Customer Reviews

Dead to Rights

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

"Dead to Rights" is the kind of non-stop action game that will remind you why you play console games in the first place. Though the game's premise, style, and source of inspiration are easy to compare to "Max Payne," the games themselves are readily distinguishable from one another, and both are equally as worthy of your gaming attentions.

"Dead to Rights" casts you as Jack Slate, a larger-than-life cop in the fictional cesspool of Grant City, whose only real friend appears to be his canine partner, Shadow. Early on, Slate discovers the body of his murdered father in a construction yard, and then the action comes hot and heavy from then on.

Slate's gun-slinging antics and martial arts brawls are quick to remind one of a John Woo film. The hand-to-hand fighting system is immensely enjoyable and reminiscent of updated classics like "Double Dragon" and "Final Fight." The majority of the game's setpeices, though, involve thousands of flying bullets, and the gunplay is truly extraordinary. Capping the bad guys is rarely this satisfying, particularly in a game viewed from a 3rd person perspective. To add icing to the cake, Slate has a series of violent "disarms" he can employ to turn a battle in his favor, and executing them properly is gratifying in all its M-rated glory. "Dead to Rights" wisely switches between hand-to-hand battles and fierce gunfights at a fairly regular interval to ensure that the game doesn't get repetitive.

Unfortunately, "Dead to Rights" also favors mini-games and puzzles that crop up every now and again to slow down the action. The idea is a sound one, but most of these sessions are just exercises in button-mashing frenzy. On the plus side, though, the mini-games segue into the storyline almost seamlessly, so they're not as jarring as they might otherwise have been. And speaking of the storyline, it's sure to entertain, and is helped tremendously by talented voice-actors and some truly cinematic cut-scenes.

Aside from the mini-games and some questionable decisions in level design (which are an exception rather than a rule), "Dead to Rights" is a triumph. The game is bloody good fun from beginning to end, and more addictive than a set of Max Payne's painkillers. This remains one of the best action titles available on the PS2, and it should not, under any circumstances, be missed by fans of the genre.

Final Score: A-

Dead to Rights is about a K-9 cop Jack Slate who patrols Grant City with his trusty dog Shadow. While patrolling a construction site, Slate finds someone (I won't ruin it for you) very close to him murdered. Against orders, Slate sets off in search answers and revenge. The story in Dead to Rights is narrated by Jack himself, and involves some pretty decent twists and turns. All told, by the time the player reaches the end of the game, NAMCO does a good job in tying up all of the loose ends in the plot. Dead to Rights is one of those games that are excellent in simulating what it would be like left on your own surrounded by a ridiculously large amount of or when his weapon is hostered. Jack can holster his weapon at any point in the game. While fighting without a weapon, the player can use Jack to kick, punch, and perform combo's (unlock them all!) on the enemies. He can even creep up behind them, disarm them (take their weapon). and use them as a human shield. The plot itself in DtR is plenty engaging and never boring due to a plethora of different inventive scenarios and mini-games. Mini games range from trying to pick locks to making strippers dance. You will surely never find the gameplay in Dead to Rights boring, dull, or uncreative. Weapons Slate can carry are also widely varied, and while using them 'bad guys,' just like in the movies. In this sense, Dead to Rights will remind many people of Max Payne. Dead to rights is objective-based, and Jack Slate will have to gun down / beat up countless enemies before reaching each next one.

Gameplay in Dead to Rights is extremely inventive and varied, whether staged that way or made that way by the player's choice of fingerstrokes. For example, there are two whole sets of controls for when Jack Slate is armed or when his weapon is hostered. Jack can holster his weapon at any point in the game. While fighting without a weapon, the player can use Jack to kick, punch, and perform combo's (unlock them all!) on the enemies. He can even creep up behind them, disarm them (take their weapon). and use them as a human shield. The plot itself in DtR is plenty engaging and never boring due to a plethora of different inventive scenarios and mini-games. Mini games range from trying to pick locks to making strippers dance. You will surely never find the gameplay in Dead to Rights boring, dull, or uncreative. Weapons Slate can carry are also widely varied, and while using them he can do everything from melee the enemy, to jumping while keeping his sights trained on the enemy in midair. fire from the safety of a trash can. The aiming system in Dead to Rights is very intuitive and the user can choose to turn auto-aim on or off. Jack's dog, Shadow, serves as a great help in getting him out of many a tight situation. The user can manuever Shadow manually, and can use him to attack people, turn switches, or sniff at objects.

Perhaps the only depriving element in Dead to Rights is its graphics quality. While audio quality is fine, and is of average quality for such a relatively old game, graphics seem slightly below par in some situations. For example, camera angles can be difficult to handle (being unpredictable and sometimes locking in place) when in tight hallways or corridors. While graphics can be a bit disappointing in some situations, they are certainly not lacking throughout the entire game. I aspect I especially appreciate is the way the camera swivels and "locks on" to the enemy Jack is targeting. Gun effects and explosions are also very good during boss fights. The only thing that lacks there is the texture quality. Overall, I say Dead to Rights is still (and will never not be) a very enjoyable and engaging game. While graphical presentation lacks in some areas, it can only be expected due to when it was made. I myself am have not yet beaten this game, and at this point I am still very excited to finish it. I would certainly recommend Dead to Rights to you action game freaks, especially those of you who are movie-lovers or Max Payne fans. Enjoy! -Derek Ricciuto

SCORES
Gameplay 8.9 - Graphics 7.4 - Sound 7.9 - Presentation 8.0 - Replay Value 8.4 - OVERALL - 8.2
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POSTED BY DEREK RICCIUTO - DarkRider007@hotmail.com
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this game is one of the best that namco has developed in he last year. It's awsome storyline and tense playing makes it a perfct gae for all you action/shooter lovers out there...It has over 20 different weapons to hose from... It is a game that you could never put down...It's slow mo action feature makes it all the better. Just imagein you dodgeing a bullet by millimeters and laughing at he fact the(opponent) shooting you has missed...you'll enjy this game for weeks or months to come.

When I first rented this game, I didn't expect much.
NAMCO products don't exactly make me do a double take.
I only gave it a chance because it's a shooter game.
Boy was I surprised! I was totally addicted. I don't
care for hand-to-hand combat, but, overall, the battle
scheme was user friendly. Too bad you can only slow-mo
while diving, and you're dog meat if you dive in a
direction in which you can't see your enemy. I just
love the disarm sequences. My dog Shadow got plenty of

action if I wasn't being hurried by the enemies. This
game kept me excited the whole way through. You can
actually change the difficulty at any time during the
game, which is cool for those harder to beat situations.
Thanks Namco. This one's a keeper.

I won't write a lengthy review, as many others on here have said enough. However, I would like to inject my own thoughts, as I enjoyed this game immensely. Sure, It may be a Max Payne spinoff, ripoff,or whatever you may label it, but it does have some unique qualities of it's own. I played Max payne one and two, and both games have some striking similarities. Both Max and Jack are cops who have lost loved ones to horrific violence, and are intent on revenge and retribution, no matter what it takes. Heck, the two even resemble each other physically. One thing Max did not have, was Shadow, the faithful k9.

I just finished this game a few days ago, and I'll be honest..for me, this was one of the most challenging games I have played for a while. The bosses in this game are the toughest I have faced so far, and I spent many nights tossing my controller down in frustration. Overall, if you are into the noir, this is for you. Despite my liking this game, it's not without it's flaws

Pros:

Good graphics
Nice array of weapons
great storyline
Excellent controls

Cons:

Mini-games..This is a true waste of time, especially the lifting part. I'm surprised i did not damage my controller buttons, lol.

Awkward camera angles on some levels.

Other than that, I highly suggest this game, as it's super cheap now. Enjoy!

The game play on this one is a lot of fun. The only may to survive is to do crazy slow motion dives, disarms, or grab a baddy and use him as a human shield. Take over as your drug/bomb sniffing K-9 companion, or make a stripper shake her money make to sneak you past the guards. Watch out, you're being set up, and a cop in prison has to defend himself!

I recently got this game for christmas and I have to say when i turned it on I didn't put it down for two hours. The weapons and disarms are awesome, and the amount of bad guys won't leave you wanting dissatisfied. I played it on the rookie level and though it is possible to die it's easy enough to stay alive and not get frustrated. Now for the problems. I have not beaten the game yet, but i'm almost on the last chapter and i must say it is a bit repititious. The plot skips around sometimes, and it's the same story, u go into a room and blast the bad guys until you can move on. I think it would have been more fun if u could go about the game being stealthy like Metal Gear Solid, but it's not like that. There are a few instances though where you can sneak up behind some people but they are rare, but exciting when they occur. So, all in all it is a pretty good game with a few problems.

With all the crap people were dishing out about how it is just a rip off of max payne and how it is made by namco i was beginning to re-think my choice of playing the game but after i played it i was hooked!! The Game is very addictive because not only do you just run and gun like max payne you actually have to use your mind. Running out into a area full of enemies and unloading a piece will get you killed faster than you can change weapons. The levels are long but not so long you lose intrest. my only complaint is that your ammo is so limited that if you waste some you are basically done for through out the rest of the level, especially when you cant use your dog to retreive weapons of enemies above ground level. overall this is an awsome game and i recommend all to try it out.

I got this game for Cristmas,and Im glad I put it on my list.Lets put it simple though,this game rules!!It totally reminds me of true crime,and is just as good.It isnt as hard as alot af games,but that doesnt not make it fun.You get to use people as human sheilds,and use slo mo fighting is cool too.And it has a great price too.One last thing,its alittle gory,but you can deactivate the blood.Nd the mature sexual themes,Theres one''exotic dance club''ith girls so please parents,if you think this is a dirty game thats wrong.I would say if your about 12 or13,you can totally handle it.As I said, its a great game,so buy it and have fun MERRY CHRISTMAS TOO ALL AND HAVE GREAT TIME WITH YOUR FAMILIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Matrix meets the PS2 with Dead to Rights. You can use slow motion dives, peeking around corners, and your trusty german shepherd sidekick to take on the bad guys.

Slate and his dog, Shadow, are full film noir heroes, with the quiet 'gritty street' asides and the killing of the father in the first intro training sequence. You're a cop after those murderers, no matter what it takes.

The gameplay is full first person shooter, a la Splinter Cell and other related games. You peek around corners, sic your dog on them, and even guide your dog through pipes and obstacles to help you out. You move from mission to mission, working your way towards your objective.

There are mini-games in there as well to test your button mashing skills. Unforuntately the very first one is to have a stripper dance around a pole to distract the bouncers. That's a pretty clear indication that the game isn't meant for those under 18.

The gunfighting gives options for slo-mo scenes, with you diving and shooting people as you go. An adrenaline gauge tracks how many of these you can do. When you get into hand-to-hand combat, you can use combinations of kicks, punches and more to take out your opponents. So the game turns into a full fledged 3D fighting game.

The areas you play in are well done - not perhaps cutting edge graphics, but still rather complex. The strip club, for example, has a variety of lighting and the marble floors reflect them all quite accurately. You have a variety of weapons to use and puzzles to sort through. None are incredibly hard if you've gamed at all before, but all pose a challenge to think through.

Recommended for an adult gamer who likes the Vice City and Fighting games.