Gameplay Impressions
Gameplay impressionsThough there isn't anything even remotely unique about WET's gameplay , it does have that arcade-style, fast-paced, addictive quality about it. Racking up combos and multipliers as quickly as you possibly can, while dispatching enemies in a variety of gruesome ways, is fun for a few hours.
The score-based system has been well implemented and the fact that you're rewarded with points for acrobatic kills encourages you to experiment with Rubi's range of moves and weapons. Despite the lack of depth, and the repetitiveness of spending the majority of your time racking up huge body counts, the gameplay in WET is certainly more entertaining than if it were simply run-and-gun, whereas the stylized art direction gives it a unique and visually attractive grindhouse movie feel.
The problem is that you'll have seen it all within the first couple of hours of gameplay; WET is a bit of a one-trick pony. We found ourselves spending the majority of our time using Rubi's slide maneuver to trigger the slow-motion sequence because that's really where the most fun lies: in taking out multiple opponents in a cinematic fashion. Even then though it feels like style has been chosen over substance. We're simply doing the same thing over and over again, across some bland locations that fail to make the most out of Rubi's skills.
Click for larger imageThe addition of QTE-sections were probably included to break up the constant combat, but they haven't been well implemented and lack excitement. Similarly, Rubi's range of pole-swinging and ledge jumping acrobatics have been severely under-used, none more so than in the platforming segments. You can pretty much go through the game using only couple of maneuvers, there's no real need (apart from self-indulgence) to utilise the full range. Despite the promise of adventure, there's little to enjoy away from the main course of fighting in WET and the generic storyline and poor script plays second fiddle to the frenetic combat.
Overall, we've had a relatively good time playing WET, but that hasn't lasted beyond a couple of hours. Still, we can see how some gamers will glean something from its fast, flowing pace and rewarding scoring system. We'd suggest a rental before you buy though.
Final Score - 7/10
