What do yellow text boxes, a black-and-red mask and giant croquet mallets have in common? You've probably already guessed, if the headline didn't give it away. High Moon Studios and Activision are bringing Marvel's anti-hero mercenary, Deadpool, to life in his very own game, and it's time to take a closer look at the kind of destruction that gamers will get to wreak when the game arrives this summer on PS3, Xbox 360 and PC.

As part of the lead-up to Deadpool hitting shelves, Activision have released some brand new screenshots from the game which show the character engaging in a number of his favorite activities, including shooting people whilst doing a one-handed handstand, peeing at a urinal and mocking the size of his enemies' genitals, sleeping in his armchair with a Wolverine doll, and riding a rocket-powered bicycle. Some of these images are from the main campaign and some are from DLC that Activision is apparently planning to release some time after the main game.

Take a look at what Deadpool is going to be getting up to in his game (click images to enlarge)

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Next up is a first look at some gameplay footage for this super-anti-hero brawler. Max Scoville of Rev3Games was given the opportunity to play through some of Deadpool and get first-hand experience of the gameplay and the character. His first impressions video, embedded below, gives an overview of some the combat available and the general structure of the game.

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Based on the gameplay footage, these new screenshots and Scoville's impressions of the game after playing the demo, it's possible to discern a few pros and cons of Deadpool emerging. On the plus side, there are plenty of in-jokes and references for fans of the comics, including a Deadpool comic lying on the floor of Deadpool's apartment and Rob Liefeld drawings on the walls (not necessarily a good thing - sorry, Liefeld - but a nice nod to the big-mouthed merc's creator).

Writer Daniel Way, known for his work on a number of different Marvel comic titles, seems to have done a decent job of bringing Deadpool to life for the game, particularly in terms of his utter disrespect for the sanctity of the fourth wall, and Nolan North is a solid casting choice with a skill for character voice acting, who portrayed Deadpool as a hyper-caffeinated joker in his "re-edited" trailer for the game. Having said that, Scoville, who describes himself as a big fan of the original comics, concludes the video with the rather underwhelming summary, "as a super-huge Deadpool fanboy, I don't hate this game ... yet."

The jokes shown in the gameplay footage so far has only rarely been laugh-out-loud funny and quite a few of the jokes just fall flat. Honestly, the best of the humor in this game may end up coming from the ludicrously over-the-top violence of the combat. The "stealth" elements are apparently a joke in and of themselves, since the stealth assassination moves show Deadpool sneaking up on enemies very carefully, only to take them out in the loudest and most obnoxious way possible.

The gameplay seems to be pretty standard and looks pretty fun in a cartoonish way, but despite an impressive range of weapon options and the promise of upgrades, Deadpool doesn't seem to be doing much in terms of innovation. Take note of the combat screenshot where Deadpool is surrounded by five identical mooks with identical weapons in identical stances, and also of the fact that there only seem to be three or four enemy types at most. The character also has a regenerating health bar, one which actually has a canon explanation that ties into the character's backstory, but which ultimately is just another standard-issue regenerating health bar. Still, as long as the fighting stays fun and the AI is relatively intelligent, a small number of enemy types could have satisfactory longevity.

Excited by what you see? Game Ranters and Deadpool fans, let us know if you think High Moon Studios will do the character justice in this game.

Deadpool releases June 25, 2013 for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC.

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Source: Rev3Games