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Product Features

Genre
Action and Shooter
Publisher
Warner Bros. Interactive
Release Date
April 03, 2009
Available Platforms
PlayStation 3, XBox 360

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Wanted Weapons Of Fate Special Pack Includes Wanted DVD

Wanted is a game that doesn't conform to the traditional movie based games; it is a game that was made and released 9 months after the movie had already hit theatres, so although it was based in the same universe, it also was able to take elements from the comic book as well. The story in Wanted starts 5 hours after the end of the movie; your father is dead and the French branch of The Fraternity is in Chicago to sort out what is left of the Chicago branch. The story isn't bad, even if it is uninspiring, but it does a good job of meshing together your playing time as both Wesley and his father Cross. It works well in the games favour as it gives you insight into what is going on from Wesley's perspective, and how his father's dealings in the past are affecting him now. It is nothing revolution...

  • Joe Stevens April 20, 2009 PS3
    ****

    WANTED is an intensely action-packed and (mostly) innovative entry into the 3rd person shooter genre. Don't get me wrong, WANTED certainly has its flaws, but given its price and the inclusion of the film 'Wanted' it is certainly worth a look for any action film fanatic, or those who are looking for an exciting gaming experience.

    The basic story of the game is about Wesley (1 of the 2 playable characters) trying to find out more about the history of himself, his Father (Cross - the second playable character) and why the Paris Fraternity of assassins, lead by their infamous leader called The Immortal, want to kill him. The plot is far better than the WANTED movie and is very fulfilling to fans of the film as it explores the history of Wesley and his Father into more depth, something that the film lacked. For the majority of the game you will play as Wesley, but for some flashbacks, you get to play as his Father. These missions tend to be the better of the two for one particular reason, his guns. Cross has the ability to duel wield some rapid fire silenced pistols which have the ability to create a shrapnel storm explosion. These are created by firing a number of curved bullets from these guns that then collide at the target creating an explosion, allowing you to kill more than one assassin while using one shot. This technique is fantastic to watch but also has some deep tactics for you to think about, e.g. on how to maximise your kills, as this shrapnel storm move costs you more adrenaline to pull off. Adrenaline is what you use to perform bullet curving techniques and is earned by killing enemies. Killing an enemy with a gun rewards you with 1 adrenaline slot whereas brutal melee kills reward you with 2 adrenaline slots. The fact that the movie is bundled with this game really helps the player to get more out of the videogame story, as without it the player would struggle to understand the motives of the characters, nor compelled to find out more. WANTED is a mature game for a reason. It contains strong language and a lot of blood, however this all ties in perfectly with the film and the graphic novels feel. The game manages to pull off the feeling that you really are in the WANTED universe, whether it is from the witty script to the brutal moves, and the game really does deserve some recognition for this.

    The basic premise of the game is to progress through the 9 levels (yes, that's right, only 9 short levels) using bullet curving and effective cover-use to kill the enemies throughout the stages. Bullet curving and the cover system are both implemented into the game design very effectively and help the game to stand out from other 3rd person shooters on the market. Bullet curving is by far the most original idea that WANTED possesses, and it is great fun to use. You basically use the right analogue stick to view the bullets flight path and then release the shoulder buttons to fire the shot. This technique is great fun to use and can create some very impressive cinematic moments (the game will go into slow motion and follow the bullet if you manage to pull off a headshot), however, they do not use the bullet curving mechanic in any other way than to kill enemies. It would have been nice to see them incorporate bullet curving into a puzzle of some sort. This would have prevented the game from getting tedious/repetitive in its levels. The cover system on the other hand, is not so original, but does have some extra functionality other than simply moving from box to box. For example, if you are being pinned down by enemy fire and do not want to take the risk of getting shot then you can blind fire to suppress your enemies. If your suppressing fire is successful then your screen will have a grey tint around its edges to indicate this. Once they are suppressed you will be able to move from cover to cover far quicker and without your enemies knowing what you are doing, the idea being that the more cover changes you chain together the faster you move enabling you to flank your enemies. I had no problem with the cover technique and it was a great way to release a surprise flurry of bullets into your enemies' torso, or head if you are like me.

    WANTED is a game full of breath taking set-pieces which rival some of the best AAA titles. An example of the scale of some of these is a vicious gun fight throughout an airborne plane. This level's final stage sees you climbing the plane as it is plummeting through the sky while at a vertical angle. It is moments like these throughout the game where WANTED truly shines. This makes it even more disappointing that the game is so short, where if the levels were longer they could have continued with even more exhilarating challenges.

    The graphics in WANTED are nothing special, but stand okay among the other games using UnrealEngine3. WANTED doesn't innovate with any effects or animations and I noticed considerable slowdown throughout my 8 playthroughs of the game. Therefore this is one of the poorest parts of the game, however these problems do not make the game unplayable and the graphics are made up for by the marvellous set-pieces that I mentioned earlier.

    WANTED's main flaw is the length of the story and the lack of motivation to replay the game. Understandably, this game does not support multiplayer of any kind, due to the various mechanics of the game e.g. bullet curving, would be very hard if not impossible to apply to a multiplayer game mode. WANTED should give the player encouragement to replay the game, however I do not feel the motivation is present. All that the game offers are various costumes, photos and videos to search for throughout the levels, none of which are interesting to look at for the normal gamer.

    WANTED is a solid movie adaptation that uses the film's main attraction to good effect, however it does not deliver on longevity/replayibility or graphical prowess as much as a gamer would like. This is redeemed by the fact that the excellent WANTED film is included with the game. This significantly increases the value of the package and can be considered a fantastic value bundle. As long as you are not expecting AAA title production values and length, and are a keen fan of action titles and mind bending scenes, then 'WANTED: Weapons of Fate' + 'WANTED The Film' is a great bundle to purchase. I award this package an 8 / 10.