Dead to Rights II walks retail beat

Namco Hometek today announced that Dead to Rights II, its third-person action shooter, has shipped to retail stores and is now available for the Xbox and PlayStation 2. The game is the prequel to Dead to Rights, which debuted on the Xbox in 2002. A PC version of Dead to Rights II is slated for a third-quarter release this year.

The story takes place just before the events in Dead to Rights and sees beat cop Jack Slate scouring the streets of Grant City looking for a missing city official. Returning to his partner's side is Shadow, a pooch with punch who is dispatched by Jack on gang members and other lowlifes. After tangling with a malicious mob, Jack and Shadow must fight for their lives and sort out the corruption that has plagued the city.

The game features more than 25 slow-motion disarms to render opponents helpless, crippling close-combat maneuvers, and long-distance ranged attacks courtesy of the game's firearms.

Dead to Rights II is rated M for Mature and has an SRP of $49.99. For more information on the game, check out GameSpot's Dead to Rights II rap sheet.