Bullet Time, allows Jack to slow down the insanity around him for quick and precise kills.
Aside from the expected amount of gunplay I encountered – picking up machine guns and shotguns and making bloody messes of Grant City's masked hooligans – Jack can also call upon the aid of his companion Shadow. As Jack gets closer to an enemy, a red glow will surround them, indicating that Shadow is ready to strike. Pressing Up on the directional pad will send Shadow at the targeted thug, unleashing a brutal assault worthy of Cujo.
As fun as playing as Jack was, it didn't compare to the fun I had playing as Shadow. It seems that Officer Slate can't take on all of Grant City's scum without taking a bullet or two. Injured and unable to defend himself, Jack becomes a proverbial sitting duck and it's up to Shadow to take over. Taking control of Shadow means that Retribution's environments get a color-blind filter over them; we see the world as we would through Shadow's eyes. With a different set of controls and attacks, Shadow handles quite well considering that he's going up against men with guns. Using the trigger buttons, Shadow can stalk and strike his opponents, gnawing at their arms and throats, causing fountains of blood to come gushing forward. If Shadow happens to be sprinting, he can plow right over his enemies, pushing them to the side like flimsy playthings. If things get too hairy and an enemy happens to put up a fight, Shadow can disarm them, leaving them completely defenseless.
In the build I played, Jack didn't seem too concerned with his well being, allowing his already injured self to walk right into gunfire making my role as Shadow to be one of constant stress. But watching my faithful owner take bullet after bullet seemed to awaken a sense of loyalty in me, one that can only be possibly communicated through the "Testikill." Dubbed from the dangling bits that Shadow so mercifully fixates on, this graphic takedown was all that anxious onlookers wanted to see. Though there isn't a specific way to make Shadow tear apart someone's giblets, I did see a much greater percentage of success when I was sprinting towards a distant target. It is something you just have to see to appreciate, a violent novelty that never really loses its charm no matter how disturbing it may be.
Dead to Rights: Retribution has a long way to go before it hits the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 early next year. Volatile Games has managed to get a number of things right with this reimagining, but it will take a lot more than testicular violence to make Retribution anything more than a mediocre action title. It certainly has potential for greatness if the missions are varied enough and if the pacing doesn't become linear and predictable. I guess 2010 will be the year that gamers will find out of if Jack Slate's next generation debut will be cause for celebration, or a reason for early retirement.
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