Deadpool (video game)

Deadpool is an action comedy beat 'em up video game based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. The game was developed by High Moon Studios and published by Activision, and was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Former Deadpool comic writer Daniel Way created the game's plot, and Nolan North voiced the character. The game received mixed to positive reviews, with plot elements commonly praised and gameplay elements found lacking.

Deadpool, along with most other games published by Activision that had used the Marvel license, was de-listed and removed from all digital storefronts on January 1, 2014.

Gameplay
Deadpool is an action beat 'em up video game, with new combos becoming available to Deadpool as he progresses. The game, which is rated "mature", frequently breaks the fourth wall, and Deadpool verbally interacts with the player based on their skill and progress.

By default, Deadpool is armed with both guns and swords, but he also has access to giant hammers, plasma guns, and a range of other alternatives. A short range of teleportation moves are possible as well. As he slowly falls apart while sustaining damage, players must avoid further damage in order to recover.

Plot
Former Deadpool writer Daniel Way wrote the story in conjunction with High Moon Studios. The meta-story entails Deadpool kidnapping the employees of High Moon Studios and forcing them to make "the most awesome game ever starring himself", hiring Nolan North as his voice actor in the process. The story of the game is set with Deadpool accepting a mission to assassinate Chance White (he doesn't know why he accepted, as he is merely following the part of the game's script that he bothered to read), a corrupt media mogul whose television channel produces such quality programming as "Jump the Shark", in which celebrities must literally jump over a tank of water containing a ravenous great white shark. Deadpool storms White's media headquarters, slaughters the guards there, and tackles himself and White out of a window and into the sewers (blowing the game's budget in the process). However, White is saved by Mister Sinister and his team, who then kills him after confirming that he has White's satellites under his control. Deadpool is upset that his contract is gone and wants revenge on Sinister.

Sinister escapes and Deadpool encounters Wolverine, Rogue, Psylocke, and Domino of the X-Men. The X-Men follow Mr. Sinister to Genosha, but Deadpool insists on flying their jet and crashes it, knocking everyone but himself unconscious (despite Deadpool's attempts to wake Wolverine by slapping him repeatedly). While wandering through Genosha, Deadpool runs into Cable, who has come from the future to ensure that Sinister's plan does not succeed. He attempts to inform Deadpool, but the latter becomes so bored that he shoots himself to avoid listening to Cable further. Deadpool, upon awakening, finds a message from Cable instructing him to rendezvous with him and "meet the incredibly hot and large-breasted naked fangirl who claims she's his number 1 fan", convincing Deadpool to regroup with Cable.

Deadpool then infiltrates a security tower housing Sinister against Cable's wishes and kills Sinister, only to find out it was a clone. Cable convinces Deadpool to actually care about what happens to the world if Sinister succeeds by telling him that his favorite taco restaurant will be destroyed. Reconfiguring a Sentinel boot into a flying machine to go to Magneto's citadel, Deadpool accidentally causes the foot to malfunction and crashes into Rogue in mid-air.

After crashing, Rogue is taken by Blockbuster and Deadpool goes to save her, hoping to make her fall in love with him. After killing another Sinister clone, and Blockbuster, Deadpool rescues Rogue by letting her absorb his healing powers via kissing (this briefly allows Rogue to obtain Deadpool's two personalities and homicidal tendencies). After he bleeds out, Deadpool briefly dies and unites with his love, Death. Death tells Deadpool that Sinister had been exhuming mutant bodies to obtain their unique DNAs, and she needs Deadpool to help retrieve the suffering souls. Deadpool agrees and returns to living, where he again meets Cable. Later, after reuniting with Wolverine on the surface, Deadpool travels further into the citadel, defeating Blockbuster, Vertigo, and Arclight again, and a group of Mister Sinister's clones. The real Mister Sinister later shows up and, after knocking down the X-Men, Deadpool kills him by squashing him with the Sentinel boot. Deadpool wonders if Mister Sinister was real but Cable gives Deadpool the thumbs up and the credits roll. As Deadpool exudes joy over how awesome his game has been, High Moon calls him and admits that he really hadn't blown their budget, at which Deadpool proceeds to actually do so by repeatedly creating explosions during the credits.

Development
Deadpool was first announced at the 2012 San Diego Comic Con. However, only a teaser trailer was shown; no platforms in which the game was to be released on were confirmed. Shortly after the announcement, an article was unveiled on Marvel's official website confirming the development of the game; the article was written from Deadpool's point of view, saying he hired High Moon Studios to make him a game. Prior to the game's release, the lead designer of the game revealed the basics of the plot in an interview with IGN, saying Deadpool has taken over the studio and is in charge of the game's development. The game was created using Epic Games' Unreal Engine 3 technology, which also powers Transformers: Fall of Cybertron.

During High Moon's panel at Comic-Con, a censored version of the trailer was shown twice after an actor dressing up as Deadpool appeared on stage with the developers. Another marketing campaign started with billboards taking the appearance of graffiti covering advertisements for The Amazing Spider-Man, presumably made by Deadpool to crudely advertise his video game. GameSpot later released an advertisement of the game, with Deadpool giving a holiday greeting while telling people to pre-order the game, stating that it would be released in 2013.

Peter Della Penna revealed later in a press release that Daniel Way had written the story for the game, bringing his signature Deadpool humor to the title. According to Penna, "We weren't actually planning on making a Deadpool game. But, Deadpool came by the studio one day, said he was taking over, and that if I didn't hire Marvel writer Daniel Way pronto and make the most amazing Deadpool video game, he'd break both of our arms and beat us to death with them. I have kids, so we're making the game."

Marketing
High Moon Studios announced a "watch and win" sweepstakes that ran during the Spike Video Game Awards, which aired on December 8, 2012. The winner of the contest would be flown to High Moon Studios and will appear as an in-game character in the Deadpool video game. The winner appears in the game as a unique big-headed enemy that Deadpool mentions was supposed to be the pizza delivery man at the start of the game.

Release
The game was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. A Microsoft Windows version had been announced, with a full list of achievements available in the Deadpool video game, having been leaked via the digital distributor Steam. The ESRB rating page has also been updated to list a PC version of the game.

Pre-orders have been announced by several retail outlets. GameStop and EBGames will release the Merc with a Map Pack DLC. Two new maps are also added, the GRT Plaza and Inside the Tower to Deadpool Challenge mode, and also two bonus costumes, the D-Pooly and Uncanny X-Force suits only for use in the unlockable Infinite mode where stats are tracked on a global leaderboard.

Reception
High Moon Studios showed an early demo of the video game to journalists at Gamescom 2012, where the game earned a nomination for Best of Show. Several sites wrote positive impression of the demo that was shown at Gamescom and the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), also including Joystiq and GameSpot.

Deadpool has received mixed to positive reviews, praising the humor, original story, and keeping true to the comics, but criticizing the repetitive gameplay, controls and combat. Aggregating review websites GameRankings and Metacritic gave the Xbox 360 version 65.76% and 62/100, the PlayStation 3 version 65.62% and 61/100  and the PC version 63.33% and 63/100.