Jack Is Back

By Luke Judge

Dead to Rights® II returns to the dangerous streets of Grant City, where the only friends a tough cop can rely on are his guns, his fists, and his K-9 partner. Fans of the original game will see more of the same kind of brutal armed and unarmed combat, with tons of new fighting moves, wild acrobatic agility, and an arsenal of devastating weapons.

Look out below!

Gameplay is still a pulse-pounding mix of gunfights and hand-to-hand combat, often in the same battle. There are no ammo pick-ups and empty guns are automatically discarded, but you can always have Jack Slate take a human shield if you get caught without a firearm. You also have 28 disarm moves you can use to take out a bad guy and claim a new weapon. Depending on the weapon and the buttons pressed, you can force a thug to shoot himself, snap a goon's neck from behind, or even beat a baddie to death with his own baseball bat. Disarms used to be unlockables, but this time around, you have access to each of the new bone-grinding, skull-cracking, joint-popping animations from the very beginning. Even the eight brand new disarm moves are ready right out of the gate, so that Jack doesn't have to wait to do his thing in his own violent style.

In addition to disarms, you have a full compliment of punches, kicks, and throws that you can use to take down Grant City lowlifes. Some levels force you to go unarmed and duke it out with the bad guys, so you definitely need to rely on Jack's Martial Arts expertise. A new feature of Dead to Rights II combat is called 360-degree brawling, which includes powerful sweep-style attacks that can send a surrounding crowd of enemies flying in every direction, giving you the chance to seize the initiative.

Crack his neck, take his gun.

Several new melee weapons have been added (along with associated disarm animations), like meat cleavers and swords. You have to learn to defend against them as well as attack with them. But it wouldn't be Dead to Rights without superior firepower, andDead to Rights II has plenty. You can take on the villains of Grant City with shotguns, assault rifles, sniper rifles, and rocket launchers. You can also dual-wield smaller guns like pistols and SMGs, and throw both grenades and Molotov cocktails. With the new Spherical Slow-Motion Dive, you can enter a kind of dilated time that allows you to target and fire at multiple enemies in a complete circle around yourself. With enough bullets, you can turn the tables on virtually any number of enemies.

Jack's K-9 partner also returns, and Shadow is more dangerous than ever. You can use the police dog just like any other weapon by targeting an enemy and turning him loose. Once released, Shadow attacks in real time; there are no more cut scenes of Jack's partner in action. When he reaches his target, Shadow mauls it to death and then brings its gun back to Jack (even if there's no enemy to attack, Shadow will retrieve guns, armor, or health). In crowded rooms with multiple goons firing at will, Shadow is nothing but helpful: He takes out some of the opposition while you handle the serious shooting, and afterwards he brings you a treat. Nowthat's a good dog.

Jack's poolside blowout.

Dead to Rights II emphasizes fast and furious combat, be it with guns, meat cleavers, attack dogs, or Jack Slate's bare hands. Anything that would distract you from making mincemeat out of Grant City's criminal element has been stripped away and replaced with combat enhancements like 360-degree brawling and the Spherical Slow-Motion Dive. If you're ready to snap a few necks and peel caps back for justice, you're ready for Grant City andDead to Rights II.

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