When we last saw Jack Slate, he was taking his revenge against the criminals of Grant City. Dead To Rights might have been cribbing from Max Payne, but as simple, violent tales go, it wasn't all bad. For this sequel, Namco has actually gone back in time to tell a story which occurs earlier on the timeline. And it's perfectly fitting that Dead To Rights II is a prequel, because from a gameplay perspective, it's a big step back.

The whole prequel thing doesn't even matter much, because story takes a distinct backseat to action. In Max Payne, those stylish graphic novel interludes provide at least some reason to shoot everything that moves; here, cutscenes barely maintain coherence. Ostensibly, Jack is acting as a private eye to investigate a kidnapping, but don't be fooled into thinking there's much sleuthing, or any form of thinking, to be done.

It works like so: Jack enters an area, typically a seedy joint or relatively faceless mansion, and kills everyone inside. His tactics include quick aiming with one shoulder button, and the option to flick the right stick to select new targets. He's rushed by thugs carrying all manner of weapons from pistols to assault rifles, all of which can be collected from downed enemies. The ultimate arsenal is quite large, but that will please only players who like mediocre replications of real weapons.


This is the point where you should be thinking, hey, sounds like every other third-person shooter I've played this year. But there are a couple other elements which feel only mildly recycled next to the basic gunplay. Jack's got an adrenaline meter, which enables him to dive and shoot in bullet time. He can roll in mid air and easily take out half a dozen enemies in one dive. Pretty cool the first couple times. There's also some melee combat which works moderately well and complements context-sensitive takedowns. Get close to an enemy, press square, and Jack can break arms and smash heads, which also recharges adrenaline.

The only useful tactic other than fast shooting and slow diving is to capture enemies for use as human shields. Shooting explosive canisters can be useful in tight spots, but if the spot is too tight, Jack will go up in flames with them. Sure, things blow up real purty. But any current game for which that isn't the case is an anomaly, and we need something more. Dead To Rights II doesn't have it.

One thing missing are the side challenges present in the original. Those mini-games may have been a trite gimmick to create the illusion of depth, but at least they varied the pace. Sure, a little arm wrestling between gunfights isn't much of a break, but it's something. All that's been heaved overboard, however, leaving only a stark landscape of spent shell casings.