Deadpool is an irreverent, unpredictable, over the top, chaotic, shenanigan-filled joy ride of a game. Developed by High Moon Studio, the game features the “Merc with a Mouth” as its star, as you kill everything in sight while chomping down on some oh so delicious tacos.
The game is self-referential and often breaks the 4th wall, addressing not only the player, but acknowledging the game as a game, and even talking with people who created it. Heck, you even have Deadpool (voiced by Nolan North) talking to Nolan North in a bizarrely meta conversation.
The game has one thing going for it, it is accurate to its source material. The game is like a Deadpool comic come to life, hitting all the right notes, and being just as ridiculous as his 2D counterpart. The humor is quirky and rude, but you will always get a chuckle out of the sheer insanity.
To say this game is merely a button masher would not be wrong, but it is more than the sum of its parts. For the most part, Deadpool is pretty linear, but manages to introduce some on-the-rail segments and secrets that break up the gameplay in a positive way. Everything is wacky and fun, but does not to actually forget to create a fun gameplay experience to go with the jokes.
You follow Deadpool over his shoulder, taking on waves of countless enemies, racking up combo and style kills to earn points to upgrade bad ass weaponry. The game has a nice feel to it, giving you a fun challenge, while still being enjoyable.
Weapons and guns all have a great balance, and kick major butt once they are fully upgraded. Enemies are pretty standard, but some particularly difficult ones are introduced in later levels that can really mess your day up if you do not take care of them first.
Some major issues are present, however. The over the shoulder camera often bugs out in close quarters, or will spin behind scenery randomly during fights, leaving you to fight blind for a few seconds as you try to wrestle it back into position. Although for the most part, enemies are predictable in their behavior, attack animations can break your combo and harm you even if they do no damage or even make contact.
With certain enemy attacks that cover a small area, the shock waves may hit you even if you are outside the radius, above the enemy, or even off-screen. Countering attacks may be unresponsive, letting you hammer the button in vain as you are swarmed.
But in the end, for all short comings, Deadpool has delivered a game that is sure to please not only fans of the comic series, but even gamers who have not even heard of him before. The action is fast and crazy, and the humor is ridiculous and fun.
(In no way shape or form do I have a guy in a skin-tight red suit standing over my shoulder as I type this).
