We're going to need more dish soap.
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| Source // MobyGames |
There have been some strange titles on this 1001 list, hasn't there? Titles that don't give anything away, titles that don't seem to make sense in English, and titles like The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai.
I always mistook it for The Dead Dishwasher Samurai, which is also somewhat accurate to who the main character of this game is: A dishwasher who was dead but has come back to life with flashbacks of being a samurai. At least, I think that's right. There's a lot more going on than that.
To find out what's what, we'll just have to let the hacking and the slashing commence.
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| Source // MobyGames |
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| Source // MobyGames |
Fun Times
I'm playing the demo of this Xbox Live Arcade hit, the winner of a Microsoft-backed contest for new developers to get a chance to shine, but despite looking like a well-produced Flash game, The Dishwasher is more polished than that.
No less violent, though, as the paper-thin backstory is presented across a few comic book panels featuring cyborgs and shady government agencies - or their edgy equivalents - makes way for a topless, long-black-haired dishwasher to fight for his new life as a dead samurai.
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| Source // MobyGames |
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| Source // MobyGames |
You've got light and heavy attacks at your disposal, as well as a grab, a jump, and a dodge roll, and you are nimbler and quicker than you can even keep track of as you bash out combos to stun your foes, before following up with a clean or dirty kill, your choice, which results in a fountain of blood at the very least, and in-game currency and health boosts to keep you going throughout this 2D beat 'em up.
The gameplay really is as simple as that. Devastate the enemy which each and every attack, roll out of the way of incoming fire or dropped grenades, and watch the combo meter rise, rise, and rise some more, your score reaching a million points in next to no time, and blitzing past it a minute later.
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| Source // MobyGames |
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| Source // MobyGames |
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| Source // MobyGames |
The demo finishes with this first boss, initially on a horse that charges around the level, before the whole place is set ablaze and we fight mano a mano.
There was no skill to my attacks, just an awful lot of pressing X and dodging when I thought things were about to turn south. Chip damage to the rescue. That and easy mode - I'd already failed to get this far on normal difficulty.
The Dishwasher doesn't mess around when it comes to the challenge, but your movements are slick and responsive, more so than any screenshots may suggest. It will probably always look like a top-end Flash game in my eyes, but there's really nothing wrong with that.
Final Word
It's not my cup of tea to buy into; a bit too bloody and edgy for my tastes, and the less said about the bonkers story the better. You're here for the action, though, and The Dishwasher serves up plenty of it. Hopefully, you're skilled enough to be dishing it out yourself.
I can't see too many people getting drawn towards this one, but even a slight interest should see you checking it out in motion. You might never have imagined how bloody a game could get if you don't.
Is that its only appeal? Probably not. Good controls and a few game modes should keep you busy if you do take the plunge, but if you're not a beat 'em up or hack and slash player to begin with, I don't think this one will convince you otherwise.
Fun Facts
Many versions of the game appeared in dishwashing designer James Silva's head, from third-person shooters to 3D sidescrollers, all stemming from the idea that dishwashers deserve a little more respect.
The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai, developed by Ska Studios, first released in 2009.
Version played: Demo, Xbox 360, 2009.