The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai was the result of Microsoft’s Dream-Build-Play competition.  Developed by James Silva, and influenced by his past occupation as a dish washer, The Dishwasher successfully combines old school platforming and new school technology to create a superbly violent slash-’em-up.

The art style is deliberately dreary and washed-out.  Perhaps too much so in some areas (particularly the backgrounds), but it serves as an effective contrast to the fast-moving combat and gore effects.  The story is rather vague, and not particularly easy to follow, though it is precented quite stylishly with scrolling comic cells that look cool, but aren’t always properly legible.

The story plays second fiddle to the action, though.  And it’s here where The Dishwasher really shines.  Starting out with a pair of cleavers, the Dishwasher must carve his way through waves of surprisingly tough and surprisingly smart baddies.  Killing them yields health bonuses, which quickly become very necessary, and executing them with a particular move yields even more.  The executions are quite gratifying, despite being fairly simplistic.  When a target’s health gets low, a button appears above its head.  Simply approach and press the appropriate button, and messy death ensues.

Dishwasher’s not without its flaws.  The platforming aspect isn’t always particularly intuitive; it’s all too easy to launch a jumping attack, only to have it land on a ledge above your target.  The Dishwasher has the ability (depending on the weapon equipped) to run up walls, which is great for launching devastating aerial attacks, but it’s not always clear which walls can be used.

The boss fights can be properly annoying, but by the same token, are never anticlimactic.  This is a game that makes you earn the right to progress past each stage.

Closing Comments

For 800 points, it’s a bargain.

Tags: Games, Microsoft, XBLA

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