Reservoir Dogs
The short answer would be no, and there are many reasons for that, which I'll get into. The premise of Reservoir Dogs (the game) is to basically reenact scenes from the beloved movie. You're cast into the shoes of the quirky characters that make up the film such as Mr. Orange, Mr. Pink, and Mr. Blonde. Unfortunately, as is the case with most movie to game crossovers, the experience had with this title is nowhere near as poignant as the film it's based on. The impact isn't as rich and the concept isn't as fresh as Tarantino's masterpiece, though it may be worth renting if you are an adorer of Reservoir Dogs.
Gameplay:
The gameplay in Reservoir Dogs is pretty much as straight forward action as you can get. There are many parallels to the Hitman series with the way it plays out but it lacks the "pop" that franchise offers. There is no niche here other than the fact that it's Reservoir Dogs. Because of that the experience is somehow generic with elements that have been done and done better in other games.
You control your character from a third person perspective and guide them through a never ending supply of cops to kill and pedestrians to terrorize. Yes, this game is definitely not for the young and it's easy to see why some gaming lobbyists were griping about it before it came out. Politics and decency aside, it's the quality of the gameplay that keeps this title humbly average.
Despite the fact that you are viewing your character from over their shoulder you control them like a first person shooter. That's no surprise really and in many ways the control mirrors titles like Max Payne, Hitman, and so many others just like it. Along the way you'll find a decent supply of guns to use for your killing pleasure and as you take down cops more options will avail themselves to you. Because this is a shooter all of the basics are here. You can lock on to a target, zoom in if you have a scope, and you have to keep an eye on reloading because you never want to reload when you're out in the open.
Cover is a big aspect to the gameplay, though after playing Gears of War it's safe to say that Reservoir Dogs isn't nearly as function. You basically back up to a surface by pressing A and crouch by pressing down on the left analog stick. Gunfights often force you into a game of cat and mouse where you try to flank your opponent. Unfortunately suppression fire isn't as predominant and the entire cover mechanic feels very loose when you get right down to it.
As you take damage the screen will turn red but there is also a health meter on the HUD where your bullet count is displayed. There's also an indicator that lets you know when you can use a special move that slows down reality. This is basically the same bullet time mechanic that has been overused in the past five years or so. Reservoir Dogs makes this feel a little more sluggish than most, but either way you slice it this feature is nothing new.
There are occasions where you'll have to drive a get away vehicle as well. Controlling cars in Reservoir Dogs feels like trying to drive a golf cart across an ice rink. The control is so loose that simple tasks like passing a vehicle or taking a turn cause you to float into a wall. The sense of speed is decent but when you're careening down a busy street unable to control your ride you'll wish for a more refined concept instead.
To be fair this game does bring a couple of interesting things to the table. During every mission anybody that you come across can be turned into a hostage or human shield. Granted this isn't innovative by any means but you can use them to great effect to disarm cops so you can squeak by unharmed. The effect is entirely unrealistic and it gets repetitive after a while though, so in a sense this is as much a blessing as a bane. At the end of every mission you also get ranked based on your performance. If you think nothing of killing everything that moves you're probably going to get labeled a psychopath but if you think your way through every situation you may just be a professional. It's fine and dandy to include a ranking system like this but in the end there's really not that much benefit by playing one way or another.
Reservoir Dogs was a great movie and could have made a promising game if all of the pieces fell into place. Sadly, they didn't. This is the same action game that we have been playing for a few years now and to be honest it's tiresome. You can only run and gun so many times before you find yourself getting bored with the genre. Even so the elements that make up this game are decent. Hostage taking, going for cover, and getting into a firefight are handled okay but the problem is that each of these has been done better in other games. In the end we're left with an experience that is dreadfully average and destined to wind up in a bargain bin at Wal-Mart.
Graphics:
The look of Reservoir Dogs is another spot where the game finds itself in the generic category. The graphics are decent enough to get by but there's nothing groundbreaking or all together impressive here. The character models and environments are functional though at times animation can be awkward and surroundings can be bare. There was nothing that really caught my eye with the game but there wasn't anything that made a negative impression on me either.
Audio:
The sound department is easily the one place where Reservoir Dogs shines. The voice actors picked for this title do a fine job or portraying the real thing and though there are a few bumps in the road I was satisfied overall. Tarantino's wit has been captured for in-game catch phrases and cut scenes. The soundtrack is another solid area of the game with songs from the era and some really catchy tunes.
Conclusion:
At the end of the day Reservoir Dogs does leave many things to desire but it is better than most other movie to game endeavors. The action is bare minimum to the genre, the hostage taking is interesting but gets repetitive, and driving is the pits. These flaws prevent the game from being what it could have been but some generic graphics don't help much either. You really have to ask yourself how bored you are and how much you love Reservoir Dogs before thinking about playing this game.