Rent-a-Cop: Dead To Rights: Retribution Review

One of the more fascinating stratagems in popular culture is the reboot.  Executed when a comic, film or game series has descended into a woefully irretractable trajectory, the maneuver can revitalize a property, allowing the media to jettison its bloated exterior. When executed prudently (as displayed by Space Invaders Extreme 2 or more recently, Batman: Arkham Asylum) the reboot has the power to make a wayward franchise miraculously relevant, allowing participants to forgive any past transgressions.

After suffering through 2005’s Dead to Rights II, I was certain gamers has seen the last of action star Jack Slate and his canine companion, Shadow. Instead of refining the original game’s amalgam of ham-fisted brawling, slow-motion shooting, and sporadic quick time events, the sequel lost its direction. The follow-up abandoned the absorbing gunplay of its predecessor, turning Grant City into a regrettably unsophisticated succession of pop-up targets.

The recently released Dead to Rights: Retribution attempts to revive the neglected franchise, giving the series a requisite restart.  Although not without its faults, the title does offer a modest serving of degenerate aggression that will likely keep action enthusiasts content through its eight-hour campaign. Players that sung the praises of 2008’s 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand, should appreciate a comparable quotient of F-bombs, blood-splattering head shots, and low-brow vehemence. 

Retribution blends its elements far better than its precursors. Each level tasks players with stealthy environmental skulking with Shadow, ballistic exchanges from exposed and covered positions, as well as a healthy dose of fisticuffs. Neither of these activities is executed with faultless implementation, yet taken synergistically, they contribute to game’s sense of variety.  Retribution shrewdly never gets caught in one rut for too long, keeping the action diverse and simplistic.

The game’s behemoth-sized hound displays a rewarding amount of versatility. When players are controlling Jack, Shadow can retrieve ammo or eliminate enemies with the press of the direction pad. In situations where Jack is prohibited from entering a location (due to his size, not any silly search warrant issues), the dedicated dog can creep in, and clandestinely eliminate foes. With the ability to see enemy footprints, drag bodies,  and offer an enemy-provoking bark, Shadow’s methods would make Sam Fisher envious. Like the recent exploits of the Third-Echelon operative, the canine shows an undeniable bloodlust- burrowing into the chest cavities or groins of his opponents.

Retribution’s shooting mechanics are capable, allowing players to utilize an arsenal of pistols, sub-machine guns, grenades, and RPGS against antagonists which are as dimwitted as they are dense. Regrettably, the ‘A’ button does double duty, initiated Jack to either take cover or to disarm an opponent. In the heat of battle, Jack would occasionally latch onto to wall, allowing him to get blasted by nearby thugs. Apparently, the Grant City Police Academy favors the instruction of knee-cap targeting over basic defensive tactics. 

The game uses restrictive ammo limits to ensure players won’t neglect Retribution’s fisticuffs. Jack can only carry two clips at a time, forcing him to attack foes mano a mano.  While bare-knucked combat uses rudimentary combos and guard-defeating strikes against turtling enemies, it is the title’s weakest offensive element. Without any kind of targeting assistance, the protagonist often inelegantly throws wild heymakers that fail to connect with an enemy. Although the combat is designed so that Jack can defend against simultaneous aggressors, it’s a tactic that is rarely necessary, as goons politely take turns punching our hero.

While Retribution’s gameplay often displays its half-decade old heritage, visually the game is outstanding. Characters are rendered with an aesthetic that skillfully straddles realism and caricature, while the game’s neo-noir settings are consistently glum. Less successful is the game’s depiction of Shadow, who intermittently looks and animates like a lethargic bear rather than a sinewy police dog. The title’s voice-over work shows an enthusiastic reading from its actors, even when it veers into cop-movie cliche.

As a series reboot, Dead to Rights: Retribution is a step in the right direction, but it’s hardly an exemplar of how to resuscitate a comatose franchise. There’s no denying that the title presents a weekend full of fun, but as a full-priced purchase Retribution lacks the polish of many of its action-oriented contemporaries.