NeverDead review

Made2Game NeverDead review score: 8/10
Formats: PS3, Xbox 360
Format Reviewed: Xbox 360
Developer: Rebellion Developments
Publisher: Konami

Some games are so hard to quantify that they actually become almost impossible to effectively review. You sit and play them for hour upon hour, the expression on your face transitioning between joy, bemusement and disgust over and over again as your opinion swings like a pendulum between gushing praise and scathing criticism – until, all of a sudden, a tiny impulse in the hindquarters of your brain informs you that, somehow, it has become 3am and you should really turn it off. But as you reach for the off-switch, the strangest thing happens: that same tiny little impulse tugs on a stray nerve ending and whispers quietly, “Let’s just play to the next checkpoint, eh?” And that’s when you realise that, despite your pendulous perceptions and the fact that you’ve got a 7 o’clock start in the morning, you’re hooked. NeverDead, the new title from Rebellion Developments, is such a game.

This is Bryce. He's tough, immortal and ugly all day

"The kick-ass knight."
NeverDead tells the story of Bryce Boltzmann, a smart-mouthed, chain-smoking demon hunter tasked with averting a demonic invasion of present day Earth. Partnered with sassy, tough-girl-with-a-heart government agent Arcadia Maximille, Bryce’s success hinges upon the fate of teenage pop sensation Nikki Summerfield, whose unique destiny just about overshadows her spoilt brat attitude. It would be a fairly straightforward story, if not for the fact that Bryce’s backstory spans five centuries, all the way back to when he was a noble young hero battling against the Demon King Astaroth.

His failure led to the death of his wife, Cypher, who herself was a “medium” empowered with the ability to bring stronger demons fully into our world and make them killable. To compound Bryce’s suffering, Astaroth cursed him to live forever with his failure – and made him completely immune to death as an upshot. The concept is interesting on its own, but when handled properly it’s an absolute playground of possibilities.

Rebellion Developments have succeeded in marrying eastern and western styles to create a game that feels very Japanese during the battle sequences and very American the rest of the time. Combat is a mix of swordplay and shooting, with each trigger controlling Bryce’s corresponding arm as he dual-wields everything from pistols to assault rifles. Pressing Y makes him unsheathe his Butterfly Blade, an enormous broadsword that’s actually much more devastating than his guns. RT blocks, LT locks, and the right analogue stick controls the motion of the blade in Bryce’s surprisingly-adept hands. The combat is slick, fast-paced, wantonly destructive and hugely entertaining as a result.

That wee beauty is called a Panda Bear, and they show up now and then to smash your head in with their massive club hand. Aw, bless

Swiss-army Bryce
Bryce’s demonic enemies come at him in random numbers, usually while some kind of supernatural or environmental barrier traps you in a particular area. Occasionally (read: bloody often), a slimy, gaping monster called a Womb will burst out of the ground and sit there puking out demons until you kill it – and the longer you linger, the more you’ll have to contend with.

Thankfully, Bryce has more than just his blade and bullets – he’s also got the world around him. Explosive barrels and discarded gas bottles are par for the course, but you can also smash apart support pillars, gas mains and roof joists to rain bricks and mortar down on your enemies. When playing with the environment everything becomes a weapon, from overhanging ledges to huge chandeliers just waiting to be riddled with bullets. If you can shoot it or swing at it, you can likely damage it and bring it tumbling down – and the best part is, Bryce can’t be squashed to death.

Admittedly, his immortality is a bit of a double-edged sword. He can’t be killed, which is a plus, but not only is he ugly forever, he also has a tendency to regularly fall apart like he’s made of LEGO. Any solid hit will see his arms and legs – or, brilliantly, his head – removed instantly, often leaving him scattered around a battle-site to be kicked about by scuttling demons. Luckily, player control always remains with his head, which if completely detached will stick itself to any severed body part it touches. Believe us, rolling around with two arms and a leg stuck to your face looking for your body is as fun as it sounds. Provided you at least have your head attached to your neck, “combat rolling” over your apostate bits and pieces will gather them up and re-knit them. If all else fails, holding down the left stick will regenerate limbs at the cost of a little time and manoeuvrability.

Playing fetch is just one way to placate a demonic hell beast. A bullet in the face works just as well

"Missing: one left arm. Owner heartbroken."
Removing limbs has its advantages, though. Bryce’s head is like a multi-purpose advanced scouting tool; tearing it off by holding down the bumpers allows you to throw it onto hard-to-reach ledges to grab collectibles and ammo, or into vents and down drains to breach locked rooms. There are even a few puzzles dotted throughout the game that can only be solved using Bryce’s unique talent for self-dismemberment (though they’re too simple to be much of a distraction).

Likewise, an arm can be removed and thrown while still firing the gun it’s holding; you can even use them to play a macabre game of fetch with the “puppies”, the demonic hell-hounds that populate most of the battles. The only downside to losing your limbs in a fight (apart from the obvious diminished combat effectiveness inherent in being reduced to a bouncing head) is the “grandbaby”, an irritating little parasite that likes to eat your severed parts.

Hopping after a grandbaby that’s bounced away with Bryce’s right leg is one thing, but if one of the annoying little sods swallows his head and you fail to beat the timing minigame to escape, he’ll be stuck in its gut being digested for eternity – and you’ll have to restart from the last checkpoint. Unfortunately, grandbabies are everywhere, and every one you kill respawns another instantly – during the long boss fights they’re a particular nightmare. That said, while they can be a nuisance their involvement at least gives you something to fear.

Grandbabies are complete bastards, and they look kind of shit. We could definitely live without them

"I am over five-hundred years old, y'know?"
Apart from the occasional tumble off a decaying overpass, the only other event that results in a checkpoint restart is the death of Arcadia. While Bryce is invincible, his partner most certainly isn’t. If she takes too much damage she’ll enter a red state and need reviving. Most of the time she’s able to handle herself well, but it’s an incredibly helpless feeling when you’re rolling around as a disembodied head as Arcadia slowly bleeds out.

There are moments in NeverDead that feel genuinely innovative, and it’s usually these moments that are the most fun. Setting yourself alight so you can see in the dark, or sticking your head in a burst water-pipe for a boost up to a higher level are both chuckle-some and refreshingly quirky – which is NeverDead’s greatest strength. At the same time, tried and tested mechanics like XP-based levelling and hidden collectibles add longevity and an incentive to explore the world. Although mostly linear, a few levels contain hidden passages, shortcuts and minor diversions that usually conceal juicy pick-ups.

The upgrade system is slightly unusual in that, while you unlock new abilities after each stage and can purchase them from the menu at any time by spending XP (earned by killing demons and collecting little red icons), you have a limited number of slots (ten, initially) to fill with them. More powerful abilities take up more slots, and as they come in a variety of flavours from XP boosters and increased damage to explosive limbs and a skill that activates bullet-time when you’re in danger, it’s both essential and tricky to prioritise active abilities.

Don't judge Bryce for checking out her butt - you're looking down her top

Grim fairytale
One thing that may surprise you when playing NeverDead is the competence of the storytelling. Although the meat and potatoes of the plot is a fairly clichéd good versus evil affair, the scripting and voice acting manage to land just about on the right side of cheesy, the constant sniping between Bryce and Arcadia well tempered by occasions of unexpected camaraderie – and lent colour by your interactions with a rogue’s gallery of characters like the Duke of Hell, Sangria, and Bryce’s fellow immortal Alex, an altogether less pleasant breed of demon slayer.

Exposition is divulged steadily through flashbacks between and during stages, and the cut-scenes are mostly well-detailed if not always fully polished. The contrast between young, courageous Bryce and present-day bitter-old-bastard Bryce is refreshing and interesting, and the relationship with Arcadia – while a little cliché – plays out well and never degenerates into uncomfortable romance.

Besides occasional difficulty spikes which, due to Bryce’s immortality become more annoying than genuinely challenging, there’s a lot to recommend in NeverDead. Aside from novel concepts like procedural self-dismemberment, the brass-tacks stuff such as art design are also inspired. Though the demons are a hodge-podge of random body parts, man-sized blades and gross-out imagery (and as such have a distinctly Eastern feel), the character models fair better, particularly Bryce and Alex – as Nikki and Arcadia are basically naval- and thigh-flashing sex objects throughout.

Working with Arcadia is fun since her AI is surprisingly competent, but when she hits the deck you have to get her back on her feet fast
 

"Slice 'em an' Bryce 'em!"
It’s probably not going too far to suggest that NeverDead will be remembered as one of the year’s early surprises. Very few people will be expecting such a coherent, inventive and well-crafted experience – we certainly weren’t – and with so many novel concepts and brief glimmers of brilliance in the gameplay, it’s hard not to heap praise on Rebellion for finally delivering a decent game after the ShellShock 2 and Aliens vs. Predator debacles of the past.

We have to apply the brakes a fair distance from labelling NeverDead a masterpiece though, largely because of its tendency to stray towards rage-inducing frustration, self-aware silliness and an over-reliance on magical barriers and hack ‘n’ slash combat. Having said that, it feels comfortable in its own identity and stands beside last year’s Shadow of the Damned as a game that revels in bending its own rules. For example, a mid-game lull involving Arcadia’s apartment, the X button and Bryce’s inquisitive nature shows a confidence and sense of humour on Rebellion’s part that few would expect.

NeverDead is not a shoe-in for Game of the Year by any stretch, but certainly it’s the first release this year worthy of note. If you want an action game that’s particularly cerebral you might be better served waiting for Binary Domain or Syndicate, but if you want something a little bit off-the-wall, quirky and original then you should at least give NeverDead a shot. You might find yourself pleasantly surprised. We certainly did.

Words by Mick Fraser (Twitter: @Jedi_Beats_Tank)

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