As we wait for a number of big game happenings in the next week, (Twisted Metal, Vita, Grand Slam Tennis 2), it's interesting to ponder where the game industry is going.

With more rumours of a new Xbox hitting this week - this time with a "tablet" controller similar to what Nintendo's new Wii U will employ - it's interesting that the standard go-to's of gaming still remain.

One of those games that was just released and got me thinking is NeverDead for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

This third-person shooter is based on the premise of a man who is given immortal powers, turned into some sort of a demon-hunter and has lived for more than 500 years protecting society from all the monsters and ills of the world.

This setup sounds perfect for a video game. Firstly, instead of getting special powers, your hero, Bryce Boltzman, already has them. So if you can't die, what's the peril?

Secondly, it brings up some interesting character and story issues. If the character is immortal, what kind of relationships does he have and who are his peers, allies and enemies?

The game, sadly only dips its toe into this area and leaves a lot of ground uncovered, ground that would have taken things in a heavier, darker direction that might have been worth it.

But no, NeverDead clearly has a bent for the more arcade-ish, cartoonish over-the-top mechanics and themes.

In many ways it works.

First off, remember playing Doom when you found the power-up for God Mode? How great that was? But imagine if you played the whole game in God Mode: With no way to die, there's no risk, no reward.

So, how do they skirt that in NeverDead? In battle, you can melee, use a sword or gun. You can power up many of your weapons, and these will need to be powered up as many of the monsters you face are tough.

This isn't really an easy game, and there are lots of puzzles to solve as well as the combat, but that's where the concept goes all Monty Python (look up The Holy Grail and the knight scene).

As you fight these beasties, you'll lose limbs and that will adjust your attack. Lose a leg, and you'll keep battling as you hop around the scene. Lose an arm and you can lose the ability to aim, or even have your arm lying on the ground, which you can still use to fire even though it's stuck there.

You can also get completely dismembered and you'll have to roll your head around to find your other body parts to reattach and regenerate before you "die". In fact, the only real way you can die in NeverDead is to have your head eaten by a monster. The mission will end if your "partner," a female sidekick called Arcadia, dies and you fail to revive her.

Arcadia's role in the game also adds some nice touches too because she can die but is there to aid you. That relationship doesn't develop much though, when it really could have been the main theme of the story.

This is where it kind of comes apart.

The idea of an immortal warrior torn to pieces but still alive, rolling, hopping and remotely firing from the hip is great.

The execution? Not so much. Between the camera and the control, and having to be "precisely" in the right place to reattach, what should be a somewhat frantic and fun experience is often an exercise in frustration and tedium.

And sadly, that kind of sums up the experiences in NeverDead.

It's just an exercise in something that is fun and suggests that there's more there, but in practice is cheap and often tiresome.

Battling bosses is especially maddening as you often stumble into incendiary drums and while in pieces find the exploding landscape around you full of obstacles and blind challenges that you have no way to avoid.

Coupled with an often twitchy camera, you often feel powerless in trying to overcome some of the hurdles in front of you. Add in some clunky control and you'll feel at certain moments like you should just pack it in.

Having said that, there is enough fun in NeverDead to help you get through it and keep on with the quest - you're just left with a sense that if a few key issues had been resolved, this would be a top-tier game.

The weapons are decent, but again, the choice of power-ups and the need to have them means you're often left choosing one over the other, as there isn't enough ingame currency to allow you to ramp up both.

Using a sword might be your best bet as it seems vicious enough and wields swifter justice - the downside being you have to get close to the beasts and that increases the likelihood you'll take on damage and leave your limbs scattered around the landscape, setting up the headbanging task of putting it all back together.

There is some value in NeverDead with online play, in particular the coop missions. There is head-to-head play, but again, being immortal does lend itself a bit more to point- scoring than survival. There's also the standard horde mode that sees you face wave after wave of monsters and demons to see how far you can get.

The ending of the game clearly doesn't present a special ending, and really sets up the next chapter.

That may be optimistic of the makers of NeverDead, but the concept for an action game is original enough that if they work out some of the control and gameplay issues, it could grow into a huge franchise.

Rating: M for Mature, animated violence.

What's right: Great gameplay concepts, battles, weapons, online play.

What's wrong: Camera issues and cluttered environment add all sorts of obstacles.

Numb Thumb: Graphics B; Gameplay C+; Control C+; Value B. Overall a C+ on the Numb Thumb.

pchapman@theprovince.com twitter.com/paulc14

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