Killer7 review

With Capcom releasing the amazing Resident Evil 4, Grasshopper manufactures on rails first person shooter was overlooked by many people. This is a shame as it is truly original and must be played at least once by every gamer. It was directed by the innovative Suda51 who has also helped produce Contact for DS and No more heroes for Wii.

The game uses stylish cel shaded visuals which were designed before the actual core gameplay was actually considered. The graphics are truly amazing; it makes you feel like your playing in a work of art. For cutscenes there are two different styles used, the first uses the in game graphics and the second style is done in a Japanese anime style. There is a lot of Gore in this game and it’s all incredibly over the top. These factors add up to an all new original visual style for a computer game that is truly wonderful to behold.

The gameplay itself is quite simple but gets quite addictive. You push the A button to move forward and the B button to turn around (That’s movement sorted, I know it seems basic but gameplay is sacrificed to give the player a visual treat). The game is played out on rails in 3rd person until you encounter an enemy then you switch into 1st person. When you enter a room with enemies you'll here a sinister laugh. To Defeat the enemies in killer 7 you will have to scan them and then hit a weak point. If you hit them in this critical hit spot, they will explode in a shower of blood. This blood can then be used to upgrade characters abilities.

Now I get to one of Killer 7's biggest selling points the story. It is a truly amazing one, if a little bit difficult to understand. The game is set in the near future where terrorism has been eliminated. All the nuclear weapons in the world have been destroyed by launching them into space in a huge fireworks display. After the celebrations a new form of terrorism appears called heaven smile led by a mysterious leader by the name of Kun Lan. The Killer 7 are called in (they are a group of assassins hired by the government on a regular basis). The story seems quite simple but as each mission enfolds you learn more about the group of assassins and all is not as it seems.

Another point that will draw the player’s attention is the soundtrack to this game. The creepy laugh that appears when a heaven smile is a room really adds to the atmosphere. The voiceovers for the killer 7 themselves are brilliantly done with each of them being incredibly unique. Add to this some exciting and original background music and grasshopper have created one of the best soundtracks in any game.

The game isn't perfect though, the way the game plays leads to a few problems, for example it’s difficult to get away from enemies and the inability to shoot while moving can be annoying. Also some of the voiceovers particularly a character named Iwazaru begins to grate. Also at some points it’s hard to understand what you have to do but if you forgive some of its faults this is a great game that deserves recognition.

If you stick with this game all the way through and actual understand the story you will enjoy an amazing game. It also has one of the biggest twists in a plot ever seen in a computer game. The visual style linked with the mature story mean this is a game only for adults. If your looking for a game with a simple story like Resident Evil or Devil May cry, your probably looking in the wrong place but if you want a complicated and intriguing storyline with mature themes you should give killer 7 a chance.