The first Chapter introduces the player to the controls of which are relatively simple to get to grips with. The controls are pretty much similar to most of the Xbox games with the left stick used to manoeuvre Jack and the right to swing the camera around. There is a downside to the camera, and that is that the player does not get any control over the vertical view so it remains level at all times. This can become a bit frustrating when running up stairs or ramps. The right trigger targets an enemy in view ready for disposing via one of the many weapons available. If there is no ammo left Jack can use his trusty K-9 sidekick Shadow to attack the enemy and retrieve the gun he was wielding. Of course there are other ways of re-arming yourself.

Through the course of the game Jack can disarm enemies in methods that have been made famous by Hong Kong movies. Think Jackie Chan and you'll understand the styles. When a disarm is in progress the player has the ability to slow the camera down while cycling through a variety of camera angles. Although the disarms are limited in the early parts of the game there are unlockable ones as the chapters unravel.

Disarms are not the only way to slow the action in the heat of the moment as Jack has an adrenalin bar which when full allows for some "Bullet Time" dives. During these dives up to five enemies can be disposed of depending on where they are in relation to your view. Jack also has a few melee moves at his disposal with a few punch and kick combos as well as grab and throws.

To break up the action during the game play, mini games have been added as well as a few small sections where you control Shadow to reach places where Jack cannot. The mini games can range from a simple lock picking to disarming bombs by moving the detonator through a maze in a certain amount of time. Some of the mini games are quite good and enjoyable while they last, while others can become very tedious. An example of one of the tedious ones is controlling a stripper to dance to a beat by means of pressing certain buttons to the beat not too unlike games like Parrapa the Rapper and Space Channel 5. Unfortunately it doesn't seem to quite flow as well and tends to get monotonous very quickly. Some of the other mini games include weight lifting, boxing and speed ball to mention a few.

The graphics are fairly mediocre compared to other recent Xbox games. Although there are a few nice effects like reflections in the puddles, the overall feel is that its like a port of an old game. The lighting effects are very poor for example in a Nite Club with Jack standing under a red light yet he still glows green. The opening cut scene is of a high quality, yet for some reason some of the cut scenes between levels are very blocky and give an overall poor impression. The models and textures are average, although this doesn't detract from the action and the player soon forgets about these gripes.

Sound wise the game is full of good quality effects as well as some interesting dialogue which can include some swearing, so you have been warned. The shotguns pack a punch as well as a few of the machine guns. The game also supports Dolby Digital 5.1 for those lucky enough to experience it which can add to the atmosphere.

The US version of Dead to Rights had a few gripes with the difficulty, thankfully this seems to have been remedied for the PAL release although in some chapters the difficulty level can rise or drop. Perseverance is the key as long as frustration doesn't set in. Each level is split into a few sub levels which when saved will allow you to start from the beginning of that section which is welcome rather than starting from the start of the chapter.