Female lead characters have often been over-sexualised in video games — you only need to look at the slobbering following that Lara Croft has built up to see that.

But Rubi Malone is a little bit different. For a start, she doesn’t spend the whole game in hotpants — in fact, she doesn’t spend any of it in hotpants — and she’s a seriously tough cookie.

As a ruthless assassin hell-bent on hunting down one of her double-crossing former employers, she pulls no punches throughout what transpires to be a hugely enjoyable third-person action romp.

While chasing a thug through Chinatown’s dingy back alleys, she runs along brick walls, swings from balcony ledges and even slides down a ladder in slow-motion — upside-down, no less — while pegging off henchmen with her pistols.

After taking down a few more bad guys with a razor-thin sword, she takes a quick break from the pursuit to swig some whisky, toss the bottle in the air and shoot a bullet through it.

This over-the-top game drips personality, but style takes precedence over substance in this good — but not great — single-player adventure.

With its many large set pieces (in three main locations around the globe), multiple “camera” angles and impressive ’70s-style music soundtrack, Wet serves as a nod to grindhouse flicks and Hong Kong brawlers.

The profanity-laden dialogue is well-written for the most part (penned by Duppy Demetrius of 24 fame) and voiced by the likes of Eliza Dushku (as Rubi), Malcolm McDowell and Alan Cumming. The game's quick pace keeps you on your toes while mastering Rubi's three main skills: acrobatics, gunplay and swordsmanship. The svelte heroine can run, climb, dive, slide and flip — and even turn a full 360 degrees while leaping in slow-motion, so she can clear much of a room of enemies with her dual pistols before she hits the floor. Style points are awarded for performing these acrobatic kills, which can then be used in the Upgrade Shop to enhance Rubi’s abilities or weapons in the main story campaign.

The controls are on the loose side, however, so you might get frustrated at the somewhat unresponsive buttons, plus you’ll need to learn where to stand in order to perform a move properly.

It lends itself to the kind of game you imagine Quentin Tarantino might have had a hand in, and if you like his movies, you’ll no doubt love splashing around with Wet.