Modern gamers have been tasked by both industry figureheads such as Reggie Fils-Aime, and writers for websites and publications such as Game Informer and Gamespot to view video games more as interactive experiences. Along those lines, WET fits the bill as a quality experience that you’ll not soon forget. But in the more tactile reality where video games are still video games, WET falls short of being anything worth going through more than once just to see it play out.

Set in a world where Problem Fixers like Rubi thrive on a high-octane, blood-drenched lifestyle, this game’ll have you voyaging from Texas to Hong Kong and back on a revenge quest. Despite having initial qualms with the idea of the job, Rubi accepts a high-paying mission from a man hoping to be reunited with his son who has gone mad with power. Long story short, Rubi facilitates the reunion but is betrayed rather than paid, and goes on a hunt for the head of her assailant.

While hopping around from wall to wall thrusting round after round into a crowd of machete-wielding cronies is thrilling the initial time, the ninth and tenth go around can be less than exhilarating to say the least. WET is a game which comes equipped with all the makings of a unique, original experience never before matched, but its chief shortcoming is in direct regards to the content it delivers on.

The gameplay in WET consists mostly of hopping and sliding around while shooting in slow motion. Fans of Stranglehold will take joy in this premise, but enemies of that game and others like it, including the Max Payne series, won’t find any enjoyment whatsoever. While diving through the air in bullet time is fine, it’s no use when an enemy is right in your face, and that’s where Rubi’s trusty katana comes into play. This melee weapon can be handy when pitted in a one-on-one, but due to Rubi’s lack of alternate combos with her sword, it really doesn’t benefit in a crowd of foes

As before stated, going through a gameplay sequence can be really fun the first time, but if a player is forced through it time and time again it loses both its edge and appeal. This is a lesson players going through WET will have to learn firsthand. Each chapter will consist of identical sections in an identical order with the toughness of the enemies ramped up and a change of scenery. As a direct result, were one to juxtapose one chapter in the beginning of the game with one at the end, there’d be no discernable difference in quality or experience.

Any given chapter usually starts off with light platforming elements that play like a more generic version of Prince of Persia with a few enemies sparsely placed here and there to keep you from yawning. Then you’ll find yourself in a room or enclosed area in which there are doors which allow enemies to respawn infinitely. The goal in these sections is to destroy the doors to stop the enemies from respawning and then eliminate the remaining enemies. Once done with that, you’ll find yourself situated behind a turret. These parts of the game are as simple as they sound; hold the trigger and tilt the stick in any direction until all life ceases.

Once done with the turret sections, you’ll probably end up doing some light platforming again, and then you’ll drop into another area with infinitely respawning enemies before being thrust into a car-chase scene. You’ll hop from car to car, guns blazing all the while in an attempt to reach the one vehicle in which your target presides. These sections boil down to quick-time events for the most part and are so simple you’ll feel like you’re watching the game play itself rather than taking part in the experience.

Other than that, there’s Rubi’s Rage mode, which is triggered whenever she gets blood on her face. During these scenes everything goes red and the bad guys become mere silhouettes awaiting your hot, piercing bullets and the eventual impact with the ground. Rage mode is really stylish and cool the first few times you experience it, but after seeing the same idiot rush wrecklessly at Rubi only to get gunned down within feet of her every single time it becomes yet another dry, predictable addition to the game.

This is not to say the game is bad, however. WET’s lack of variety does not directly mean that it lacks any redeeming qualities. With its simple control layout and flashy moves, you’ll never feel yourself dying to quit playing the game, but because these flashy moves are executed in exactly the same way at exactly the same time in each chapter, the cool-factor may lose its zest.

What really saves the game from the doom of mediocrity is its stylish aesthetics and impeccable soundtrack. Though WET is a game which was always touted for its impressive collection of songs by its developers before release, it has surpassed expectations with music that fits the theme, which conveys an Old West feel mixed in with modern day metal. What results is a sound that so seamlessly melds in with the visuals it trumps any other game, film, or television show which has attempted to achieve greatness through the Grind House or Quentin Tarantino style of presentation. It even ousts the venerable Kill Bill series.

When it’s all said and done, WET will meet the standards of any player in search of an experience like no other. However, those that were hoping for a game like no other must continue on their quest. That said, if you’re a fan of Stranglehold and Prince of Persia, you’ll find a reason to smile when playing this game. Your best bet is to hope that the smile on your face doesn’t fade in the seven to nine hours this game lasts. WET earns itself a C+.

Grade: C+