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An Art House Game?

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 21 / 23
Date: July 10, 2005
Author: Amazon User

NOTE: I own the Gamecube version of the game. However, based on what I've seen, there isn't much difference in terms of graphics etc between the two. And my review is mostly based on the concepts and gameplay which won't change between the consoles. Also since the reviews out on the PS2 side aren't the most detailed about why they hate/like it I thought i would post in hopes that people can decide whether they want to play it or not. :)

Games have been described as art in the past. A game that comes immediately to mind is Ico, which oozed personality and landscapes that were both etheral and were just like a painting. Not until this game have I ever played a game that was almost like interactive art.

As far as I can see, if there was ever a game that was pretending to be an art house film, Killer 7 would be it. From the stylized, psuedo-noir/comic book/anime inspired graphics to the dark, brooding, and sex-laden story and the weird gameplay, you have the makings of an art house video game, as strange as that sounds. But does it work? In a word, mostly.

Going back to the art comment, each level in this game and each presentation of idea screams art. It's like passing surreal paintings in a museum. You pass one and go "whoa, that's weird." And you might pass another one that makes you want to tilt your head so you can maybe understand it better. And yet, you come up with a hint but nothing concrete. This game is like that, except that each level, each character each piece of dialogue is connected in a way a wall full of paintings usually isn't.

Normally, when a game puts style and story over gameplay, bad juju occurs. For instance, Xenosaga II was a great movie, but as a game it was horrible. In this case, I've known from the beginning that the gameplay would be as equally weird as the storyline. Suda 51, the game's creator, had been asked when Killer 7 was first introduced via some strange cut scenes how it would play. His answer was he didn't know. They had spent so much time and effort getting the feel and story of the game down, that they had no clue how it would ultimately play like.

Truthfully, I shouldn't like this game. And yet, somehow I do. So, how does it play? In a move that is a throw back to some of the early Sega CD games I played, you push the A button to move forward. If you want to turn around, you push B to do a 180. When you get to a specific junction that allows you do something other than move (i.e. an object or different hallways or rooms), you tilt the controller in the direction you want to go and push A. When you hear the satanic laughter of the Heaven's Smiles, you pull the R trigger and enter a FPS mode when you aim and shoot at the approaching time bombs. Hitting them in a yellow weak area is an instant kill that gives you the most blood.

Yes, blood. In fact, an interesting strategy system for leveling up is involve in how much blood you get from the baddies. As you kill enemies, you collect blood which can be used to level up each of your personalities in areas of power, aim control, speed, criticals etc. So, you want to hit the yellow areas for an instant kill and for the most blood.

Basically, that's the gameplay in a nutshell. You move around incredibly linear levels, on a rail, set path and blast any and all enemies you find. Along the way, you'll come across various puzzles that require you to use your brain and sometimes a lot of luck to figure out. Since this is a Capcom game, expect some Resident Evil (the earlier ones, not the new one) type puzzles.

Honestly, though, the gameplay is just there to differentiate this from being a movie. The best part is the incredibly bizarre and truly disturbing story. In a (dis?)Utopian society where the world has reached peace and missles are shot off into the sky at each other in a sort of celebration that missles are no longer shot at each other, a new terrorist organization has taken hold. The Heaven's Smile has members who seem perfectly normal until they explode. Only the group Killer 7 can truly see them for the evil they are and annihilate them.

What is the Killer 7? They are the personalities of a Mr. Harman Smith, a wheelchair bound guy who seems to enjoy rough sex. Each of the 7 personalities have their own strengths, weaknesses and special abilities that make them absolutely invaluable to the missions. For instance, Kaede (the sole female) slits her wrists and baths barracades in blood in order to destroy them. Mask De Smith performs wrestling moves on plywood blocking a door. Kevin Smith can jump to high areas and open any lock. Did I mention Kaede who slits her wrists?

Yes this is a rated M game. And it was created for those over 17. Unlike games like Conker (a game I love by the way) that use their M rating for South Park style humor, Killer 7 has many disturbing moments. Running into talking heads in dryers and other assorted places is just the beginning. As the game progresses, you will see and hear many weird things, from the nurse/sex slave? Samantha and her sexcapades with Harman to a blinded kid to the head that tells of its former, death filled life involving the cutting off of certain body parts. And then there's the cursing, the countless uses of the F word and various other four letter words. This is not a game for children.

There are some genuine problems with the game, however. Yet again, Nintendo hasn't supported those of us who have High Def, a wide screen or surround sound. The game isn't presented in HD or in Wide Screen format. It isn't even Dobly Pro Logic II like some Nintendo games released. And it shows. If you have a receiver, it will be odd hearing sounds coming out of far spaced left and right speakers. The quality of the sound isn't too great. The voice acting is genuinely good, but sometimes it's set at a tone that is much quieter than the music. Add to the fact that there aren't any subtitle options (except the scene specific ones where the characters speak in semi-gibberish) and you have a problem; especially since it's such a story heavy game. Speaking of dialogue, another sore spot is the fact that some of the characters constantly repeat things. There are three main characters you see in every mission, a red dressed thing (can't remember it's name), Travis and the information seller. Each time you talk to them, they start off with the same dialogue. For instance, the red dressed thing always says "Master. We're in Trouble. Big Trouble." or "Master. We're in a tight spot. A very tight spot. I don't want to say what type of tight spot." Dialogue like that. The first few times, it's okay but when you're done with the 15 hour game you will really wish you could hit A or something to skip through some of the dialogue. As is, you can hit start and skip ALL of the dialogue but since puzzle pieces, story and boss strategies are given, it's not recommended.

There are only 3 options in the Options menu, rumble, invert aiming and stereo/mono (do people even play games in Mono any more??). The problem is, everytime I continue the game, I have to change the invert aiming for some reason. Mighty annoying.

Overall, I'm having a hard time explaining this game. I hope I gave enough to give readers an idea of what to expect if they decide to rent/purchase this unique game. It's hard to qualify it as anything but an artistic expression. One does not play art usually. One views it, tries to gather some meaning from it, and moves on either changed or unchanged. This game is like that. It's very difficult (impossible?) to fully explain in any lucid way what this is. Besides what I've written above, my best recommendation is to play it. You can't get a feeling for it without trying it. This isn't Halo nor Final Fantasy where I can say it's this or it's that. This is something completely and utterly different, comprehensible and yet totally the opposite.

This is a game that will go down as a love it or hate it experiment. If the mainstream video game audience even hear about the game, I will be surprised. The Electronics Boutique I got mine from only ordered two copies, both preordered. And, those who actually do play it will either love it for the chances it takes, or will hate it for having the stiff gameplay. I happen to love it and I can't tell you exactly why. The story is interesting and very post-modern which is partly why I like it. And, for some reason, the gameplay that is so stiff is also an addictive situation. Either way you look at it, though, Kudos to Capcom for taking the chance and creating this dark masterpiece and experiment. In an environment filled with sequels and movie to game licenses, I have to applaud Capcom for releasing such a different, yet enthralling piece of art. Yes, art.

Killer 7: a stylish action game, or an interactive movie?

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 9 / 10
Date: August 03, 2005
Author: Amazon User

To explain or even review Killer7 is tough to do. There are so many confusing elements, so much of the story to explain, I don't know where to start. So let's start with the story...

(You can skip all this and scroll down to the gameplay part)

You play as 65 year old assassin Harman Smith, who is the leader of the Smith Syndicate, or the Killer7. He wields a large armour-piercing sniper rifle. But there's more to it than that...

Harman has the supernatural ability to change into any one of the seven personalities of the Smith family, each of them with their own signature moves and weapons. How he is able to do this; no one knows.

Anyway, you start the game on Assignment #33. In this assignment, mysterious beings, called Heaven Smiles, have appeared in a multipurpose building. It's your job to destroy these beings and capture their chief alive. After this assignment, the whole game unfolds into this grand story and adventure.
I don't want to give too much away, so let's now look at the Smith personas...

Dan Smith
Weapon: Modified Magnum
Special Ability: Demon Shell firing
Comments: You wouldn't want to be on Dan's hit list! He may not be able to fire many rounds at a time, but he reloads fast. His special ability is firing Demon Shells. When enough blood is collected from your enemies, Dan is able to fire a giant energy ball from his gun (kinda like Dragonball Z).

Kaede Smith
Weapon: Handgun w/ scope
Special Ability: Barrier breaking
Comments: Kaede may be the only female Smith, but she is not to be underestimated. She carries a large handgun with a scope attached, enabling here to hit enemies from afar. Also, by slitting here wrists (ouch!) and letting her blood flow all over the place (disturbing) she is able to break large barriers and walls blocking her way.

Kevin Smith
Weapon: Throwing knives
Special Ability: Invisibility
Comments: Kevin is the one Smith that doesn't talk. His weapon of choice is throwing knives, which means that Kevin will never need to reload. When he takes off his sunglasses, Kevin will turn invisible, making it easy to run by enemies and security systems unnoticed.

Coyote Smith
Weapon: Magnum
Special Ability: Picking padlocks & Jumping (really high!)
Comments: Coyote is a petty thief, which would explain how he can pick any lock that gets in his way. His other special ability is jumping at very great heights, whether it's onto the roof of a building or onto high ledges.

Con Smith
Weapon: Dual automatics
Special Ability: Sprinting & Sonar
Comments: Con is the smallest and youngest member of the Smith family. Since he was born blind he has superhuman hearing, which enables him to use bat-like sonar to find his way through mazes and secret tunnels. He is also able to run at very fast speeds, just in case he gets in trouble. Due to his small stature he can go in small places where no other Smith can go.

Mask de Smith
Weapon: Dual mini grenade launchers
Special Ability: Wrestling moves
Comments: Mask de Smith used to be a pro wrestler, and he was quite good at it. If there is a heavy obstacle in the way, Mask can simply headbutt it to pieces or toss it to the side. His weapons are two grenade launchers capable of doing very heavy damage.

Garcian Smith
Weapon: Silenced pistol
Special Ability: Resurrection
Comments: Last but not least is Garcian. Garcian is the leader of the Killer 7 organization (aside from Harman). He collects and carries out the missions for Harman. He is also the most important Smith; he is able to bring any dead persona back to life. So the game is only over if Garcian dies.

Now that that's outta the way, let's get on to the important part of this review; the gameplay (PS2 version).

Right away you'll notice that this game is way more different from most action games. Basically, you're on rails. You hold down either X or the Up Directional Button to move forward and press Triangle to turn around. When you come to a junction and you have to pick where to go, you can either move the left analog stick to the place you want to go or you can scroll the rooms with the directional buttons.
When you hear evil laughter, that means there's an enemy nearby. You have to hold R1 to switch into first person and aim. Press L1 to scan for enemies (the Heaven Smile have urban camouflage). When you've spotted the enemy, you can either lock on with Triangle and make them bleed to death or you can manually shoot at their yellow weakpoint and watch them explode into tiny pieces. However, if a Heaven Smile manages to reach you, they'll scream and self-destruct, causing severe damage.
Freaky, huh?
Of course, as you progress, you'll encounter new and more challenging Smiles (some you have to hit a certain spot, some you have to kill really fast, etc.).

Rest assured, this is one weird game!

You collect two different types of blood from your enemies:
Thick blood: used to upgrade your personas and buy information.
Pure blood: recover health and use special abilities.

Wow! This is turning out to be pretty long, so I'll make this short:

Pros:
-Cel shading makes this game look really cool
-Watching the Heaven Smiles bleed is satisfying
-Has Japanese manga clips
-Suspenseful and compelling story
-Environments and characters are really stylish
-Boss battles are all different (gameplay-wise)
-Has moments that will make you say 'Cool!'
-Framerate hardly drops
-Each of the special abilities are cool to watch
-Lots of hints on Normal mode

Cons:
-Some people won't like the fact that you're on rails
-Loading screens may not be that long, but there's a lot of them!
-Hard mode is REALLY HARD!
-One or two boss battles are frustrating
-Some enemies are almost impossible to kill
-Sometimes using a special ability is a waste of blood
-Could've used more gameplay depth
-The story (especially near the end) can get very confusing (I'm still not sure of what's going on!)

Despite these cons, however, I really liked Killer7, and I think any FPS fan would enjoy this game as much as I did. I really believe that all the pros outweigh the cons.

Please note that this is my personal opinion. You can choose whether or not to listen to me or decide whether this review was helpful or not. It's your call...

Killer 7 = A Change From The Ordinary

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: July 18, 2005
Author: Amazon User

This is by far going to be the most debated game of the year. Killer 7 revolves around Harman Smith, a hitman, and his split personalities. But your not reading this review for the storyline, lets get to the game itself. First thing you will notice about this game are the controls. When i first started playing this game, the controls made me want to bring it back to blockbuster and cram it down someones throat (that soon changed of course). The third person controls for this game are very linear, the characters them selves run on a rail, which may be strange for some. First person view is a whole other story. When you go into first person view, you must first scan for previously hidden heaven smiles (the zombie-like beings you kill in the game) and then shoot the crap out of them. Voice actiang is overall good, and some of the cut scenes are visually STUNNING. That gets me to the graphics. They are beautiful cel-shaded graphics that perfectly fit in with the out of the ordinary storyline (and what a storyline it is, did i mention this game should not be sold to children, or anyone under 16...?) This game is out for PS2 and Gamecube, if you have a gamecube, i reccomend buying Killer 7 for it, there isnt any story difference, but the load screens are a bit shorterfor Gamecube. Overall, this is a great game, for someone who is a die hard conventional controls fan, you will hate it, anyone who plays it may hate it when they begin, due to the strange controls, but after you get deep into the storyline, you cant put it down. I reccomend Killer 7 to anyone (16 OR OLDER!!!) who is in the mood for a break from the ordinary.

Impressive "more than a game"

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: January 09, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I don't know why,but sometimes Capcom shows its care to pure art in videogame world!from another side,japanese(capcom)do not like to take any risks(as a publisher) with unknown products,or extravagant ideas!whats the secret?maybee,Killer 7 deeply impressed some company bosses ?it doesnt matter anyway,because we have one pretty strange,but beautiful masterpiece!it's all about CRAZZYY atmosphere,mindbreaking grafics,gorgeous soundtrack and...you MUST play to find out what else is there!!!!and I'm glad,cause Killer 7 isnt mainstream game.take my advice:give it a try..

Killer 7 is a must have if you own a PS2 or a Gamecube.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 7
Date: July 10, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Interesting graphics and a sick-and-twisted-yet-cool story make this one of the best games that Capcom ever developed. As 1 of the 7 "Smith Alliance", you have to run around, and killing monsters known as "Heaven Smiles". The controls are confusing at the beginning, but after a while, you should be able to get used to it. The fact that this game is railed means you will never get lost. Though some of you may find this to be boring. The puzzles are a little more interesting than the ones in RE. The ability to switch characters on the spot is a nice touch. I just wish that this game was longer.

Boring, boring, & boring..........

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 5 / 21
Date: August 01, 2005
Author: Amazon User

One thing a videogame can't be is boring. Killer 7 does that to you from the opening minutes; it bores the hell out of you. Running from one room to the next, and then back again, with excruciating load screens that give you seizures isn't my idea of a fun and exciting way to spend 50 bucks. I was pretty excited about this game too. I read some reviews that made me rush to buy this, instead of waiting like I normally do, for the price to drop a little bit. The Mature rating was also a pretty good selling point, since I usually like a good dose of ultra-violence. A little side note; I'm currently in Iraq where ultra-violence is rampant, so this game had a long way to go to meet my expectations. But the violence in this game was lame. The graphics didn't help matters either. I love cel-shaded animation, but this game looked like really early pre-vis stuff you see in making of documentaries.. XIII blows this game out of the water.
The controls were also kind of frustrating, but if the game were fun, I don't think I would have really given a crap. While boring myself running on the lame fixed path, I kept thinking, "It'd be easier if I could turn and run from this horribly modeled suicide bomber with the analog sticks instead of having to push the triangle button all the time..." But I've played fun games with horrible controls before. I just hated this game so much that my mind wasn't even on the game anymore after 10 minutes, so I just asserted my negativity on the controls.
I guess my expectations for murder and mayhem were too high and instead I got a thinking man's game. Sometimes you just wanna waste a few hours mindlessly murdering everything in front of you. I guess I'll probably need to go on a convoy here for that, because this game certainly didn't do it for me; a waste of fifty dollars indeed. I just hope I can resell it online and get at least half my scratch back. Siiiiiiiiigh...

Kill The Series

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 2 / 5
Date: July 15, 2005
Author: Amazon User

You'll just have to shoot first and ask questions later in Killer7, Capcom's self-proclaimed "surreal action adventure game" that lets you "step into the mind of an assassin." This is appropriate billing for a game that wears its edginess on its sleeve and might well leave you feeling cold at first, between its seemingly nonsensical storyline and its surprisingly simple mechanics. However, if you bear with this rather lengthy journey through to the bitter end, you'll be aptly rewarded as your mind is sent reeling. Killer7 is greater than the sum of its parts. It's pretentious and can be frustrating or tedious at times. And it's also one of the most unusual, politically charged, and thought-provoking video games since Metal Gear Solid.

The Killer7 is a syndicate of assassins...or it's possibly just one man with multiple personalities.
The title Killer7 refers to the name of the squad of assassins you control throughout the game. Apparently employed by a sharp-witted, crippled old man named Harman Smith, the Killer7 may be just the one man and his seven split personalities. At any rate, it seems the Killer7 have been charged with eliminating a terrorist threat called the Heaven Smile, which takes the form of various monstrous creatures that tend to blow themselves up while laughing hysterically. They're suicide bombers. And the world seems to be crawling with them. They're initially almost invisible, but the Killer7 members may scan their surroundings, causing Heaven Smile's operatives to materialize. In the game, you'll navigate through various environments, gunning down dozens of heaven smiles from a first-person perspective while also solving various puzzles and piecing together the storyline.

Killer7 unfolds confusingly and initially comes across like some sort of Japanese take on Fight Club and Memento, with some shooting sequences thrown in for good measure. Turns out there's quite a bit more to it than that. Central to the plot is a near-future political struggle between the United States and Japan. As you learn more, you start to notice what seems an awful lot like a heavy-handed political commentary on today's state of affairs. And in short, while the game deliberately seems to leave itself open to interpretation, it's safe to say that Killer7 is filled with metaphors. Different characters, themes, and situations are deeply suggestive, making little sense in the context of the game but nevertheless causing you to think. Killer7 juxtaposes this sort of feel with no shortage of absurd humor, including lots of poking fun at American and Japanese pop culture. This is subversive stuff. So just when you start taking Killer7 seriously, it throws some goofy humor your way, abruptly lightening the mood as if to keep you from getting closer to the game's version of the truth.

In other words, cappuccino-sipping, turtleneck-wearing academics looking to uncover all the hidden meaning and intention in all sorts of "works" would probably have a field day with Killer7, which has so many arbitrary stylistic flourishes in it that it ultimately seems intent on being a stupefying modern art masterpiece as much as a game--more power to it. Some of the game's posturing comes across as embarrassing, especially since the English dialogue you'll be reading throughout (all the ghosts of the Killer7's past speak in haunting gibberish, subtitled for your convenience) contains a number of elementary typos. But there are just so many simultaneous layers and subplots always going on in this game that it's sure to spark a lot of charged discussion among those who've played through it. Once you've spent the 15 to 20 hours necessary to get through the game for the first time, you'll be able to go back into the experience with a whole new perspective.

Of course, you might not want to. While it's impossible to extricate the story from the gameplay in Killer7, if judged purely on its merits as a fun-to-play video game, Killer7 comes up a little short. Your character can only move along a set path: You press and hold a button, and off he (or she) goes. This is very strange at first. Why doesn't the game just let you run around wherever you want to? For one thing, the locked paths enable a lot of pretty-looking cinematic camera angles that would be terrible for gameplay purposes. And for another thing, this technique makes it so that your characters never appear lost. They always seem to know where they're going, even when you don't know where you're leading them. It's an interesting trade-off that, in the end, makes sense.

The gameplay is one part on-rails shooter and one part adventure game, but there's much more to Killer7 than the mechanics of the action.
Another button lets you turn around 180 degrees so you can run back from whence you came. You'll also often come across junctions--say, a perpendicular hallway--and then you get to decide whether to continue running in one direction or the other. As you proceed, you'll frequently hear the heaven smiles' maniacal laughter. This is your cue to switch to first-person aiming so you can scan the environment. You'll spot the heaven smiles shambling toward you and may fire at will. Each character has a different weapon with its own characteristics, but regardless, the shooting action boils down to sniping. Your foes tend to have weak points--possibly on their thighs or elbows, not just their heads--that cause them to die instantly if hit. So you'll try to steady your aim and take those shots, even though a lot of the shooting takes place at relatively close ranges. The heaven smiles are creepy looking, and the first-person shooting has a pretty good look and feel to it. Still, it can get to be fairly monotonous, especially since backtracking through environments will often mean having to face exactly the same array of heaven smiles each time you go through the area.Thaks To Gamespot.

Lacks freedom of movement.

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 1 / 4
Date: July 15, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I got this game hoping for a great story as all the reviews were raving about it. But i got bored with the gameplay. This game is so linear that all your caracter can do is move forward, turn back, and shoot at first person view.

Most of the time you'll find your character walking forward until you see some sort of 'crossroad' which gives you options to manipulate objects, talk to people, or take corners and go into rooms. You cannot turn left or right in between, just turn back. When you come across an enemy, you must turn to 1st person view and shoot it (but you can't move while shooting). This game lacks the freedom of movement of most games. Even 2D games have more freedom of movement. This makes the repetitive comment of your assistant quite appropriate... "We are in a TIGHT spot." Gameplay feels old school (when comptuers aren't that powerful).

Anyway, kudos for CAPCOM for coming up with such a creative game. You don't see games that go away from the mainstream these days.

This game sucks ***

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 1 / 16
Date: July 12, 2005
Author: Amazon User

This game sucks big time. You get killed the very first round, the controls you have to use are sucky, this whole game just sucks. Whoever enjoyed it must be on crack. It is a wasted 50 bucks

Stylish and unique, but definitely not for everyone

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: February 27, 2006
Author: Amazon User

It's not every day that a game like Capcom's Killer 7 comes along. Unique in both it's story and delivery, Killer 7 allows you to assume the role(s) of a multiple personality assassin. Each of the seven personalities has their own unique specialty: resurrection, invisibility, and even slitting their own wrists to uncover secret areas. The storyline is strikingly mature in it's tone, with a thought provoking (if not always coherent) plot filled with twists and political intrigue, and it well deserves it's Mature rating. The game isn't a free-roaming actioner which are everywhere today, but rather the character moves on designed "rails"; you only having control of which direction they go and not being able to explore the areas. Now this is the game's biggest flaw and will definitely be a turn off for many, but since Killer 7 relies on rails, the game's cinematic look saved, and boy does this game look great. The graphics aren't as sharp as they were on the original Gamecube release, but they still look great for a PS2 title. The controls can be tricky, but once you get the hang of it, Killer 7 is a breeze. All in all, Killer 7 is a stylish and unique gaming experience that is worth checking out, but be warned, it's not for everyone, and you'll either love it or hate it.

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