The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai was somewhat of a popular XBLA title when it came out back in ’09, from what I remember. I also remember that I just didn’t find it all that interesting. Sure, it looked neat, had solid controls, and lots o’ blood, but it just failed to grab me. I recently downloaded the trial version again to see if a second attempt would keep me riveted, but no. Even after a couple of years, it still just doesn’t do it for me.
The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile, on the other hand, is phenomenal.
Again, having little to no interest the first time around, I wasn’t exactly expecting to fall in love this time. But fall in love I did. Ska Studios has tweaked and refined the hell out of Dead Samurai‘s game’s mechanics and crafted something that no action fan with a 360 should be without. And if you don’t have a 360, then it sucks to be you I guess.
Vampire Smile picks up some time after the original’s finale. You begin playing as The Prisoner, Yuki, one of the enemies dispatched by The Dishwasher during the events of the previous game. She wakes up with no idea why she isn’t dead, finds herself blamed for the Earth’s destruction, and gets shipped off to a prison orbiting the moon. It’s not long after that “the nightmares” begin, and suddenly Yuki finds herself smack-dab in the middle of her own jailbreak. Confused? I think that’s the point.
Once her escape is complete, it’s up to you to decide whose story you want to follow: The Dishwasher or The Prisoner. For the most part they each share the same levels and follow similar story lines, but the cutscenes and weapons are unique to each character. Regardless of your choice, you’ll be tearing across the moon and turning everyone that gets in your way into mulch within minutes.
While both characters are basically similar, what with the combo attacks and the warping all over the place, they do feel different when you’re controlling them: The Dishwasher is a little slower, but seems to do more raw damage, while The Prisoner is a tad bit more nimble, but doesn’t hit quite as hard. Both can upgrade their weapons, health and magic with currency earned from downed enemies and equip special beads they find to alter their abilities somewhat (i.e., regenerate health during combat, etc…). Both can also earn cash and the occasional special item by playing a music-based mini-game whenever you happen upon an amplifier. They also have their own unique (sometimes weird) weapons to wield, such as The Prisoner’s giant hypodermic needle or The Dishwasher’s trademark dual meat cleavers. Aside from the Kama-Kazi feeling too similar to the Conviction, each sharp thing feels unique when you start swinging it around indiscriminately. And that resulting violence is where things go from “This looks cool,” to “Oh my god, that was awesome!”
Action fans will be happy to know that the controls for Vampire Smile are incredibly smooth and precise. As in the first game, dodging (a.k.a warping) is done with the right stick, while jumping and bludgeoning are mapped to the face buttons. Eventually, magic and firearms (tied to the left and right triggers, respectively) are introduced and can make things feel a little confusing and hectic, but honestly, by the end of Yuki’s campaign I was switching weapons in midair and raining bullets down upon my enemies effortlessly. Yuki was a red smudge, flitting all over the screen, only stopping to unleash a flurry of attacks, followed by the occasional torso/cranium separation, subsequently filling the screen with blood and body parts.
Yet as fun, visceral, and satisfying as the combat is, I can’t imagine it feeling quite the same if the graphics weren’t as terrific as they are. Yes, the style does bear a resemblance to angst-filled high school sketches, but it’s a pleasure to watch in motion and it fits the gruesome nature of the various kinds of slaughter you’ll be carrying out perfectly. Time slows slightly each time you finish off a bad guy (even more so when it’s the last baddie in the room), giving you a few precious nanoseconds to revel in your handiwork a little longer. Limbs fly through the air, blood splatters all over everything, including your character… I’m usually not one for over-the-top violence but each successive death brings a little smile to my face. Especially some of the crazy things I’ve managed to pull off in co-op.
Because, just in case playing through two separate (and lengthy) single-player campaigns wasn’t enough for you, there’s also two-player co-op that supports both local play and Xbox Live. You and a friend can team up and tear ass across the moon in the story mode (minus most of the cutscenes) or take on the massive number of challenges in the arcade mode. Your choice. Neither one is wrong. Arcade mode is still available in single-player, too, so if you’ve beaten the story mode to death and have no friends, you’re still covered.
As a straight-up action game, The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile is a no-brainer. It’s fluid, graphic and fun as hell. And if a top-quality game isn’t enough to get you to loosen your imaginary grip on your e-monies, you also get two playable characters with their own stories and unique weapons, a tough but super-fun arcade challenge mode, a seemingly endless survival mode, co-op and six (yes, six) different difficulty modes (Pretty Princess, Easy, Normal, Hard, Samurai and Time Trial). If that still isn’t enough then I don’t know what to tell you. It might be time for an MRI.
—–
Things We Liked: Ridiculously fun. Incredibly visceral and satisfying action. Spot-on controls. Fantastically stylized visuals. A much-improved presentation over the first game. Accidentally doing something awesome in co-op, like simultaneously pulling off finishing moves on separate enemies while facing opposite directions. Bad-fucking-ass.
Things We Disliked: Playing as The Dishwasher in co-op can be troublesome as the handy “You Are Here” arrow that floats above his head is white, just like a good portion of the backgrounds. And enemies. Downed co-op players will often get re-killed before they have a chance to react to suddenly being alive again. Why can’t we play as the badass alternate arcade mode characters in any other mode?
Target Audience: Obviously fans of the first game, but even those who didn’t like it all that much should still try this one. Action junkies. Lovers of graphic violence. Maybe vampires. Not cyborgs though. Cyborgs would probably hate this game.
(The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile – Developer: Ska Studios. Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios. Available for Xbox 360 via Xbox Live Arcade. A copy of the game was provided by the publishers for review purposes. Unfamiliar with CFD!’s review system? Read our newly revised explanation here.)
