You Have the Right to Remain Dead
By Ben Barker
Jack Slate, hero of Namco's new action game Dead to Rights®, is a cool K-9 officer of the law who can dish out hot, leaded justice from both barrels without breaking a sweat. When a shootout at a construction site ends in personal tragedy, Slate finds himself betrayed and surrounded by enemies. He'll have to use every weapon at his disposal—fists, bullets, makeshift explosives, and his canine partner Shadow—to solve the mystery of his father's murder and bring those responsible to justice.
A boy and his guns and his dog.
At first glance, Dead to Rights might seem very similar to last year's action hit Max Payne. After all, Jack Slate prefers to tote two pistols at a time, has a tendency to talk to himself in tough-guy lingo, and can even slow down time in a way that would make Keanu say, "Woah." But the similarities end there. Where Payne was an action-packed graphic novel come to life, Dead to Rights is an unabashed—and unrelenting—action movie in the Hong Kong tradition of John Woo, Sammo Hung, and their contemporaries. Dozens of enemies at a time pack the screen, sometimes when you can only fight them off with your fists. Timing, aiming, and keeping track of your vitality are crucial to survival. The hardboiled town of Grant City does not give up its secrets easily.
Nice pants.
The game mixes up the gunfights and fistfights to great effect. Jack can use all manner of weapons dropped by enemies, including several varieties of shotguns, pistols, rifles, artillery, and even flame throwers. Of course, the most effective tool in Slate's arsenal doesn't need any ammo except Alpo. You can select your faithful K-9 attack dog Shadow like any other weapon, and send him in for a guaranteed kill. Good dog!
"Disarm! No, dat arm! No, wait, OW!"
A number of special moves and attacks help Slate survive his adventure. Along with bullet time, Jack can lean up against a wall, then pop out around the corner to pick off enemies. He can sneak up on a bad guy and disarm him with lethal force (picking up a new gun in the process). In what's sure to become a signature move, our hero can grab enemies and use them as human shields to soak up bullets when things get hairy. Jack also picks up compressed CO2 canisters that, once ignited with a bullet, make excellent makeshift explosives against groups of foes.
Heroes call hostages "human shields."
Like any good action movie, Dead to Rights gives viewers (and players) just a few spots to catch your breath. Several mini-games break up the game's longer combat sequences. Most allow Jack to work his way through his mysterious adventure—lockpicking, arm-wrestling convicts, that sort of thing. You also might find yourself taking on another role entirely, such as Shadow the bomb-sniffing wonder dog, or Jack's stripper friend Hildy, who you control as she "distracts" some bad guys, allowing Jack to sneak past unseen.
Shadow just wants the union to accept dogs. Is that so wrong?
Dead to Rights is not an easy game, and Jack Slate's life is no walk in the park. But if you're looking for an addictive, unique cinematic experience with relentless action and non-stop thrills, look no further, you've found your cup of hot lead. Woof!
