Dead to Rights (Microsoft Xbox, 2002)

In the tradition of Max Payne and Syphon Filter comes Dead to Rights, a story-driven third-person shooter divided into chapters rather than levels. Playing the role of Jack Slate, a man wrongly accused of murder, players will advance through a variety of gritty urban locales on a bloody path to discover those who framed him. A number of hostile people will try to prevent this from happening, so Slate will need to dole out punishment using a combination of fisticuffs and cold, hard steel.

Dead to Rights borrows a number of concepts popularized by Hong Kong cinema. Players can fire two guns at once, independently of one another, as well as perform slow-motion dives to avoid bullets and attack at the same time (similar to the ShootDodge feature in Max Payne). In addition, players can overtake enemies and use their bodies as shields, back up against walls, pivot, and return fire, as well as snap the necks of unsuspecting foes to steal their weapons.

While the action is played from a third-person perspective, Slate can switch to a first-person viewpoint at any time to target specific areas, such as headshots or other vulnerable body parts. Enemies react differently depending on where they are hit, so a shot in the leg may not be enough to stop them from attacking. As players progress through the game, they will engage in a number of boss fights to test their skills using Slate's assortment of moves and weapons.