Throughout its many years, Bethesda Softworks has become known for its award-winning RPGs, and in large part that\u2019s the genre gamers expect from the makers of The Elder Scrolls<\/em> franchise. But it\u2019s always a pleasant surprise to see the Maryland-based publisher and developer go in an unexpected direction and bring us something outside the status quo. And there can be no denying that Bethsoft\u2019s new PS3 and Xbox 360 action title WET<\/em> is about as far away from an RPG as a game can get.<\/p>\n

Lovingly crafted by Artificial Mind and Movement (A2M), an independent Canadian development studio you\u2019ve surely heard of if you play a lot of licensed movie and kid games, WET<\/em> is a grindhouse-style run-and-gun third-person shooter following in the footsteps of games like Max Payne<\/em> and, more recently, Stranglehold<\/em>.<\/p>\n

In the game you play as Rubi Malone, a viciously sexy and surprisingly foul-mouthed \u201cfixer\u201d who will solve any problem and kill whoever needs to be killed for the right dollar figure. While the story generally comes across as incoherent, Rubi, brought to life by a spunky voice acting performance from actress Eliza Dushku, steals the show as a vivacious breakout female video game protagonist with the potential to become an iconic franchise starlet if A2M and Bethsoft decide to take the WET<\/em> experience beyond this one game (Potential Spoiler:<\/strong> and a not-so-subtle ending teaser suggests that they will). It\u2019s certainly refreshing to see a female character in such a violent role you\u2019d typically only see male characters in \u2013 Rubi is no generic Lara Craft clone, that\u2019s for damn sure!<\/p>\n

The game itself is somewhat flawed, but all in all it fulfills its niche as a blood-soaked, adrenaline-charged shoot-\u2018em-up. As Rubi, you run, jump, flip and slide through 12 exotic stages between London and Hong Kong, pumping enemies full of lead with Rubi\u2019s dual revolvers (and shotguns, SMGs and crossbows) and maiming them with her samurai sword in glorious slow-motion as she runs along walls, leaps between buildings, swings from poles and slides backwards down ladders. If you couldn\u2019t figure it out already, style is key to getting the most out of WET<\/em>. Being stylish with your kills helps you build up your score multiplayer and earn more style points to use as a currency to purchase deadly new attacks and weapon upgrades.<\/p>\n

The whole \u201cBullet Time\u201d slow-mo effect has been done many times before, but I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve ever seen it pulled off as acrobatically as it is in WET<\/em>. Whenever you shoot during an acrobatic maneuver, the game automatically kicks you into slow-mo mode \u2013 you don\u2019t have to hit a button to activate it manually and there is no meter limiting how much you can use it. While floating through the air, a \u201cslip-aiming\u201d system also allows you to twist Rubi around and target multiple enemies at the same time \u2013 one of her guns automatically locks onto one target leaving you free to manually aim her second pistol at another target. Rubi\u2019s movements and aim aren\u2019t as finely tuned as I would\u2019ve liked, and because of it you will have to endure mild frustrations with errant jumps and sporadic gunfire, but in large part the game handles well.<\/p>\n

More problematic is the game\u2019s erratic pacing. A2M clearly had a lot of ideas they wanted to cram into WET<\/em>, and unfortunately I think they may have gone a tad overboard. Many of the levels simply lack continuity. One minute you\u2019ll be running and gunning, the next you\u2019ll be doing some mild (and fairly clumsy) platforming, the next you\u2019ll enter one of the game\u2019s many Arena challenges in which enemies repeatedly spawn from marked doors until you close them off, and then the next you\u2019ll be manning a stationary turret blasting away at waves of enemies. And in between these differing gameplay bits you\u2019ll have to sit through elevator load times and drive-in movie commercials that certainly enhance the game\u2019s grindhouse flavor, but do so at the cost of interrupted gameplay flow. The occasional QTE-laden vehicle-hopping mission is mixed in as well, and during certain stages you enter a Rage Mode in which Rubi\u2019s face splatters with blood and the visuals turn red, black and white, a la Sega\u2019s Wii action game MadWorld<\/em>. I appreciate the variety of all these different elements, but their collective execution is a tad too disjointed.<\/p>\n

One thing A2M definitely nailed, though, is WET<\/em>\u2019s sense of style. Technically speaking, the graphics are dated in terms of simplistic level geometry and basic textures, but the retro art direction and (optional) film grain\/flicker effect go a long way towards masking many of the rough edges. The high-energy 70\u2019s soundtrack also compliments the visuals with a brash medley of rock and punk themes, and the voice acting, featuring notable performances from Eliza Dushku, Malcolm McDowell and Alan Cumming, too fits in with the B-movie vibe. Quentin Tarantino would surely approve of WET<\/em>\u2019s production values!<\/p>\n

WET<\/em> is very much an imperfect, unpolished production, but its flaws are fairly easy to overlook because the game is generally loads of fun to pick up and play. I\u2019m not sure it offers much in terms of long-term value \u2013 the optional Challenge Mode containing addictive time trials in Rubi\u2019s Boneyard and high score runs through individual story chapters does extend replayability somewhat though — but if you like action games and don\u2019t take things too seriously, WET<\/em> will soak you with 6-8 hours of bloody, over-the-top gunplay.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Pros:<\/strong>
\n+ Killer grindhouse visual style
\n+ Acrobatic gunplay is loads of fun
\n+ Strong voice acting and soundtrack
\n+ Rubi has star potential for future games<\/p>\n

Cons:<\/strong>
\n– Erratic pacing
\n– Inconsistent targeting
\n– Clumsy platforming controls
\n– Just feels a bit rough around the edges across the board<\/p>\n

Game Info:<\/strong>
\nPlatform: Reviewed on PS3, also on Xbox 360
\nPublisher: Bethesda Softworks
\nDeveloper: A2M
\nRelease Date: 9\/15\/09
\nGenre: Third-Person Shooter
\nESRB Rating: Mature
\nPlayers: 1<\/p>\n

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