Deadpool is based on the Marvel character of the same name. Developed by High Moon Studios, the same developers behind Transformers: Fall of Cybertron, so you would expect the game to be quite decent. In the end, Deadpool gained a lot of negative critical reception but this is still a very enjoyable game. The best part of the Deadpool is the story, they went all out with the writing and it is absolutely fantastic. It is one of the funniest game stories you would have ever experienced, they nailed the experience perfectly. That said though, the vast majority of the humor is of the crude sort, spanning toilet jokes, crude humor and quite a bit of sexism. Do not play this game if you are easily offended. Deadpool's voice acting brings the character to life and you can tell that he had some fun himself too. As traditional of Deadpool, he is self aware that he is currently a game character. He frequently breaks the fourth wall. High Moon Studios managed to fit in a lot of small little interactions throughout the game that improves the atmosphere significantly. For example, in the beginning of the game, Deadpool can drink beer from his fridge, take a nap or watch tv; this may sound boring but it brought the humor to the forefront and set the tone for the rest of the game.
That is, the game does not take itself seriously. The best part of the game has to be when Deadpool tries to slap Wolverine awake. Yes, other Marvel characters make appearances, with a fair few X-Men characters such as Rogue and Psylocke. However, this is Deadpool's game through and through. He talks to himself and his inner personas often, with speech bubbles showing up onscreen that's reminiscent of comics. Then it would throw something unexpected at you such as using these speech bubbles to jump over a gap or change the gameplay into an 8-bit top-down beat 'em up. It does go a bit too far sometimes where you end up having no idea what what the current scene is going on about. By the time the fourth chapter is upon you, you realize that you had a ton of fun and ma currently enjoying yourself but... what was the rationale for all this killing again? At the end of the day, the plot is another hero saves the world from destruction against a villain. The biggest criticism of the game is the combat system, which has been described as boring, bland and stale. Basically, it is a beat 'em up and you could easily be reduced to mashing buttons. Unimaginatively, Deadpool has a light attack and a heavy attack with his swords, which you can chain together to make combos. This isn't too bad to be honest.
Spicing things up is his ability to teleport, which looks really cool and comes in useful for teleporting out of danger, teleporting in front of an enemy to attack or just to travel slightly faster. Defeating enemies will charge up your "momentum", when the bar is full, you can unleash a selection of special attacks which are much more powerful than your normal attacks. The other default weapon Deadpool has are his pistols. This is where it gets a little bit awkward in terms of control scheme. Using the pistol pulls a reticule and it is suddenly a hybrid third-person shooter / third-person adventure control scheme. Having no cover system means you cannot snipe enemies and you will have to constantly run around while aiming to shoot. This isn't as bad as it sounds, it just takes some getting used to. There is a lock-on system which helps with the aiming. Using guns to fight against bosses or mini-bosses makes them easier than just trying to go melee-only. What makes the game easier is the fact that your health recharges. This is an odd choice for a third person action game but explainable by Deadpool's regenerative powers.
Scattered around the levels and also when you defeat enemies are Deadpool Points, these are collected and can be spent on upgrading Deadpool's abilities. You can gain more health, get more combos and other similar combat perks. By the end of the game, you'll be an overpowered killing machine. Points can also be used to purchase new weapons such as hammers and a shotgun, which adds more variety to the gameplay. The upgrade system keeps you going because there are a lot of enemies to kill in this game. In the final level, the game will throw wave after wave of enemies at you, which gets a bit overwhelming because the camera will swing all over the place and attack effects are everywhere. Speaking of what there is a lot of, there are a lot of switches which require you to pull the lever down before heading to the next section. The environments are also somewhat bland at the beginning of the game as it takes place in the sewers, not to mention being very linear in progression. The game takes place too much in enclosed areas inside buildings which look very similar, being the same drab walls and dirty environments. The graphics are good, but again, it is let down sometimes by the bland environments.
The game runs well though, with no noticeable framerate drops but there are often visual glitches. These glitches are usually when Deadpool kills an enemy and fling them away, they can get stuck int the ceiling, wall or halfway into the floor, twitching. The bodies also disappear very quickly which ruins the immersion a little bit. After you finish the game, there isn't much left to do apart from Trophies. There are no proper collectibles in the game (which is a refreshing feature since games nowadays love to put in collectibles even if there was no need), you can chapter select, skip cutscenes and play on a harder difficulty. There are some challenge maps where you defeat enemies within a time limit but it is held in the same areas as the story so there is no breath of fresh air. Overall, Deadpool is a fun game. It has this fantastic humor and one of the best in a game, the writing is the true standout here. The combat system isn't as horrible or bland as some reviewers would make it. Sure, it can degenerate into pure button mashing but it is still fun with multiple weapons and special attacks. If you're on the fence, watch a few story videos and see if you like the humor,because Deadpool is a game well worth trying and playing.
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