Two words to describe The Dishwasher – Dead Samurai (1200 Microsoft points)…:
Brutal.
Brilliant.
What we have with this game is, quite possibly, the best indie developed game on the Arcade.
Why do I believe this? Because, quite frankly, it is. Every polished swipe, every high counting combo, every chain attack, all the sinew and gore filled splashes of crimson that encapsulate the show. Some of the best replay value on the market. The screen rocks and shudders under the brutality of the dervish that is the Dead Samurai. Swift, agile, and incredibly versatile, he’d quite rightly stand alongside any Capcom or Konami hero. I think he’d “have” Dante… or Nero at least. The controls are just pitch perfect. Everything feels tight and responsive. Though on times, early on, it can feel loose, but you haven’t learned anything yet!
In a nut-shell, the Dead Samurai is, as the title suggests… A dishwasher. An undead Dishwasher, whose mundane and thankless existence has pushed our hero to take up the sword and fight off the evils of the impending apocalypse. So far, so good, simple… and yet compelling, in a crazy anime kinda way.
Crazy s**t!
Our hero is left to fight a wicked and terribly insane variety of villains that take the form of jet-pack wearing hovering sods with grenades, Ed-209-alikes with cannons, Agent Smith-alikes, zombies (after all, there HAS to be zombies!), horse-men of death, ogres and more fiendish and devilishly tough bosses and trash to thrash …or to thrash you. It’s just insane. Imagine, Bayonetta or DMC in 2D with Viewtiful Joe style action and a heavy (metal) mix of gothic and grotesque… all fused in a Metroidvania mish-mash. It’s marvellous!
You can tell that every ounce of the ‘Indie’ talent is in this game. From the level design – which is sometimes a little confusing but ultimately rewarding as you seek out greater power, skill and weapons to thwart your bad ass foes with your bad ass self – to the combat, gory finishers and flashing “Y” and “B” prompts that signal the demise of an unlucky enemy and more health, gore and action for you… Brutal, sticky fun!
It’s the combat that get’s another nod from me as the reason to own this title. Initially it’s all very simple and enemies are somewhat impossible. Button bash a little bit and wobble the sticks frantically searching for a meagre victory, you learn the rope and muscle. You won’t find a babyish easy mode here. Easy is just another word for making you feel weak when it beats you.
Hardcore is the term, and hardcore it is. And hardcore you’ll need to be to not feel the urge to hurl your pad through the TV when you hit a brick wall. There are combos and throws and weapons to switch on the fly as in Bayonetta and Devil May Cry 4, and like those titles, TD:DS is better for it. It can stand with these games on a combat level. Its not as refined as them, but just as rewarding and full as say… God of War.
The clever part comes in the form of replaying earlier levels and defying gravity with some showy flips, jumps, wall runs and swipes that obliterate earlier levels and gives you just enough of a chance to push further into the game. With every new weapon, comes another new treat, but to counter that treat is always another painful enemy to overcome. That said, if you’re like me and revel in a challenge, the you’ll take all this in your stride and really delve into the title’s eccentricities. The term “hardcore” was made for games like this, but it hardly ever feels unfair. It’s almost always something you’ve brought upon yourself… which is as it should be in this kind of game.
There’s more to this tale, mind you. More to this title than the highly polished and professional release that it is. Oh yes, XBLA gamer:
If a fiendishly challenging story mode wasn’t enough to keep you grounded, there’s also the score attack option of the challenge mode. As solid as the story mode is, challenge mode can be brutal. Thumbs will be sore, but if you’re afraid of sore thumbs, you’re probably better off with a ‘Wii Fit’ or some tea and biscuits with Nanna and some lovely relaxing Wii sports, rather than playing the Dead Samurai. Just remember, you can’t gain skill through sitting and thinking about playing these games. You really just have to jump in!
Least impressive about this game are the rather crazy and abstract achievements, though there is 200G just waiting for you to actually earn them here (as well as a few sneaky hidden ones for true TD:DS masters!)
Dig out your plectrum.
There are some stand out moments like the Guitar Hero rhythm action-style mini games that just beg you to give it another go. YES, you can use the GH peripheral to play it! That brings me nicely to the sound and score. It’s all very ‘RAWK’ and, in that way, it suits it perfectly. I get flashes of Eric Draven and Van Halen when I play TD:DS. It’s certainly loud. Turned up to “11″ you might say, and if I hear “FIRE IN THE HOLE!!” again… well, you’ll find out!
GORE!
The graphics in TD:DS are just what you need. 2D, dark, red, and full of character and animated, pixelated life… Life that’s just waiting to be killed and torn to pieces by the single most brutal character since Kratos took up being a rage-monger and inflicting his own brand of revenge on the gods… I really think the young Dishwasher would have a good go at him too!
Though, I’m sure Bayonetta could take them all down together.
[This is the first of the reviews/articles by our new writer, Paolo Raimondo. He'll be covering XBLA games for us, and writing reviews/retrospectives of classic titles and new titles with retro. links... Welcome Paolo!]
