NeverDead

A potentially interesting idea with inherent problems, which NeverDead completely fails to identify or acknowledge, let alone solve. [March 2012, p.112]

It's a unique concept, but only the puzzles provide the promised amount of fun. The controls are a mess, combat is extremely repetitive and the game as a whole is awfully frustrating. Here's a cute synonym for NeverDead: NeverPlayIt.

This game has a really interesting premise, but unfortunately it won't take it across the finish line. The biggest innovation of this game – the immortal protagonist – is also the game's biggest flaw. When Bryce blows to bits and pieces, blood pressure rises on the other side of the screen. Stupid plot and clumsy controls are a suitable crown for this ass-fruit. [March 2012

A largely uninteresting game populated by awful characters that is a chore to play, NeverDead deserves to spend eternity alongside those infamous Atari 2600 ET cartridges, or perhaps digesting forever in the belly of The Biggest Loser's loser.

NeverDead does very little to separate itself from the legion of sub-par, gimmick-tagged titles. The premise of playing as an immortal protagonist who can reassemble parts of his anatomy is likely to catch out a number of curious gamers, but it's a concept that fails to shine amidst a crowd of poor design choices and a complete lack of narrative engagement.

Some great ideas has ended up in a game that's mediocre at best.

This lack of polish wouldn't be nearly as frustrating if not for the fact that the game's primary feature – the dismemberment of the main characters – makes the game less fun than it would have been as just a plain old third-person action game. Sure, it's a unique idea – but not every idea is worth pursuing. In the case of NeverDead, this concept should have been left on the cutting room floor. You could say the same about the game itself.

All style and no substance...a dull, derivative slasher. [Issue#215, p.82]

NeverDead has clearly some ambitions with a new game mechanic and completely new universe, but fails on an otherwise broken implementation and repetitive gameplay.

Avoid this game. The story is laughable, the characters are stereotypical and the gameplay is repetitive and dull.

I wanted NeverDead to be this sleeper-trash-hit, some kind of Deadly Premonition. A game which by most objective standards is bad but you can still love with devotion. Too bad, that NeverDead completely misses that essential second part. (...) What good are one or two nice ideas for a bossfight or some almost good surroundings, when the mechanics are a constant annoyance? Or, even worse: when most of the time the game seems dead set on doing its best to bore you right out of your skull?

NeverDead sways between boring, frustrating and painful.

But the most surprising thing about NeverDead is just how boring it all is. This is an utterly generic shooter with an inspired dismemberment mechanic that neither Rebellion nor director Shinta Nojiri seems to know what to do with. Lacking any kind of spark whatsoever, it becomes increasingly apparent that NeverAlive would be a more honest title.