[i]Some things don't kill you. They leave you with a choice.[/i]
Bodycam, pixelation, Hong Kong. Revenge. Suddenly, I feel like I'm playing [b]Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days[/b] again. It was revolutionary in its time, and so is Better Than Dead. I'm not sure if this would be enough to pave the way for more though. So far, we've only seen one multiplayer title that isn't doing particularly well, one singleplayer game that popularized the concept but hasn't been released yet, and at this point I think even it's own developer doesn't know when it's going to be, and finally this one, which, unfortunately, doesn't leave a completely positive impression.
This game gives you the illusion of playing an inexperienced protagonist who has just picked up a gun, until it doesn't. It's incredibly immersive for the first few minutes, but that feeling quickly fades once you realize how trivial sliding is and that your ammo is unlimited. This wasn't a game I was particularly expecting it to be, but I still enjoyed what it had to offer, despite its short length...
I just wish it had deeper mechanics. You have the usual shooting, aiming, reloading, sprinting, and crouching, with the slightly less common additions of bullet time and sliding (which for some reason, bundled together) and that's it. No, literally, that's the entire game. It takes around 2–3 hours to finish, and if you're aiming for the Black Star rank; and yeah this game has a ranking system, expect another 2–3 hours because of how easy it is to obtain.
Just make sure you kill every enemy, since those left suffering on the ground don't count. It doesn't really matter how fast you finish a mission, how accurate you are, or how much damage you avoid. The only thing that matters is killing every enemy before the time limit expires. It's not a good implementation I think, because beating a level in 20 seconds with missing 2 kills gives you the worst rank while beating it in a minute with all kills gives you the best.
I hope the [b]"To Hell"[/b] game mode adds the replayability this game desperately needs but I'd still recommend it at its current price. Also, I can't ignore the fact that it feels only slightly more substantial than a tech demo. While the visuals imply a story about taking revenge on your r*pists and s*x traffickers, the game never really explores that premise in any other means but visual storytelling. And that also isn't really developed, you simply pull out a gun and shoot waves of nearly identical enemies until the game ends.
It also needs more time in the oven. Audio bugs are frequent, and the menus feel rough and unpolished. Blood splatters are nice until you see them in the dark. I believe bodycam fps is the next big leap for fps games and this game proves it. Once you play Better Than Dead, the usual fps games feels uninspired and boring. Amazing graphics and presentation. Awesome gun sounds and visual style. Unfortunately, it just gives you the taste of it because of it's short nature and simplicity, which in this case, left me for hanging for more.
[b]Also thank you my love, for gifting this game to me :3
