We live in a world where sequels and safe choices are the norm, which is why it is so refreshing that Rebellion and Konami teamed up to create a brand new IP in NeverDead which also comes with an underused gameplay mechanic - dismemberment. The problem with a new universe and experimental gameplay is that it hasn't been iterated on enough to make sure it will be a success. Read on to find out if NeverDead can avoid to become another one trick pony.

The story of NeverDead follows ancient and immortal demon hunter Bryce Boltzmann who is the anti-hero of the game. Bryce will be joined by Arcadia Maximille as they make their way through the game's plot, which unfortunately isn't very deep and lacks character development. Bryce and Arcadia fight their way through countless and more often than not, repetitive enemies in order to ultimately make it to the end of the game where the story gets tied up.



Of course a narrative is only one part of a video game and while it lacks compared to many other well written titles out there, it has a unique enough premise that it still worth seeing it through to the end. Where NeverDead does much better is the presentation of the game, playing trough the various levels and locations should be easy on the eyes as the game has been polished enough to stay with the best of them. I certainly enjoyed my time exploring the different environments.


That main question has to be though, what is the gameplay like? I have talked bout the potential of NeverDead being a one trick pony with its dismemberment mechanic but I don't think it would be fair to reduce it to that. The first time Bryce gets completely ripped to pieces reminded me of one of those moments, when I first popped a new game in the system and be really excited. As Bryce fights through the various enemies, which range from mini bosses to tiny buggers called 'Grandbabbies' which will try and suck up Bryce's head, he will loose limbs and even his head, when hit with a big blow. In order to become one piece again, you'll need to roll Bryce's head over his arms, leg and torso or simply regenerate his body with the push of a button, of course this takes some time.

There is some clever use of the dismemberment in NeverDead, especially when Bryce uses his head to get through a tiny shaft or toss over it obstacles to move on and open a door for Arcadia who has to be rescued quite a bit during the game. While loosing arms and legs seems like a cool mechanic, it just happens to frequently which can make 'becoming whole again' quite a chore. NeverDead's combat is also a mixed bad. Bryce can use his dual wielding guns or a massive sword to battle his demons, no pun intended.

The weapons are not particularly fun to use but certainly get the job done and make NeverDead and overall enjoyable experience with some frustrating stretches. I am not sure if NeverDead knocks it out of the park on its first try but it sure makes a good effort and has to be commended for that. Konami and Rebellion have created an interesting new universe in NeverDead but it lacks some fine tuning before it can prove its staying power.

Score: 7 / 10

NeverDead was developed by Rebellion and published by Konami for Xbox 360 and PS3 on January 31st. A retail copy of the Xbox 360 version was provided to us by Konami for reviewing purposes.