Oh shit, it’s another video game based off a movie based off of a comic book, damn that’s confusing. For hardcore gamers the “movie game” genre has quickly earned a reputation for being below average titles, something only created to bring in some quick cash for the publisher. We would have to agree that for 90% of the products released somehow involving a movie-inspired plot this rule of thumb is spot on, however there are a few movie games that at the very least meet all of our expectations; Wanted: Weapons of Fate is one of these rare experiences. For a “movie game” to come out more than a year after the cinematic release it’s apparent that the publisher is not just trying to cash in a quick check. The people behind this game actually cared about creating a fantastic title, something that new and old fans of the Wanted franchise could enjoy. Simply put Weapons of Fate is everything the “summer action movie” does on a rainy weekend; it’s extremely fun, amazing to look at, and a peek into one of the coolest comic book/film universes ever created.
Going into this review we were a bit worried because we are all huge Wanted fans, both the of the recent movie and classic comic book series. Luckily Weapons of Fate does not retell either story, it creates something brand new that gives fans a small taste of the future. There are aspects and plot-points from both the movie and the comics that the developers handpicked to be part of the video game. For example many of the characters (and it’s actor’s likeness) from the movie make their way into the game, but the amazing suit worn by the assassins in the comic book (not present in the movie) also makes an appearance in Weapons of Fate. If the game's creators had to explain the story in one sentence it would be that the movie had Wesley looking for his father, the video game has him trying to figure out what happened to his mother.
Wanted: WoF features two story-driven main characters, Wesley and Cross (there are a number of other unlockable characters). Each has their own strong points and major differences, helping to give the game a good bit of variability throughout the nine stages. There are a two polar opposite different ways to play through Wanted: Weapons of Fate, as a run and gun, never stopping, action game; or using quick-cover, taking your time with bullet-curving, and thoroughly enjoying the intricate level design. Depending on which way the player chooses to play the amount of time/fun Wanted will produce changes dramatically, the title can produce anywhere from 6 to 15 hours of gameplay. We really didn’t miss the fact that there was no multiplayer or co-op mode in Weapons of Fate because it just wouldn’t have made sense, from a development or a gameplay perspective.
For a game such as this the single-player section needed to be top notch, just to get past the initial criticisms that being a “movie game” brings. Thankfully that is exactly what the development team decided to focus on and gamers who are not looking for the next Final Fantasy or Gears of War will have a whole lot of fun with Wanted: Weapons of Fate. Wanted: WoF features a number of very important and unique gameplay elements that help the game stand out from the number of “Gears” clones out on the market these days. The three most important being quick cover, curving bullets, and action sequences. We were happy to see an in-depth tutorial on each and every new mechanic as it is introduced into the game, it’s a shame that most games decide to skip the tutorial in favor of the “newb” status that tutorials bring with them.
Because of these short training levels most average gamers will have no problem pulling off some freaking sweet moves in a matter of minutes, slamming home that fundamental aspect of Weapons of Fate we continue to mention, fun. The developers found a perfect balance between difficulty and enjoyment with the bullet curving feature and once that middle ground was discovered they ran with it. This feature changes the way we, as the player, thought about cover and how to kill enemies who were hiding behind cover. No longer will a box or wall be the unstoppable force it once was in games like Gears of War and Call of Duty. In Wanted a quick press of the right bumper and that hidden enemy will turn into a puddle of flesh and blood (literally). When the Wanted movie released last year it featured some raw, violent, and jaw-dropping special effects in the film industry; Weapons of Fate continues this tradition without pulling any punches.
Nothing about this game deserves less than a Mature rating from the ESRB (except maybe the in-game menus, oh wait that’s not true) and because of that it makes for a fun, adult themed experience. Graphically the game is nothing revolutionary but it gets the job done with some really cool cinematics, visual features, and lighting effects. Each one of the core gameplay mechanics (mentioned above) has the visual and audile flare direct from the Wanted movie. It’s great to see such a nice cohesion of the comics and the film take place and together create such a fun experience on the Xbox 360. Some complaints would be the length (mainly because we had such a good time we wanted more), lack of features/replayability, and we would have loved a larger arsenal of weapons/locations. All in all Wanted: Weapons of Fate will do exactly what it is meant to do for adult gamers who pick it up in stores this week, provide a over-the-too fun experience with many ties (both gameplay and story-wise) to the Wanted universe.
