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WET Review
JudoChinX
July 8, 2010
Gameplay video is below the review
B
lood and Gore, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Sexual Content, and Strong Language? Merely reading the ESRB's rating description on the back of Wet's box is enough to make anyone curious. It seems to have everything you'd want in an exploitation film turned game. If you've not already figured it out, Wet is an homage to the 70's style grindhouse flicks of yester-decade, and everything from the game's music to the action smacks of it. The result is a fast and fun game that may not be a new release (the game was released in September of 2009), but still deserves your attention.
The story follows the game's protagonist Ruby, a mercenary, as she blasts, slices, slides, runs, and leaps through hordes of enemies. The gameplay itself is nothing overly complex. You'll spend most of your time going from room to room, or from point to point, disposing of enemies as quickly and efficiently as possible. Strangely, the best comparison I can make would be a mix of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater and John Woo's Stranglehold. Weird, right? As you maul enemies, you'll increase your combo multiplier, which in turn generates more points for you to spend on upgrades and quicker health regeneration.
There's really nothing quite as satisfying as making your way through a swarm of enemies as you play tough to get. Ruby can slide through rooms, jump through the air, and run along walls. Any time you do one of these actions while firing your handguns (which have unlimited ammo), time is slowed, and you'll have extra time and focus to cause as much destruction as possible. Unlike most games that use a similar system, there is no limit as to how much slow-down can be used. There's no meter to refill or anything like that. It's a main component of the game and is not something that the developers make you work for in any way. If enemies get a bit too close to effectively take out with guns, you always have your trusty sword. This is where the aforementioned intense violence and blood are most pronounced. No appendage is safe when Ruby slices and hacks through limbs in a fantastic display of grotesque and exaggerated gore. Combat is very fast paced and fluid. It feels great, and not having pickups such as ammo means that you can move from fight to fight without having to go on a scavenger hunt.
The story, at least several levels into the game, is of little consequence. The first couple of missions center around getting a package from one man to another, so we'll see what exactly this evolves into, but even so early on in the game, it's clear that the story isn't the focus of the game. It's just something there to justify different set pieces and over-the-top action segments.
If I were to pinpoint one area of the game that seems to be lacking, it would be the graphics. Though the game has a great style to the visuals, technically, the game isn't too impressive. Aliasing is everywhere and textures are bland, but special attention was given to make the game look like footage from an old movie real. A filter of scratched film runs over the game which, as you lose more and more life, becomes more and more prominent. It's an interesting choice, and something that adds to the game's personality.
Wet is a game without identity issues. It knows just what it wants to be and doesn't try to be anything more. It excels at paying respect to exploitation films by offering copious amounts of violence, naughty words, and action. If this sounds like your kind of thing, then give it a shot. It can currently be found on the cheap on Goozex, and is readily available to trade.
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