I’ll start off by saying that Deadpool is a very, very hard character to get “right.” High Moon Studios got their money’s worth when they hired Daniel Way (the writer of the Deadpool comic book at the time) to write the game for them. The game has all the trademark humor associated with the comics, complete with wacky Warner Brothers style antics, witty rejoinders and wisecracks, and the over-the-top violence associated with the character. Deadpool, at it’s heart, takes the idea of a guy acting like a cartoon in a real world scenario and plops that straight into the Marvel Universe. After that Marvel just sat back and watched the sparks fly and the place burn to the ground. But let’s get back to the point.
It’s a good thing the writers for this game are so good at their jobs, because they took a mediocre game and made it more than it otherwise would have been. The rote gameplay becomes fun when you’re listening to ACTUAL funny dialogue while slicing a bad guy to bits and shooting another across the way, Devil May Cry style. It’s the small things that really make this game. The recurring gags, the quick cuts to rainbows and tigers and unicorns, the jump cuts, the breaking of the 4th wall. You may not remember a particular point of the gameplay, but you’ll remember those small things in each particular scene. For instance, falling into a river of raw sewage when missing a jump, for a few minutes after that bad guys and Deadpool alike comment on the smell coming from the character. Those small things are why the game is worth buying.
As for the story, you start off in Deadpool’s apartment where he decides to make a game and sets about trying to create it by living the script. Sections of the game as he progresses shout out to old school video games in unique fashion and there are comic book cameos galore. The game is full of sophomoric humor, but if you know the character, honestly what did you expect? Deadpool is anything but highbrow. Particularly enjoyable is the portrayal of Cable as a straight man for Deadpool. The villains are a bit generic as High Moon decided to go with the Marauders and Mr. Sinister. Mr. Sinister has always been a confusing villain with his powers never fully explained so he’s basically a fill in for a super powerful generic bad guy to fight at the end. The Marauders are fully replaceable (and the game even makes note of this by having a giant clone fight) and you’ll forget each of their names and looks two seconds after they are introduced. Throughout and in spite of all this you’ll still find yourself playing with a smile on your face the whole time.
As for unlockables, there are a variety of movies that become available as you play that describe the history of each character in the game. These movies are highly entertaining as they are narrated by Deadpool and told from his point of view. I recommend not skipping them. Everything else you unlock are weapons and particular powers that unlock combos and generally make the game easier to play.
One other note specifically for achievement seekers: the achievements for the most part are beyond easy. I mean, for Galactus’ sake you get two or three for just standing up in the apartment at the beginning of the game. If you want to add some quick gamerscore to your account then this is the game for you.
Overall, Deadpool is a roadmap for how to take a mediocre idea for a licensed game and have it saved by a writing team. This just goes to show how important writing, dialogue and story are in today’s development cycle. Other licensed games take note.
