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For those longing for more after Wesley pulled the trigger in the conclusion of Wanted, you're in luck. Wanted: Weapons of Fate continues the story of last year's action film with players taking control of Wesley as he attempts to uncover the truth about his mother. Players will also have the chance to play the role of Cross, Wesley's father, in this action title for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles.
Wanted's claim to fame is its bullet-curving gameplay. There is no distinction between playing as Wesley or Cross. The emphasis is on the ongoing action since Weapons of Fate is all about its cover-to-cover mechanics and getting the player safely behind one well-placed crate to the next and eliminating the advancing enemies along the way. Pressing a shoulder button displays an arc to show your bullet's path. The analog stick can be used to increase and decrease the angle of the arc as well as adjust the player's firing position. If the arc turns white, then players can fire without worry of missing their intended targets. If the path to the target is blocked by an obstruction, the arc will turn red.
Curving bullets comes at the price of adrenaline, indicated by a meter on the top right corner of the screen. Adrenaline is earned by filling walking sacs of unintelligent AI with hot lead. As players get better at manipulating their bullet's arc, they will line up one-shot kills more frequently. This takes little discipline to master. In time, curving bullets and taking out baddies will come as second nature. Graphic scenes will follow the bullet as it makes its way toward the enemy's brain. Similar sound effects and camera angles to the film were used to recreate that cinematic feel since the sight of watching a bullet leave behind a fleshy mess of red is a constant crowd pleaser. Fatal shots will be lined up a lot faster and players will soon notice that there isn't a whole lot of depth to the gameplay. The game is as straightforward as can be. Run for cover. Slaughter enemies. Curve some bullets. Slaughter some more enemies. Move on.
The game does well recreating the look of the live action film while blending the artistic style of the graphic series. The likeability of the movie's star, James McAvoy, coupled with the elements of his comic book counterpart are a great combination and are perfectly suited for Weapon of Fate's videogame setting. While the game's engine generally simply gets the job done, it should be noted that the blood effects are quite impressive. Horrific gobs of the red stuff will paint the walls at all times throughout the game. These effects keep the player entertained while following the game's very linear path.
The appeal of manipulating the laws of physics is the only gameplay feature that Wanted: Weapons of Fate, has going for it. The rest is standard fare. It is greatly lacking in pacing and the entire game can be completed in a relatively short amount of time. There is little replayability because the game only offers Headshot mode, a boring experience which only allows the players to use headshots to deal with the enemies. Extra characters can be unlocked but do not offer any diverse gameplay features or enhancements; they are simply character skins for the player to wear.
Wanted: Weapons of Fate is a lot like the live-action film it takes after – a solid action experience without a whole lot of substance to back it up. Developer, GRIN, does earn points for making a game that doesn't fall into most movie-to-game pitfalls, but even as it struggles to be more than just above average, it can't seem to hit the target. Fans of the film should remain cautious. This follow-up is nothing more than a few hours of fun, nowhere near the price of admission. The game performs well as an action title and can be fun at times, but it does little to make the experience anything more worthy than a rental.
Fun Factor: While curving bullets is fun, it isn't enough to keep the game from feeling repetitive.
Difficulty: Simple duck-and-cover gameplay will offer little challenge to even the most inexperienced of gamers.
Length: Not long at all; can be finished in an afternoon.
On the Negative Side: Repetitive gameplay and incredibly short length make for a bad combination. There aren't many bonuses or unlockables either.
Bang for your Buck: No bang for your buck. With little incentive to continue playing, Wanted: Weapons of Fate is a rental at best.
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