Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard (Playstation 3, 2009)

Average run and gun video game. I expected more from this series considering the hype. Graphics and gameplay are decent though, which is always a plus. Just felt like the plot/storyline was weak and the missions were similar. There are a bunch of shooter games on the market, this is basically a rental in my opinion. Only a buy if you're looking for a cheap pick me up.

For those of you who read Game Informer for your game reviews, I believe they got this one wrong. While it received a 7, I think a more correct score is 8. It might be an action/adventure/shooter, but it doesn't follow the same old formula. With the sarcastic wit of the hero, this game is a little reminiscent of Duke Nukem.

When I heard about Eat Lead, I was excited. It was presented to me, up front, as exactly what it is: an action game with an excellent, well told story bookending the action. No one in marketing lied to me about Eat Lead was going to be, and these days, that gets you a gold star in my book.

Regarding the gameplay itself, Eat Lead is a fairly run-of-the-mill third-person cover shooter. Played Gears of War or Uncharted, and you've played this. If that's your thing, you will find Eat Lead perfectly adequate, if a little bland (no grenades to spice things up, for example). Playing some shooting game is not the reason you would play Eat Lead, though.

What makes Eat Lead truly shine is the story that goes with the shooting. In the world presented in Eat Lead, video game characters are real, living life forms that exist in a reality we humans have created. When a character stars in multiple video games, it's just like appearing multiple films here in meat-sack land. This game chronicles a plot by a video game producer to destroy the titular Matt Hazard (via an 'in-game accident'), for reasons you will have to discover on your own.

To this end, said producer pits the hero against all of the villains of his storied twenty year past as an action gaming icon, and a few things he's never seen before. Matt is not alone in his fight for survival, as he receives frequent covert and overt help from a support character named Q.A.

The true genius of this game arises in the fourth-wall breaking humor. Levels are populated by enemies that make no sense for the environs, and multiple different types at that. Many of the challenges that Matt faces arise with a quirky, lopsided grin aimed at the tropes of video games, and wander far afield into other forms of media, too. While you needn't have played all the games lampooned to understand the humor in Eat Lead, it can't hurt.

The games graphics and sound are excellent, from the barking of the guns and the hammy battlecries of the enemy, to the soundtrack lifted straight out of a late 80's action flick. I had an almost permanent smile plastered on my face as I slogged through the gun fights, enjoying the adequate and smooth controls. There are numerous trophies to earn in the game, which follow the standard range of brain-dead simple to controller-snappingly difficult.

Much like Uncharted, I hold up Eat Lead as an example of the truth that video games are evolving as a medium. Unlike the isolationist Japanese-developed games, where you are permitted to goof around with a controller in between long, wordy cutscenes, Eat Lead presents a crisp, fresh, tasty experience that genuinely makes you feel like you're a part of something brilliant. This isn't just a great game, it's a great thing to do. People might even enjoy just watching you play it.

WE
NEED
MORE
GAMES
LIKE
THIS
ONE.

It is the pinnacle of optimism to think that video game developers would read this little 250 word review, but damn it, I hope they do. There's a lot in the industry that takes itself too damn seriously, and games like this are the cure for what ails the frowns, from a bad day or a bad fiscal year.

This game will appeal to: video game fans, people who like to laugh
This game will not appeal to: people who don't appreciate humor, people who don't like video games

The game is a resounding ...Meh...while the game play is rather good, the comedy that we had hoped for in the game is not well delivered at all. I mainly recommend this game for those who want to play something that at least is slightly funny and don't mind some of the bad design choices.

Fast delivery, All around excellent experience. Price was way below retail price which is a plus. Shipping was reasonable especially since the Buy Now price was low. No negative points at all.

MY SUMMARY: Rent, don’t buy. Play it on Minimum or Moderate Hazard. Laugh. Return. The platinum trophy is not worth the frustratingly-hard gameplay.

PROS
HUMOROUS DIALOGUE
EXCELLENT VOICE ACTING: Characters say ridiculous lines with so much conviction.
DECENT GRAPHICS
MANY EASY TROPHIES: Most can be earned in a single playthrough.

CONS (MAXIMUM HAZARD SETTING)
Eat Lead was fun until I tried Maximum Hazard. That is when all the little quirks became unforgivable detractors.
LINEAR, UNIMAGINATIVE GAMEPLAY
MINIMUM HAZARD PLOT: Go into area. Shoot bad guys. Door opens. Enter next area. Shoot more bad guys. Door opens. Enter third area. Shoot more bad guys. Repeat multiple times until reaching a big, overpowered boss.
MAXIMUM HAZARD PLOT: Go into area. Shoot bad guys. Die. Respawn. Return to area. Shoot bad guys again. Die. Respawn. Repeat first area without dying. Door opens. Enter second area. Shoot new bad guys. Die. Respawn in first area. Repeat both areas without dying. Oops, you died anyway. Respawn. Return to first area because there are no $#! checkpoints until the third area. Eventually you will make it to boss, only to die fifty times and throw your controller through your tv. This is not fun.
PINPOINT ACCURATE AI GUNFIRE: How do these goons manage to run and fire without missing? I don’t know, but I had hours to think about it during repetitious replays.
MATT THE BULLET-MAGNET = CONSTANT DEATH
POORLY DESIGNED COVER MECHANICS: Why is the X button always required to move from cover? If you accidentally push L joystick at the same time as X, you’ll simply rotate around cover. Great. A grenade is on the crate and Matt is stuck running circles around it. Boom. Hope you don’t mind replaying that section again for the fifteenth time.
ABNORMAL BUTTON CONFIGURATION: The fire/reload buttons are not where they are for most FPS games, and cannot be changed.
POOR IN-GAME HELP: Use an internet search for help with boss battles.
TOO FEW CHECKPOINTS
ONLY ONE GAME SAVE
WIMPY GUNS
INACCURATE MACHINE GUN FIRE
NO GRENADES OR GRENADE THROWBACK