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Killer 7

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: June 13, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Killer 7 is a game that some will love and some will hate. It's so divisive that it's rare to find someone who just finds it "ok", and perhaps this was Goichi Suda's, the game's creator, goal. In Killer 7 you go into the mind of an assassin and his multiple personalities. From the get-go, however, you realize how irrational and utterly overwhelming your world is. It's not purely fantasy as the locations are based in real life geographic locations of the country. But at the same time, the game is anything but realistic.

The art style follows the same cel-shaded technique that several other games have during this past gen. Unlike many cel-shaded games, however, its done in a way that makes it unique and elevates it from the mundane. The cel shading is on par with the type found in the Jet Set Radio series which is saying quite a bit in terms of quality. Instead of attempting to make the environments realistic, often times Suda will seemingly paint an entire hallway using just the gradiant tool. To those looking for a photorealistic experience found in games like Ghost Recon or even Max Payne, look somewhere else. Killer 7 is a piece of art first and foremost with Suda even admitting that the gameplay wasn't actually finalized until the art was. To some gamers, such an approach will either be met with disdain or with cheers. I happen to fall into the latter simply because of how well the art style has been crafted.

The story is so dense and layered that I'm convinced that it could easily fill the space of a 50 hour RPG or be dissected into a semester long college class. There are political themes, pop culture references aplenty, psychological constructs, moral dilemmas, etc. Each of the missions is so dense and esoteric that you'll "complete" it feeling as in the dark as you were when it began. Surprisingly, though, this isn't as bad of a feeling as one would imaging because of its memorable experience throughout. Each character is dynamic and unique and even with limited lines of dialogue spoken by most of them, they still have their own individual personality that oozes with style. There are no cliché videogame hand-me-downs to be found here which is a refreshing feature.

The game is on-rails, meaning that you have a limited ability to move around your surroundings. You can only run forward or backwards which is meant to simplify the gameplay so you can take in the art style. This allows for execution of certain camera angles that wouldn't work well if you had to fully control your characters. The levelling up system is basic but still solid. As you progress through each level, you pick up vials of blood which then get converted for the purpose of levelling up certain characteristics of each of the Killer 7 assassins. The Heaven Smile can be haunting at times with their psychopathic laugh. When initially playing the game, you'll be weary of moving because of the impending laugh that you'll hear, causing you to scan the environment to enable you to see the walking timebombs. Each level's final boss is also a real treat. Some are extremely difficult to beat while others are unusually easy. The game isn't concerned with building the reps of hardcore gamers or stroking their ego although the hard difficulty is just that.

The PS2 version is identical to the Game Cube version with the exception of slower loading times. While they're very annoying at first, they become tolerable as you proceed throughout the game. To anyone undecided about this game, I suggest you rent it first and then decide to purchase it later depending on your experiences with it. Anyone saying that it's mindless probably didn't get past the first level. To some it may be pretentious, gratuitous, esoteric - but definitely not mindless despite its confusing and disorienting story.

Not art-house, more like 1st year film student

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: July 07, 2008
Author: Amazon User

If you're here, it's probably because you've heard how great and underrated this game is. Perhaps you heard how arty and revolutionary it is. All you need to know, really, is this: it's only just barely a game.

The art direction is fantastic; it has an awe-inspiring look that is fully unified. The cutscenes and the gameplay are all very interesting to watch. Unfortunately, the look, it seems, was the most important aspect to the designers, and everything else suffers.

The gameplay is this: hold a button. Got it? Just hold that button, and you walk in the one direction you are allowed to. Then, when you hear a laugh track, stop holding it, and push another button. Then look around for an enemy, and shoot them. Then just hold that button again.

The only times you are able to change direction are at crossroads, which unnecessarily slows down moving around the game's endless hallway. The hallway is dressed up as all sorts of things, even the outdoors, but you might as well be in a 3' wide hall for all the movement you are allowed. Had the character had freedom of motion, this might have actually been a fun game, but as it is, it's a chore.

Finally, to get any information from your dead assistant who appears every few minutes, you have to click through him saying "Master", then "We're in a tight spot." After that, you can read what he has to say. This doesn't sound like a problem, but the 5th time you've had to do it in the space of 3 minutes, you'll do what I did - take the game out of the console, put it away, and never go back.

There have been games that had fantastic art direction and told a memorable tale, but they are remembered because they were fun to play as well. Play those games, not Killer 7.

Great Game!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: August 12, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I was recommended to this game by my best friend and I have never looked back. This is a game for those who want to play a very interesting game with a story that is unlike any other. And the game play is strange but can be adapted to. A must buy too have in a collection.

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