Tread lightly, dear Halo and Modern Warfare fans: this game is not for you. In fact, it’s absolutely not for any 360 gamers seeking a polished actioner that…well, makes a lick of sense.
No, this game is for the “others” — those who relish the chance to experience a truly mad, surreal, open-world survival-horror game that borrows liberally from genre classics like Silent Hill and Clock Tower while adding in zany ’80s pop-culture references. Where else can you shoot up imaginary zombies and go on a grisly side-quest hunt for human bones while discussing the finer points of Olivia Newton-John’s acting career? Only in this shlocky and deliciously absurd B-movie world.
With Deadly’s fussy camera system, truly terrible vehicle controls, and graphics that would’ve been suspect even in a first-gen PS2 game, you’ll have to equip your +1 Shield of Irony to appreciate its finer points. But this $20 game earns its keep with inventive action twists (white-knuckle quicktime events pepper the dungeon-crawl segments) and a sizeable town that not only runs on a “real-time” clock, but is also full of quirky citizens and fishing spots (!). Best of all? A deliberately weird and memorable main character who’s just as deranged as the killer he’s chasing. Its production values are unquestionably budget, but the game’s ambitious level of corny self-awareness makes it a stupidly affordable, must-have cult title for the adventurous set.
+ Holy crap! It's $20 for 25-plus hours of gameplay?!
+ Charming weirdness with a few scares thrown in.
- Production values lacking; pacing drags in spots.
? Think the writer of this game is a Twin Peaks fan? Gee, ya think?
mipie
September 05, 2010 at 1:22pm
I really enjoyed this game. Crazy - a little Salvador Dali but unusual experience.
Francesca OXM
April 19, 2010 at 3:04pm
Hey Kimpossible - best advice I got on this fight (and I'll totally admit that I had trouble with this section too!) is hidden away in the Achievements Guide for the game on the always-excellent xbox360achievements.org. Here's a link and good luck! :) http://tinyurl.com/yyoqb8o
kddanner
April 19, 2010 at 7:58am
I love this game despite the questionable technical issues! I consider myself a "serious, casual" gamer if that makes sense... This is a perfect game for people like myself. I am a 40 year old female who has loved to play video games since their inception! I have laughed hysterically at times and felt my heart rate increase at others during this game. The cornball humor and quirkiness of the characters are not lost on me. I am having some trouble defeating "Giant Kaysen" with his voodoo doll though? I have tried several times but am sorta stuck, thus the "casual" descriptin of myself. My skills are lacking a little. Maybe you could post or print some hints for us slower gamers? Love your mag and the Xbox 360. Thanks! Kimpossible
