From Genosha, with love - Deadpool Review

Developer: High Moon Studios | Platform: PS4 | Playtime: 7:30

An unfortunate aspect of games is their lack of preservation and futureproofing. Games are developed for specific platforms and can be lost to time when newer hardware comes in. Licencing can also mean that a game becomes no longer available in a digital format, leaving people to scramble for whatever physical copies remain. These games can end up with a mystique about them (Pardon the X-Men Pun), a mythical status as an incredible game. Deadpool is an example of this and with the release of the third movie, it jumped price to upwards of £600 – a ludicrous amount for any game. Luckily I had a copy from before and to celebrate the anniversary of the first movie however many February’s ago, I elected to play it.

The game begins with Deadpool in his apartment, strong-arming the developers at High Moon Studios to make him a game. After a little explosive persuasion, they return with a script. Deciding he doesn’t like it, Deadpool sets off to make his own. The actual plot is that of Mr Sinister using Mutant corpses to make clones or whatever. The game doesn’t really care about the narrative so I wouldn’t worry about it.

Deadpool starts the game with his katanas and twin pistols and you can end the game that way if you want but you’re encouraged to use your Deadpool Points (DP) to upgrade yourself as well as buying a Shotgun, SMG and Assault Rifle as well as Hammers and Sais. I’d say these different weapons change up the gameplay and I suppose they do by nature of the weapons being different but the gameplay isn’t any more complicated than shooting the further away bad guys and using melee when you run out of ammo. There’s not much in the way of combos or advanced techniques to learn. Some enemies require one or the other but it’s never more complicated than that.

Of course the unique selling point of a Deadpool game is of course Deadpool. It’s no secret I dislike Ryan Reynolds and his version of the character so it’s good this was before his time as the character, instead being voiced by the very distinct Nolan North. The script and voice acting is pretty funny, with the 4th wall gags and character interactions are amusing even if not every joke lands.

This is an odd one to review because I’d recommend it if it was still available digitally for like £25 or so but as a discontinued collectors item, I can’t recommend forking out triple digits for what is an amusing but otherwise bog standard, average game.