Wet & Wild

If you’re of a nervous disposition you might want to avoid Wet. At all costs. You see the entire game is inspired by a single, extremely violent scene from Quentin Tarantino's blood-soaked revenge flick Kill Bill. And the idea of ultra violent, loud, stylised acrobatic combat has been stretched into an entire game.

That doesn't mean it's a one trick pony though. There are plenty of features that will make Wet a rich and satisfying gaming experience. First of all there's the game's simple but striking story. The hero is a rather effective gun-for-hire called Rubi Malone who wields dual pistols, a sword and has acrobatic skills that make Lara Croft look like an arthritic old lady trying to hobble her way to a WI meeting.

Betrayal and Revenge

When Rubi is employed by a wealthy man to find and bring back his wayward son, she thinks it'll be a walk in the park. Unfortunately she is betrayed by her mysterious employer and from there on in, Wet turns into a story of revenge as Rubi hunts down the man who betrayed her, killing anybody who gets in her way.

A great story then, and one that's well told thanks to the stellar cast employed to write and voice the game. Writing duties have fallen to Duppy Demitrius who, as fans will already know, worked on hit TV show 24. Providing voices for the characters are Eliza Dushku (who plays Rubi) and other acting luminaries include Brits Malcolm McDowell and Alan Cumming.

Back to the 70s

It's the look and sound of Wet, though, that most clearly demonstrate its creators' intentions. Graphically the game is pure Tarantino. There's a strong 70s vibe to the whole look and sound of the thing, from the way the characters are designed to locations and, just as importantly, the soundtrack.

The more you progress through the game and learn about Rubi's story, the more you'll appreciate the game's style. There are old-fashioned film effects, car chases, snappy dialogue, and some superb songs have been chosen to play behind specific set-pieces.

Fight the Good Fight

Style is just half the story. Substance comes in the form of some of the most over-the-top combat ever seen in a game. As already mentioned Rubi is pretty agile. She can flip, knee-slide, roll, and leap around the landscape, seamlessly moving from one acrobatic move to the next. And she needs to, because she's assailed on all sides by enemies intent on her destruction. Attacking those enemies is a blast. Rubi uses two guns, one which automatically targets enemies, and the other which you, the player, have to control. By moving the aiming reticle you can shift your view through a full 360 degrees.

And when shooting isn't an option, Rubi can resort to swordplay, again relying on her agility to pull off some startling attacks. In fact the idea is, basically, to kill as many enemies as you can in as stylish a manner as possible. The more attacks, combos and kills you pull off, the more points you score and the more upgrades you get.

Just when you think things are mad enough, there's rage mode, a sequence in which Rubi's face gets splattered in blood and the visuals switch to an even more stylised graphical mode - which could be described as viewing the world through blood-tinted spectacles. The killing goes up a notch with enemies exploding into a bloody mess as Rubi cuts a swathe through them.

If you like your gaming casual and cute you might want to look elsewhere. But if you find ultra-violent combat cranked up this high an artform, you’ll love Wet.

Preview by: Simon 'Bulletproof' Kirrane
Version Tested: Xbox 360
Preview Published: 27.08.09