The graphics in the game aren't brilliant, they are more than workable but lack the next gen feel we've come to expect as of late, as mentioned earlier, the whole game is covered in film scratches which do work quite well but at certain times they work against the game, making the graphics seem blurry, it's hard to say if this is intentional or not but at some points it can be rather distracting at times. The film scratches can be turned off however, but that just leaves you with lack lustre graphics with nothing to make them stand out at all, they do work, and aren't terrible, just we've come to expect more of late.
The sound in the game however, is exceptional. A lot of time and effort has gone into the soundtrack, it's obvious right from the start and again this brings it back to being a very cinematic experience, the blistering 70's rock songs that blare from the TV as you're taking on hordes of bad guys in the arena matches truly puts your head into that space like when you're watching a well choreographed action sequence in a film. The voice acting in the game is well done; most of the major characters are voiced by named actors and actresses, Rubi herself is voiced by Eliza Dushku of Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Dollhouse fame with Malcolm McDowell and Alan Cumming providing other voices for several characters. It's fair to say as well that Rubi has a foul mouth in this game, almost as violent as the on screen action itself, again adding to the Tarantino-esque qualities of the experience.
Control wise the game can be a bit of a pig at times, controlling Rubi can feel a little weird, almost as though she's somehow detached from the scenery, she seems to glide rather than walk or run, and at times during the acrobatic sequences her animation becomes awkward when you jump backwards into a wall or slide somewhere you're not really supposed to do, it's also way to easy to go jumping over a ledge and kill yourself upon landing, this is a particular bug bare when you consider the distance which sometimes isn't that great compared to other drops you're asked to make at points in the game. The acrobatics are handled fairly well, most of the time the transitions from one to another are smooth, though again there are times in the arena when Rubi will interact with a piece of scenery that you didn't quite want her to, or won't interact with one when you do, you get used to the way this works though and learn to compensate for it.
Other minor annoyances come in the form of the introductory piece to each scene, on some of the levels it's not always obvious what you're supposed to do, or, there is something down right nasty waiting to kill you and if you're not prepared for it then there can be many deaths before you work it out, forcing you to watch the introduction over and over again. While they are stylish and well made there's only so many times you can watch them before they get a little old and you wish they would stop and go away. Something else that gets a tad annoying is when there is an arena level you get the choice to go to the shop to upgrade Rubi's skills or weapons, but, you also get this choice at the end of the level, if you upgrade after the arena you're not likely to want to upgrade again straight away so you naturally skip that, but, the game likes to remind you that you've not upgraded Rubi and are you sure that you want to continue. A handy reminder if you've not upgraded her but annoying when you've literally just done that.
It's a shame these problems exist in the game because it's mostly a worthwhile experience, it's certainly different from most things on the market at the moment and a breath of fresh air to play, the relentless action, the wry smile of Rubi as she slices her sword into a henchman's groin all make for an experience we've not played in a long time. The excellent set pieces that the game offers, the quick switching of a more satisfying camera angle as Rubi makes a huge leap can be eye popping at times, the motorway sequences alone are so much fun to play, this game has so much going for it that you tend to forget the bad and just enjoy the ride.
Although there is no multiplayer, not even a high score table of any kind, there is some replay value in the game, once completed the game will unlock challenges based on the weapon training parts of the game as well as extra game modes for you to try your hand at, and of course harder difficulty levels should you find it all a bit to easy.
So, if you've ever sat there and thought "I bet a game that is like Snatch, Natural Born Killers, Kill Bill (spot the 4-6-8's homage and smile) and The Matrix all rolled into something tangible that I could play would be good" then this is for you. It's a balls to the wall action fest with a good looking heroine to boot, we can't wait to see what lays in store for Rubi the next time out, which we do hope there's going to be.
