Most of us will have become used to accepting the fact that film-based video games do not always live up to their big screen counterparts, and I am afraid that Wanted: Weapons of Fate is not much different in this respect. However, there are a few elements of the game that make it passable to most gamers` standards - including mine.
In terms of the story, those who have watched the 2008 homonymous film will notice that the game picks up exactly where the movie left off. Although there are no explicit links between the two story lines, the game is closely based on Wesley`s origins as the youngster is in pursuit of the truth behind his mother`s death. In this respect, all chapters are organised in flashbacks where past and present intertwine, and you will play as both Wesley and his father, Cross, following an adventure that will take you from the windy American metropolis, Chicago, to rural, war-torn areas in Northern France.
Where the story line might generally be interesting, the same may not be said about the game play. As the game is mostly a slick cover-to-cover shooter, you will soon realise that when you are playing as either Wesley and Cross, the motions are exactly the same throughout the game, alas including boss battles. As the game has a rather easy-to-use interface, you will easily slide from behind crates and hide behind walls avoiding enemy fire coming at you. Regrettably enough, such basic strategy remains unaltered all the way through the end, making you wish you could find other ways to interact with the game. Beyond this smudge, the game might warrant kudos for the cool bullet-curving feature, which is the element that truly connects the movie to its video game adaptation. For instance, while crouching behind a crate, the arc of your bullet will project on the screen, and you will be able to adjust the angle, allowing you to deliver lethal headshots or to smoke out enemies from their cover. A prop to this feature is that you just cannot curve bullets as you please. In order to do it, you first have to kill a fair amount of enemies to fill up the adrenaline gauge, which will deplete each time you deliver full-throttle curving bullets.
A further point I would like to bring up is about the game modes. The game is structured into a story mode, sub-divided into three difficulty levels, with the hardest one (killer mode), which you will achieve upon completion of the intermediate (assassin mode). However, the game also allows you to complete the story mode in two different settings: headshot mode and close-combat mode. Make no mistake: you are not getting a different story here, you are basically going through the same chapters all over again, with the sole difference that in order to clear each level, you have to carry out a certain number of killings in either mode. The negative aspect to this is that you cannot just choose either option from the game menu; instead, you need to unlock them with certain game codes.
On balance, the game is not utterly shoddy, and given its simplicity it might well appeal for its trophies. In terms of its lasting appeal, provided that there is no multiplayer feature, and the story mode is quite short, I would recommend to rent this game rather than buy it.