Judge Dredd: Dredd vs. Death is a videogame adaptation of the 2000 A.D comic book run of the same name, arguably the most popular 2000 A.D comic series. It was developed by Rebellion, who would go on to create the Sniper Elite series, and released back in 2003. It was met with lukewarm reviews from gaming outlets when it first released, but the game would eventually become a bit of a cult classic, being cited as a great adaptation of a great comic book. But what does this game do well, and what does it do not so well?
The art style and soundtrack of the game are probably its best features - the visuals are striking and very pleasant for the eyes, especially considering the age of the game. It is clear that the developers took great care to adapt the visuals of the comic book into a 3D world. The soundtrack is fantastic, with some of the later stages' tracks, such as the Dark Judges' themes being standout ones. The gameplay also features certain mechanics to set itself apart from other shooters of its era, namely the Judge meter and arresting mechanic. When you are out dispensing justice in Mega City One, you are Judge, Jury, and Executioner - you are able to sentence offenders on the spot. Doing so increases your Judge meter, which increases your ranking for the stage the more creeps you put to justice. Doing harm to innocents or other Judges lowers your Judge meter, and if the Judge meter hits zero, you are then pursued by a special judicial squad, effectively punishing rogue behavior. These mechanics are interesting enough on their own, but they are a perfect fit for a Judge Dredd game, and they set the game apart from other shooters of the era.
Now, what does the game do not so well? Unfortunately, as interesting as the Judge Dredd universe is, and as refreshing as the mechanics are, the game suffers from some jank. To start, you have to mod the game on PC if you hope to have a playable experience. The default FOV of the game is nauseatingly low and there is no native widescreen support. There is a useful Steam guide on how to make the game playable with a few easy tweaks. I'd be remiss if I didn't point out that this isn't uncommon for 20+ year old games, but it is still a hassle that may put off some players who simply want to get the game and get into it as soon as they can. Technical issues aside, the movement of your character also feels rather clunky and sluggish, as if Dredd is covered in molasses when he needs to strafe to his sides. The shooting itself is satisfying enough, with great weapon sounds and decent feedback when you hit an enemy, but I noticed some weird hit detection, especially with the vampire enemies who move very erratically. There are a number of sequences in the game where you have to escort NPCs to certain locations, Sadly, the AI of the NPCs leaves something to be desired. The pathfinding is not as horrible as in Dead Rising 1, but they do tend to get stuck in places, or fall off walkways. During my playthrough, I had an instance of an NPC bugging out and getting hard stuck in a spot right next to an event trigger, which essentially meant I couldn't progress unless I killed that NPC. I cannot guarantee that these issues did not arise from the fact I played at a higher framerate than the game was likely designed for (144 FPS), but they are still not very fun to experience, and can even soft lock you if you aren't careful. Your mileage may vary if you play the game at 60 FPS instead. The boss fights are also rather disappointing, as all of them essentially boil down to "interact with buttons or levers to win", aside from one of them. It's especially disappointing because the Dark Judges have an awesome visual design, and Judge Death is one of the most wicked villains in fiction, yet fighting the Dark Judges made them feel like total pushovers.
Overall, this game isn't for everyone. I can recommend it to those who are already fans of the Judge Dredd comics, such as myself, but if you know nothing about the Judge Dredd universe, you may instead see an above-average first person shooter that could use a modern port.
I would rate the game 7 creeps out of 10.
