"For goodness sakes, it isn't THAT bad."

Dead to Rights: Reckoning by Namco was one of the first shooting games to come out on the PSP. Although this game has been thrashed by many for various reasons, it is still remains a lot of fun while it lasts.

Single-player 6/10
This game is very short. It can be beaten in less than an hour if you tried, and I personally have beaten the game in 36 minutes after my sixth time through. Yes, you read that right, my sixth time through. Sadly, I feel that I have outplayed this game now, and there really is no reason for me to beat it again.

Gameplay-wise, it is fairly simplistic. Enter room, use your "bullet-time" slow-mo as you lock-on, and kill everything in sight. There are various guns for you to pick-up, you have some nice melee stuff to do when you're up close, and you can always send out your trusty dog to slow down an enemy. Several bosses are spread throughout the game, but they really only just have more health. Just imagine playing Max Payne, except without all the scripted events besides you opening doors to continue on. The lack of voice acting also hurts. For this reason, the story comes off as incredibly unpolished, and almost like a placeholder that was never replaced with the real deal.

On the plus side however, the game is brutal, and you really feel like an overpowered son of a gun as you pummel through wave after wave of mindless enemies. The guns also have this intense feel to them, that many kills in slow-mo make for some great scenes. Many of the melee kills also have some simply hilarious animations, such that you will most definitely want to see them all. Of course, this adrenaline rush wears thin after awhile, as the gameplay itself is not particularly good.

Multi-player 4/10
I will be honest, I have only played multi-player in one session with a friend using the game swapping technique. Now I only played once, because it was pretty dumb. The game uses a lock-on mechanism for aiming, and essentially the first one to shoot will win the fight at least 90% of the time. Neither is there anywhere to hide with a lock-on mechanism in play.

Controls 7/10
The controls do the job just fine. I myself never had any trouble with them, and got use to them in less than 5 to 10 minutes.

Sound 6/10
I liked the main menu music, even though it was a tad on the cheesy side. The guns also have a great sound to them in my opinion. Sadly there is no voice acting of any sort, which is a shame for such games.

Graphics 5/10
This game is by all means not the crown jewels in the graphics department. Textures are plain on all fronts, with only the main character showing any great deal. Lots of reusing of textures as well.

Final Verdict 6/10
This game is definitely a rental. Do not buy this game unless you can get it for a low price. It is unlikely that it will hold your interest for over a week or two, as it is simply too short, and nor is there enough depth.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 04/06/06