Ben-DutkaAccording to the developers, Wet is best described as a nod to the cheesy yet still entertaining ‘70s action flicks with a dash of modern Tarantino style. Once Bayonetta disappeared out of 2010 (for North America, anyway), I needed another over-the-top action title to quench my thirst for some mindless shooting and slashing. That’s when I really became intrigued by this new IP, and it’s why I quickly downloaded the demo when it hit the PlayStation Store. Basically, if you take the bullet-time theme from the classic Max Payne franchise, toss in the katana and a few acrobatic maneuvers, you get Wet . The title, by the way, is an abbreviation for “wetwork,” which is a term that means your hands are gonna get bloody during the job in question. Rubi is the main character; she’s one of those cocky, beautiful superhumans that can perform all sorts of insane stunts with nothing in the way of real personal risk. Sure, bullets hurt, but she needs a little time to herself to heal up; either that, or she can find an open bottle of alcohol…that, apparently, cures her. Special lady.
Anyway, this demo doesn’t waste any time getting started. Most of the first part is a tutorial but it’s mixed in with the action, so it feels just about right. You’ll soon find that slow-mo isn’t actually a special ability; it’s just something that happens whenever Rubi jumps, slides, wall runs, or slides down ladders. She will contort her body into almost any position imaginable in order to keep her guns aimed in the direction you’re aiming, and so long as she’s in the air, she has the benefit of that adjusted bullet-time mechanic. This works well enough but it’s often difficult to spot the enemies; at first, we thought the game should have a lock-on mechanic, but you’ll need the freedom to select different targets while in mid-flight. Even so, the enemies really did seem tough to locate throughout the demo, and when combined with the somewhat erratic camera and relatively loose controls, we see an action game with tons of potential…but perhaps just a little light on the technical polish. Rubi has an exaggerated leap, and for this type of action, it’d be better if the camera was a little further away.
But once you get used to the eccentricities, you’ll probably have a blast with this demo. It’s not lengthy but it gives you a solid look at what to expect from the finished product; you’re chasing some dude who is trying to abscond with a case (presumably filled with sensitive material), and there are dozens upon dozens of faceless baddies in your way. We’re wondering if Rubi will find different weapons in the game because we’ll probably need them, although we’d likely be satisfied with the sword. You can slash your way through the throng of enemies by getting up-close-and-personal (you can even perform a deadly uppercut slash coming out of a slide), “split target” two enemies with each gun in Rubi’s hands, use poles to launch to new areas, and there are even QTEs during the latter part of the demo. You’ll be in the midst of a crazy highway chase and this is where the intensity rises and Rubi proves her ability to deal with…well, just about anything. Oh, and there’s one more aspect that we need to talk about: it’s kinda like a Rage mode of sorts, and it’s pretty stylish.
We’re not sure how it will work in the game, but after a brief cut-scene where Rubi gets splattered with blood (from her own bullet, of course), she goes a little nuts. The screen turns red and all you really see are the black-and-white outlines of Rubi and her hapless enemies; during this time, Rubi seems to be carrying automatic pistols and her available health doubles. This is a good chance to test out the many combinations you have at your disposal, although we would’ve liked to have tried it in a more open area. In the end, this demo really is a lot of fun to play, although we’re a little concerned about the iffy controls and camera that could cause some problems in the final retail version. Still, you gotta love the style and attitude of Wet . It’s just plain silly…in a good way.
