Video Game Review – Eat Lead (360, PS3)
The Return of Matt Hazard, Satire, Third Person Shooter Genre
Jul 16, 2009
Eat Lead : The Return of Matt Hazard is a third-shooter / actioner for the Xbox 360 and PS3 consoles. Featuring the voice talents of Will Arnett (Gob Bluth, Arrested Development) and Neil Patrick Harris (Doogie Howser, Doogie Howser M.D.) the game does an excellent job not only of providing a fun, budget shooter experience but also in providing a few chuckles referencing classic gaming and the shooter genre as a whole.
Dialogue, Gameplay, Graphical Content
Eat Lead certainly won't win any awards for the most inventive art direction in the world, however that does not mean that certain aspects of the game are not inspired. The pixellated, two dimensional soldiers presented as enemies were certainly pretty neat, evoking a twinge of nostalgia. For the most part, however, the locations are fairly bland and straightforward – a means to an end, and that end is more shooting!
The dialogue is extremely cheesy, which should be obvious to anyone who purchased this game knowing what they might being getting into, and suits the character of Matt Hazard perfectly. Often found attempting to belt out his action-hero catch line, "It's Hazard Time!", Matt finds himself constantly interrupted by sidekick QA, or any number of other minor characters. Running gags are amok in this title, and the simple satire of the genre and the games preceding this one are worth a few laughs.
The gameplay component of Eat Lead is somewhat predictable, borrowing the obligatory Gears of War style cover system (though, admittedly, with a great deal less panache) and a somewhat awkward looking sprint / run mechanic, Eat Lead plays quite well if a little bit difficult, even on the easiest setting. A somewhat buggy camera adds to the confusion as Matt scrambles to find cover under fire, which can be confusing in the middle of a heated firefight (of which there are many). All in all, the gameplay itself is decidedly average.
Final Thoughts, Price Point, Budget / Value Pricing
At the game's initial MSRP of ~$59.99, Eat Lead will surely disappoint. It lacks the finesse or the execution of titles such as Gears of War, Call of Duty, Rainbow Six : Vegas, or Bioshock, both graphically and with regards to the tighter controls of these titles.
However, with a recent price drop to ~$19.99, Eat Lead becomes an interesting and worthwhile purchase for the simple fact that it is an enjoyable run and gun experience with a good dose of cheesy humour and interesting opponents and characters. The dialogue is worth listening to and, while sometimes cringe-inducing, does contain a few laughs for those players with a decent sense of humour (or an interest in classic or retro gaming).
All in all, Eat Lead : The Return of Matt Hazard is a budget priced shooter that is well worth picking up if it can be had for a bargain. For full price, however, there are simply better deals to be had on both the Xbox360 as well as the PS3.
Recommended Reading, Related Reviews and Articles
Got an itchy trigger finger, want to play a shooter? Perhaps a "Review of Fallout 3" is in order! Still a little confused about these newfangled video games? "Understanding the Genres of Modern Video Games" might help a little bit, or perhaps a look into "Wii Nation : The Rise of the Casual Gamers" might do.
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