Gaming is often defined by different eras, and undeniably, one of the best is that of the late 2000s. The PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360 really exploded onto the scene and established video game consoles as premiere home entertainment systems, and along with them came some incredible video games. The era was characterized by games that were not necessarily classics but games that emphasized fun over all else. Games like Army of Two, Devil May Cry 3, and Left 4 Dead weren’t exactly instant classics but have stood the test of time and are some of the fondest memories of millennial gamers everywhere. A game that many may not have heard of but is the epitome of what made this generation as memorable as it was, is Wet.
Released in 2009 by developers Artificial Mind & Movement, Wet is a third-person shooter with as much attitude as it has bullets. It feels like a film Quentin Tarantino would make if he could really go all out. The title is derived from the term “Wet Work” and follows Rubi Malone, who is a fixer of sorts, mostly just a contract killer. She is framed for murder and hunted by a drug mafia descending into the underworld of the international drug trade. All this doesn’t really concern her, but it seriously pisses her off.
Rubi has a ton of moves in her arsenal, and speaking of arsenal, she’s got a ton of guns, too! Rubi uses akimbo pistols, submachine guns, shotguns, and even crossbows. She also uses a sword to slice through enemies in a pretty satisfying manner. Rubi is just as acrobatic as she is brutal, and she can jump through the air, run on walls, and knee slide across the battlefield in a Max Payne-esque bullet time that slows the game down to help you land every ruthless hit. The combat gameplay is not the best you’ll ever experience in a video game but, holy crap, is it fun!
There are also sections where Rubi’s face gets covered in blood, and she goes on a Kratos-style rampage as the presentation changes to a Noir-inspired bold red, white, and black colored visual style. These sections are brutality to the MAX, and with some 90s-style rock music in the background, it is impossible not to have fun.
Rubi herself is one of the greatest female video game characters of all time. She is not over-sexualized, like many of her colleagues, and destroys many female video game character stereotypes. Her dialogue is gold as she spits out so many great one-liners, and with her cocky, fierce attitude, she is just so loveable. There’s not much to this girl other than that she enjoys a good bottle of whiskey, hates airplanes, and just loves kicking ass. Her story is pretty generic, but it’s Rubi who shines throughout the game, and there’s rarely a moment that feels dull with her on screen. Just a badass girl doing badass things.
The cast of the game is pretty impressive. 2000s girl crush Eliza Dushku voices Rubi and does an awesome job portraying her as a no-nonsense badass with an attitude to match her flash. Malcolm McDowell plays the main antagonist, drug lord Rupert Pelham and McDowell is always such a great baddie. Voice acting favorites James Sie (known for Jackie Chan Adventures) and Ron Yuan (known for playing Scorpion in the recent Mortal Kombat games) also appear in the game along with some other unsung talents, rounding out a cast that does the game the justice it deserves.
Wet will go down as one of the lower-profile games of the seventh console generation, but it is one that you should absolutely pick up if you can get your hands on it. It is not available on digital storefronts anymore, but your local game shop may have a copy that is gathering dust. Here’s hoping that someday we get a remaster. It feels criminal that plans for a sequel in 2011 were ultimately scrapped because there is so much potential for Rubi Malone and her kick-assery.
Wet is a hidden gem and a game you will absolutely have heaps of fun with. This game is violent, action-packed, hardcore, and super fun every second of the way.
