The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile Critic Reviews

Consistently slick in almost every regard: animation, level design, and combat. Stylish and memorable.

The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile is one of the best Arcade titles of the year so far, and one unlikely to be surpassed by many other releases in 2011. Its mix of pure arcade fun and pitch-perfect difficulty, likably-sinister art direction, complimentary angry-rock soundtrack and wallet-pleasing lifespan make it a must for anyone with a connection to Xbox LIVE. In a word: essential.

Overall I'm not just impressed with the game as it's presented, but I'm also impressed knowing that one guy did pretty much all of it. That blows me away as I'm sure it will do to you too when you get a true feeling of the style, the story, the over-the-top action and replayability that lies beyond the opening menu.

Even with its few faults, this title serves as a shining example of its genre, and I wish game companies would make more of this type of game.

One of the best XBLA games we've seen so far this year, topping the original with bigger levels, more carnage, varied gameplay, a new character, co-op support and a slick presentation. Kudos to you, Mr. Silva, and the good people at Ska Studios for keeping us slicing and dicing.

A brilliantly executed, whirling dervish of a game that all but demands to be ripped open and played to death. Grab your kitty-cat, gas up your chainsaw-arm and sharpen your blades. It's gonna be a bloodbath.

Vampire Smile simply reasserts Ska Studios' placement on the top-tier rung of Xbox Arcade developers.

The level design leaves something to be desired, but with so much else going for it, it is easy to overlook. If you enjoy action games, and don't mind seeing pints of blood splashed across the screen, this game is a must have.

Grimly gorgeous and violently entertaining, The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile is one of the finest games released so far this year.

Vampire Smile is the product of just one man. Everything, from the slick lo-fi graphics layered with intense lighting effects, to the urgent, industrial music, is by James Silva....Don't be too quick to be jealous.

Though its main campaign may be a little on the short side, Vampire Smile squeezes more clever gameplay detours, edge-of-your-seat encounters, knowing nods to the wider world and hidden goodies than most full price retail releases.

As I stated starting out, you've got to like side-scrolling action games in the first place to enjoy The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile, but if you do you'll love the love. It has so much style and character that you'll thoroughly enjoy your time spent with it.

Vampire Smile is a work with solid and entertaining gameplay, mature content, bloody and gory style, and pure dark energy everywhere. Every aspect of its predecessor has been improved, accompanied by the introduction of a new beautifully disturbed character: a true masterpiece from Ska Studios.

The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile goes straight for the jugular, rips out the voice box and releases a deafening roar. Why? Because it can, and because it's awesome.

What you do have here though is a game that doesn't hide what it is. It is pure unadulterated violence and it makes sure you are having fun with it, you come out the other end covered in blood and loving the feeling.

One of the finest games available on Xbox Live Arcade, and a fantastic value for 2D slasher fans.

A fast, brutal and demanding beat'em up that is Dishwasher: Vampire Smile, proves that taking a few ideas from old games, expanding them and making them look and sound modern can give an excellent result. Basic gameplay mode is accompanied by two more, that provide many hours of fun - either alone or with company (using one console or a network).

The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile is an improvement over an already very good videogame, and for 800MSP this is an absolute no-brainer for anyone who loves games like Bayonetta, God Hand and Devil May Cry. Instead of re-working tried and tested features for the sake of a follow up, everything about the first game has simply been done better. James Silva and SKA Games are now big players in the indie scene, and it is certainly going to be interesting to see what they have to offer next.

Dishwasher: Vampire Smile has more than enough content for its cost, absolutely amazing gameplay, and some impressive visuals. The plot is completely irrelevant to the experience, but it's certainly not bad. If players want a fast paced action game with a surprising amount of depth, Dishwasher 2 is certainly worth checking out.

Beautiful and bountifully bloody, The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile is thoroughly enjoyable hack & slash entertainment at its finest, with plenty of crimson-colored co-op craziness to extend the gameplay hours even more.