Superhero games tend not to be terribly good. Off the top of my head, the last great licensed superhero/comic book game was Spider-man 2, though that might have been down to the web-swinging. Then again, licensed games, in general, tend to have a reputation for being poor.

Yesterday’s release of Deadpool wasn’t among this year’s worst games but it doesn’t sound like the sort of game that’s likely to get much traction outside of Deadpool fans and the Marvel crowd. The reviews indicate that this game is a good piece of fan service but nothing particularly fresh or innovative.

Gaming Trend (83%): Self-referential, acerbic, psychotic, and just balls-out fun, the game not only breaks the the fourth wall, it absolutely destroys it, giving us the best written Marvel game to date.  As the game box breaks the fourth wall declaring itself awesome, I’ll confirm it – Deadpool exceeded my every expectation.

GamesRadar (70%): While you might not be interested in finding excuses to continue after you’ve finished the story, you’ll undoubtedly be happy that you experienced Deadpool’s ridiculous journey. High Moon Studios has created not only one of the best superhero games, but one of the funniest games you’ll ever play–period.

Eurogamer (60%): Fans of the character will be pleased with how well his off-the-wall mannerisms have been realised in game form, and there’s enough inspired wackiness to make your first play-through worthwhile, but the same lack of nuance and depth that makes Deadpool such enjoyable company also means that his game is a joke not worth hearing twice.

Game Informer (60%): When I finished this game, I walked away unfulfilled. After a weekend away from it, I found myself chuckling over the crazy things Deadpool said and did. His obsession with Wolverine is particularly funny. The memories I took away from the game were worth the time I put in, even if playing it was a chore. I wouldn’t say it falls into the “it’s so bad, it’s good” camp, but like a cheesy Nic Cage movie, it sometimes hits the right comedic notes, but it just doesn’t hit them enough.

Video Gamer (50%): Deadpool is a great character wrapped in a standard (and short) action experience. It can be fun in quick bursts, but the lack of a real challenge until the very end means it tires quickly… By sticking to a generic formula, it undermines the way Deadpool literally tears up the script.