Die Hard: Vendetta

"A Solid, If Flawed, Shooter"

Die Hard has easily been the best movie-to-game franchise ever. With “Die Hard Trilogy”, Fox Interactive released an astonishing action game featuring three games in one, with each one soaring in its own perspective. On the Saturn, Sega’s “Die Hard Arcade” revived the long dead “beat’em up” genre and it can stand alongside the classic “Streets of Rage” series. I was almost positive Die Hard Vendetta would be a great game; it would seem impossible to go wrong implementing two of my favorite things, “Die Hard” and a first person shooter, into one. However, this wasn’t exactly the kind of game I was expecting.

Die Hard Vendetta trails America’s unluckiest cop as you fill the glass-riddled feet of John McClane in present day Los Angeles. Vendetta’s story centers around McClane, now retired from the line of duty, searching for his daughter Lucy, who’s been kidnapped by yet another Gruber, Hans Gruber’s estranged son Pious. It’s a lucky thing this story never made it to the silver screen, for it would’ve dug a hole indefinitely for the Die Hard series. However, much like the movies, the story takes a backseat to the action, which thankfully is the saving grace of Vendetta. Die Hard is a first person shooter developed by Sierra, who needs no introduction in the realm of shooters with their work on “Counterstrike” and “Tribes”.

The surprise here however is that Vendetta is a strictly by-the-numbers shooter following nearly ever step in the book, and stealing many features from other titles. This, from a company that is usually the trendsetter and whose success is measured by originality. Some borrowed ideas range from slow motion bullet time from Remedy’s “Max Payne”, to a stealth feature that allows you to take hostages like Namco’s “Dead to Rights”. None of the elements found here are very deep or polished. Luckily that doesn’t matter, because Vendetta does provide lots of non-stop action with an arcade-like presence that makes it all the more enjoyable. True to the Die Hard roots, there are plenty of gun-blazing moments with enemies and explosions everywhere.

In the end I enjoyed Die Hard Vendetta, and despite the fact that it doesn’t push the bar technically nor break any barriers, it luckily manages to be an entertaining time for its cheap price. Hardcore Die Hard fans will enjoy the many movie tie-ins and heavy doses of action, and those who also happen to be fans of FPS’s will revel in it even more than others. Just don’t look for anything special.

Graphics- 8.0
Gameplay- 8.0
Sound- 7.5
Overall- 8.0

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 07/04/03, Updated 07/04/03