Dead to Rights: Retribution

In Dead to Rights: Retribution, you play as Jack Slate, a hard-nosed, uncompromising Grant City cop, who intends to shove justice down the throats of criminals by doing things like:

a) urging on his malamute/wolf hybrid Shadow to rip off enemy scrotum

b) Brtually kicking the enemy in the stomach twice. Then when the crook doesn't get the message, Jack will do it one more time.

c) Shooting both kneecaps off of a soldier. To put the finishing touches, Jack sends the opponent up in the air and clog him with bullets.

Of course, Jack would butt heads with other cops, namely his boss and his father, who intends to be more willing to play by the cop's rulebook of do's and do nots. This setup sounds like an intriguing thematic argument of whether cops like Jack are justified or not in brutally killing off criminals. In practice, though, the story is relatively simple, non-allegorical and outshined by pretty solid gameplay and graphics. The result is a game that is certainly fun to play, even if the game's execution has some rough edges. 

I've already touched on Jack personality, and although he undergoes a bit of character development, the story's main strong point is its plot. The plot does a very good job of gradually escalating the story's conflict, which starts off Jack fighting a ragtag group of thugs to an overwhelming army of soldiers equipped with the most advanced weaponry the world has ever seen. I also like Jack's narration; it eloquently and subtly moves the story forward without sounding overly expository. Although the story is generic and completely unoriginal, as it has many of the attributes of a cliché cop drama (like Jack's personal quest for vengeance when he father was killed in action), the story is at the very least neither a liability or an asset.

Dead to Rights: Retribution is an action game with 3 distinct play styles. There is the third person shooter element, with Jack moving from cover to cover, gunning down several criminals and super-soldiers in the process. But when enemies close the distance with Jack (or vice versa), the game shifts into hand-to-hand melee combat. Finally, there are some parts where you play as Jack's wolf/malamute hybrid Shadow, who you'll sneakily guide him to fulfill a certain objective (like grab a pair of keys) in as quietly as possible (and if any enemy sees Shadow, you can order him to bite off testicles and/or other major organs). 

While the threesome provide a very unique tour around decaying Grant City, the combination feels uncooked and incomplete:

- The third person shooter aspect suffers from an extremely odd problem in aiming. Under normal circumstances the game uses crosshairs to help the player aim. But once Jack gets into cover, the crosshairs turn into a dot, allowing for more precise targeting. Exactly why Jack is more accurate with his gun when his line of sight is completely looking away at his target is way beyond me. 

- The arsenal of guns is unimpressive; it is the standard gallery of assault rifles, shotguns, sniper rifles, missiles etc. The only special weapons of note are the heavy suit of armor that comes with a large machine gun and a missile launcher, and an electric rifle that acts more like a taser. 

- The melee combat is very simple. You use two buttons to execute two types of punches and many combos. The game doesn't encourage players to take advantage of this combo depth; you just need to remember a couple of them and you're set to go. Defensive maneuvers are better. All you need to do is dodge, dodge, dodge, it's too simple and monotonous. 

- Related to the melee combat, the boss battles are monotonous: Just punch and dodge, rinse and repeat.

- The parts where you guide Shadow through the stealth missions is full of trial-and-error. There are some segments where you'll need to die/restart over and over again before finally understanding enemy movements and Shadow could fulfill the objective unhindered. This approach is extremely tedious, potentially frustrating, and could sap the story's momentum should the stealth section drag on for too long.

Fortunately, the game also has some strong points, not to mention the portrayal of Jack and Shadow as complete badasses.

- The finishing moves are brutal, creative and are fun to watch. They are pulled off when an enemy takes enough damage. Go on YouTube and type "Dead to Rights Retributions takedowns" and go see for yourself. The best takedowns come from Shadow; he rips off enemy scrotums, lungs, hearts etc, resulting in gory executions.

- The game uses slow motion to dramatic effect. When Jack scores a headshot, the game slows down temporarily so you could see the bloodied head and the gore spewing out of it. There is also the "focus meter", which is filled when Jack scores a headshot or unleashes a finishing move among other acts. You can drain the focus meter in order to slow time down, and it is a sight to behold; every detail in the scene is more vivid, and every punch, kick and gunshot packs more of a punch. 

- It's cool to grab enemies and throw them off the ledge, or use them as meat shields.

- Mission variety is sufficient. Though it is mostly a "go from point a to point b" deal, there are some missions where you need to escort a person whilst protecting them from harm. There's another set piece where Jack wields a sniper rifle to provide cover fire to his police allies. These missions offer a good change of pace for the game. 

Much like the gameplay itself, the graphical presentation has its ups and downs. The game does an amazing job of rendering Grant City as a city of decay, corruption, and gang violence. Especially when the lighting is applied correctly, the game provides the eerie uncertain tone that echoes the sentiments of the city. Sadly, the textures are bland and flat, and there are many glitches. This is especially prevalent when Jack does a finishing move, as his limbs go through objects while the execution is taking place. It is comical, if not weird, to see. The soundtrack tries to stir up the drama and the tension of the game, since most of the musical scores are orchestral, but none of the tracks are memorable in the slightest. 

The main campaign will take around 9 hours, although there are 3 difficulty settings. The game also extends its shelf life by challenging you to achieve the highest possible score in each chapter so to earn the "gold" rating. But besides that and some other trophies/achievements (depending on whether you play this game on an XBox 360 or PS3) there's nothing much outside of the campaign. 

Dead to Rights: Retribution is not a polished package by any means. Many of its gameplay elements seems to have a foundation, a basis, of its respective genres, but does little to expand them. However, the combination works well and meshes together (save for the stealth sections with Shadow) and could provide a lot of bloody, violent fun. I think this game is between a rental and a buy, leaning more towards renting because of its relatively mediocre shelf life. But if you think the gameplay could compensate for that weakness, go for the purchase.

Breakdown:

Story: 3.5/5

Clichéd, of course, but the plot escalates the conflict so well, and the narration from Jack is so brilliantly and subtly delivered that the boilerplate material doesn't matter.

Gameplay: 3.5/5

The game has its rough edges and is not innovative in the slightest. But nasty executions and brutal takedowns are very difficult to pass up. 

Presentation: 3/5

The mood of the decaying city is great, but the graphics are hampered by textures (or lack thereof), not to mention the glitches. Soundtrack does its part of complementing the mood but doesn't stick. 

Bonuses, Alternatives and Replay Value: 2.5/5

9 hour campaign and incentive to replay levels to earn a higher score. That's it.

Overall: 12.5/20 (around 3.125 stars, round down to 3 stars)

It is a fun but relatively brief romp, slightly aided by a good story, not helped at all by an average presentation.