Dead to Rights: Retribution announced by Namco, headed to PS3 and Xbox 360

Dead to Rights is off to its reincarnation, thanks to the latest installment in the series, Resistance Dead to Rights: Retribution. Namco Bandai‘s announced that the gritty crime-action series will be headed for the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 later this year. The game is described as “a mature neo-noir crime drama of a vice cop Jack Slate and his canine companion Shadow.” Huh, wait. What? No, not about Jack and his Shadow. Neo-noir? Hifalutin stuff right there, eh?

Dead to Rights is off to its reincarnation, thanks to the latest installment in the series, Resistance Dead to Rights: Retribution. Namco’s announced that the gritty crime-action series will be headed for the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 later this year.

Deads to Rights: Retribution is described as “a mature neo-noir crime drama of a vice cop Jack Slate and his canine companion Shadow.” Huh, wait. What? No, not about Jack and his Shadow. Neo-noir? Hifalutin stuff right there, eh?

Okay, for the uninitiated, Neo-noir jumps off from Film Noir, a type of film that boomed in the post-war 40s and 50s exhibiting a darker, grittier, depressing storyline and environment where the characters find no redemption in the end, no matter how repentant they may be. Now, Neo-noir is then a more contemporary noir version, updating the themes, content, style or visual elements of the original. Why is this bit relevant? Because that’s what the theme of this game is all about.

If you’re into the type of L.A. Confidential, or Memento (my personal favorite), Mullholland Drive or Pulp Fiction Type (or how about Wild Things, hmmm?), then probabilities are high that you’d want to pick up this game.

Set in Grant City, Jack Slate heroically tries to expose the “shadowy figures that will stop at nothing to exert their deadly influence over the crumbling metropolis.” There’s a new hybrid combat system where you can, for example, pick off enemies from a distance, take cover and blind-fire with the game’s new ranged combat mechanics, or even taking human shields.

Even close quarter combats is no problem for good ol’ Jack as he gets abilities like branching melee combos, counterattacks and disarms. Remember, Jack and Shadow are a team. So inasmuch as they’re found to be pretty much capable on their own, it’ll still be loads better if you pair them up. Shadow is particularly useful for detecting new threats, thanks to his heightened senses, as well as taking out enemies from their hiding spots so Jack can finish the job.

Volatile Games is devving up this title. That’s all we have for now on Dead to Rights: Retribution, but we’ll be sure to update you again once anything new comes up.