Despite the fact that WET has had a very turbulent development on the face of it, the game arrives at European retail this Friday looking unmoved by the commotion. Developed by Artificial Mind & Movement, also known as A2M, WET was originally picked-up for publication by Activision. During the infamous Activision-Blizzard merger fallout, which saw titles such as Ghostbusters: The Video Game, Brütal Legend and 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand dropped from their then forthcoming portfolio, WET suffered under the strain. A year later, however, WET was still going strong, and it was announced that Bethesda Softworks had picked-up the publishing rights.

            WET takes it’s inspiration from motion-picture productions. The games’ format and style have been regularly compared to 70’s Grindhouse flicks, though in truth it’s more obviously bred by a passion for more modern Quentin Tarantino impressions of the genre. To be frank, WET bears a greater comparison to the Kill Bill releases than any other fiction in recent memory, and in more than that of its’ grainy filters and regular splashes of crimson.

            The game’s storyline is constructed as film convention dictates. Many games have aspired to creating such an atmosphere within the past decade, most notably Alone in the Dark and the latest two releases in the Resident Evil bloodline, but none have done it quite as convincingly as WET. The game’s training mission introduces the building blocks of the fluid combat, from which players are quickly given free reign to construct combos linking kills. The character of Rubi Malone is introduced here, and even the least discerning players will recognise her character within seconds.

            An undeniable action heroine cliché, Rubi appears almost out of place as a female videogame protagonist. There’s more strength in her character here than any number of waxwork Kasumi’s or tanned-thighed Chun-Li’s, and even perhaps more so than Lara Croft. The similarities to Uma Thurman’s Beatrix Kiddo will be picked-up by many, but there is just as much relation to Mila Jovich and Juliette Lewis’ on-screen personas, and even a reflection of the first true action-heroine, Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley.

            Rubi is chasing a case after a double-cross puts a trusted employee of a crime syndicate on the run with her target. Gunning and carving through literally hundreds of generic guards who display some form of will-to-live even at this early stage in the game, mixed with the odd Quick-Time Event (QTE) and some enjoyable scripted sequences, Rubi delivers the target and gets her reward.

            With the lead character well and truly established and a premise set, the player then embarks on a few Challenge Events. More of these events unlock as playable extras available directly from the Main Menu and comparable to Batman: Arkham Asylum’s Challenge Rooms in their nature, though is the area in which WET bears its greatest resemblance to Bizarre Creations’ The Club. Timed events that are all about speed; the player is tasked with literally jumping through hoops and hitting targets mid-air. Grafted into the game in order to show Rubi during downtime, this is a point at which the mismatch of cinema and games is most evident. When the intro credits have rolled and the character established, it may well be a good time for some further background for a passive observer, but as an active participant being told to run lengths of an empty field for target practice plays out as too much of a cooling-off period.

            With the Challenge Events completed, the primary pivotal event begins. Tied to characters seen within the training mission, Rubi is hired to track down the son of a crime syndicate boss. It’s here the game opens-up and offers the player the chance to truly experiment. Killing enemies earns Style Points, and the more stylish the kill the more points earned. Combing wall running with jumping and sliding, hanging from ladders and diving sideways, players can build extensive chains which increase a multiplier for each kill. These Style Points can then be spent on new abilities and manoeuvres after each level, which can be further mixed into attack combinations. Players begin with a relatively limited – though still encouragingly fun – variety of moves, yet by the end of the game near every variation wished for will be available.

            The twist in the story sends Rubi on a revenge mission, revealing the real meat of the adventure. From here on out, the player is given increasing demand for variation in their attack patterns, and not just through different enemy types but also through seemingly variable levels of intelligence. The Platforming element touched on in the Challenge Events comes also into its own, giving the game a vertical element which will command new combat opportunities when having earned a few new moves. Occasional paths along the elevated level structure can be difficult to follow, and so the player is given the option of “Rubi Vision” by holding the L1 Button. A visual clue quite obviously borrowed from Mirror’s Edge, although far more subtle here, Rubi Visison highlights passable areas with a red glow.

            The game’s pacing flows smoothly throughout its’ remaining levels, rarely misfiring in either plot or pacing. Levels move swiftly between areas of combat in which the player must close enemy spawn points and Platforming challenges, with the occasional QTE, event sequence or moments of rage thrown in at optimal intervals. At occasional predetermined points during the game, a cut-scene will show Rubi killing an enemy, and receiving a splash of blood covering her face. This introduces a mode in which Rubi’s attack and defence is heightened, and long combos are required as you swiftly dispatch incredible numbers of enemies. Delivered in a striking red, black and white visual effect backed by thunderous technical Rock, these sequences are a greater rush than jumping between cars or falling from a plane without a parachute to the experienced gamer.

            The visual quality of WET as a whole is commendable, with what it lacks in character model detail and lighting effects it more than makes up for in personality. Although following a linear timeline, near every other aspect of WET’s presentation follow the rules established by Tarantino’s collective works in motion-picture. From the establishment of characters to the scene-setting with seemingly random commercials and advertorials between levels, the hallmarks of films inspired by 70’s Grindhouse productions are more evident than the original movies themselves. The script can be a little ham-fisted at times, and it’s hard to tell whether this was a conscience decision, but the voice-acting is well presented. Eliza Dushku makes for an enjoyable lead despite the occasional flatly delivered line, and Malcolm MacDowell proves to be a wholly believable villain yet again. The soundtrack is well chosen, though can occasionally irritate during moments where the slightly imprecise nature of Rubi’s movement repeatedly lets you down whilst high above a city.

            WET is the culmination of many years worth of investment in adapting that which makes movies successful into videogames. With character structure and plot development as familiar as any Action-Thriller, Artificial Mind & Movement have created a game that any adult will understand within seconds, and be able to enjoy within minutes. Liberally borrowing from numerous titles from the Previous- and Current-Generation of consoles, WET delivers more style than Devil May Cry and more substance than Stranglehold. Though its’ campaign is relatively short, WET manages more action within each minute than many games offer within hours, and even then lends itself to repeated High Score playthroughs.

Every facet of WET has been built to present the image of “cool”, and thankfully, there’s more than enough substance to support that claim. Along with Rouge Warrior and, early next year, Brink, WET completes an impressive line-up of games complimentary to the publishers’ own in-house titles. If they can all offer as much style and as absorbing game design as this first release, it’ll be a long time til anyone questions Bethesda’s judgement again.  

-END-