WET was a pretty cool experimental project; a mixture of Stranglehold and Max Payne with a bullet-time mechanic and 70’s china-town movie style. I’m not even sure that it’s a standout game from the last generation, but it is one that you should at least try out due to its bold choice of style and dumb-fun-action.
Released 10 years ago on the Xbox 360 (I know, I’m old too), it was one of the unique games that Bethesda Softworks published back when they were finding out what sort of games they wanted to publish and discover what sort of publisher they wanted to be.
Other games created around this time included Rogue Warrior and Rage, both of which received mixed reviews despite Bethesda’s best efforts to support game projects that looked like they had potential.
WET was one of these games, developed by Artificial Mind & Movement. A studio later named Behaviour Interactive. You may have heard of their less-favoured game: Naughty Bear. They have however hit some commercial gold as of late as developers of Fallout Shelter (the extremely popular game released near the launch of Fallout 4 back in 2015) and Dead by Daylight: a co-op survival horror game similar to that of Friday the 13th: The Game.
So, what was WET? WET was a third-person action game where you play as Rubi. A gun for hire who gets predictably caught up in some mess that, like any good action hero, has to shoot their way out the problem.
Katana melee abilities alongside slow-motion dual pistols allow for you to immerse yourself as a brutal killer slashing your way through waves of mobsters. All displayed in grained 70’s action aesthetic, with the script to match. This aesthetic is even maintained in the loading screens where an old-school cinema-like movie is played between levels.
Rubi’s uncompromising anger is best displayed when you’re, say, sliding down a ladder backwards, killing some goons before you even touch the floor. Or perhaps when you jump through a window and blast two guys at once with your pair of shotguns.
Combining these attacks is vital in playing WET, as is taking advantage of the slow-motion mechanics as often as you can. The more stylish you are, the more points you achieve in each level. More score means more opportunity to upgrade your skills.
Being aboard a car in the middle of a motorway fighting off your enemies looks like it was taken straight out of The Matrix: Reloaded in the best way possible. A wicked soundtrack to emphasise these awesome moments, having fun every second you’re playing WET, is what the game was made for.
Just when you think there’s nothing else to see, rage mode comes into play. A Black, white and red vision covers everything you can see, including the buffoons silly enough to stand in your way as you cut and shoot them into black ash.
WET wasn’t all good, however. Although it had great ideas and some cool executions, the finished product did feel repetitive and had a slight lack of polish, especially in terms of outdated visuals.
Despite this, I would highly recommend looking at some WET gameplay online and seeing what you think. Maybe you played the original and you understand my fondness for the game, or maybe you don’t.
There was a sequel planned for WET, but it seems it was unofficially cancelled due to a listing on a Behaviour Interactive employee LinkedIn page – noting that the game had been put to the side for the time being.
Did you play WET? What did you think of the game? Did you always want to play it but never got the chance? Talk to me, people.
