ic-games Review - Killer7 - Reviews, Previews and Interviews for PC, Xbox 360, PS2, PS3 and Wii

ic-games Review - Killer7 - Reviews, Previews and Interviews for PC, Xbox 360, PS2, PS3 and Wii ic-games Review - Home - Review, Preview and Interview for PC, Xbox,Xbox 360, PS2, PS3 and Wii

Killer7

Information
Reviewer: James Collins
Developer: N/A
Publisher: Capcom
Reviewed: N/A
Genre: Action Adventure
UK Release: 15th Jul 2005
Article Date: 11th Aug 2005
Difficulty: Hard
Retail Price: £34.99
Price Comparison:
0

Score Breakdown

Experience:
Game Play:
Graphics:
Sound:
Overall Score: 73%

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Pros

Very weird

Control System

Unique

Cons

Some may just not get it

Screenshots

59 of 99

After being fed on a staple diet of Resident Evil, followed by Cold Fear, the survival horror genre was certainly looking pretty complete at this moment in time. So we were as pleased as any when Killer7 crashed onto the scene featuring a revolutionary look and feel to the genre. The question was, does different equate to playable?

In a breathtaking rejuvenation of the genre, just about everything you have come to expect from stereotypical ‘survival horror’ titles has literally been thrown out of the window by the developers. Sure the puzzles remain and the clichéd scares are abundant, but the look and feel, especially the control of Killer7 is all refreshingly new to the genre.

Killer7 is one wacky game, of that there can be little doubt. During the first few hours of playing you’ll swear you’d just stumbled into one of Shaun Ryder’s worst trips. The plot is twisted, macabre yet equally compulsive. You play as any one of the Killer7 assassination team, led by an equally aggressive wheelchaired bound Harman Smith. You’ve been given a job to clean out the ‘heavenly smile’ group, and it’s certainly not a job for the feint hearted.

As mentioned you can control any one of the seven assassins in killer7 and each one of them have a different ability to offer, in fact the only thing they really share is the surname ‘Smith’. The character you’ll find yourself using more often than not during your time with Killer7 is the all-rounder Dan Smith. Dan can capture the blood from any assassinated Heavenly Smile members and upgrade his shot power using the collected vials of blood making him a far more formidable assassin. Con Smith has the firepower and speed but is relatively weak. Let the Heavenly Smile get to close and he’ll almost certainly die from the resulting explosion. Of course if you are after stealth rather than firepower you’ll be wise to choose Kevin Smith who can turn invisible an avoid rooms full of opponents. It’s a pleasant mix that does actually force you to switch when the situations arise.

Some of these abilities are integral to advancing the plot so there isn’t really much of a choice at times. For example bypassing locks require you to enter the personality of the master locksmith Coyote Smith. To get by the blood soaked force field early in the first mission Kaede Smith is your girl. Fortunately the process is relatively painless and characters can be switched to and fro just about anywhere as long as the personality is in an awakened state.

One of the most important characters in the Killer7 universe is the leader of the syndicate, Garcian Smith or ‘The Cleaner’. Garcian Smith is able to pick up the remains of any one of your dead seven personalities and bring them back to life. There is a twist though; The Cleaner will need to visit the room in which the personality died, clean up the mess, and more importantly without dying himself. This is because if you lose The Cleaner you’ll have to start again from a saved game point. Garcian Smith should certainly be treated with respect as he can end up being a saviour when all seems lost.

At first it takes a while to get accustomed to the way you control the seven assassins. This is mainly due to the fact that movement of the central characters is on ‘rails,’ with room selection controlled by moving into sectors. At first you’ll swear, wonder why the developers adopted such a control system, but soon enough you’ll settle into the new approach, until eventually you agree there really wasn’t any other way to play the game.

Killer7 also features its fair share of puzzles although they do seem to have been dumbed down somewhat usually because there is always some troubled character lurking around nearby willing to solve the puzzle on your behalf anyway. Normally the process is just a simple case of finding the correct object to interact with another object or being in the correct personality and never really requires any thought into the process. Case in point being when you come across five candles that need to be lit in the correct order. Not only are you actually told the correct sequence over and over again but the sequence is so obvious you probably would have tried that order first, even if you didn’t have a clue where to start. Yes the puzzles do begin to get more complex around half way through, but it does feel a case of to little too late at that point. No, Killer7 isn’t really about the puzzles or even the shooting sections, it’s about the experience, and in that regard the whole process is a success. And as if to almost prove the point alone, a quick look at the ingame map will show you what is needed at what location to proceed anyway.

The startlingly disturbing cell shaded graphics perfectly fit the comic book attitude throughout, and genuinely seem to give the violent scenes more impact. Most of the disturbing footage is played out during the impressive cut scenes and for most will be the main inspiration to proceed with the game. It’s certainly not one for the kids as the 18 certificate will testify, and if you are over, 18 but easily offended, with heads in washing machines, blood soaked bodies crawling around, it’s certainly a game you’ll want to mark off your list as well.

There are a few problems that stand out, you can become disoriented very easily with the control system the developers have opted for, and some could argue that the shooting sequences can become tiresome very early on. However the cut scenes are so intriguing the urge to complete the whole story, and unlock the Killer8 game modes are quite strong. The true test though is whether or not the game interests you, like marmite it’s certainly not for everyone and a rental is strongly advised before you commit to that full purchase. It’s also worth noting that the Game Cube version does look slightly sharper and all round better than the fuzzy PS2 version. Also the loading sequences are greatly reduced on the Nintendo system although both versions are more than playable as they stand.

Killer7 will certainly be one of the most talked about games this year whatever your opinion. Some will praise the new attitude and game mechanics whereas others will laugh at the nonsensical nature of it all. On first inspection Killer 7 appears to be a confused, disjointed mismatch of ideas, but on closer examination some of its inner beauty will slowly begin to shine through. Before you knock it, appreciate the fact that it really couldn’t have been done any other way. The upshot is that Killer7 shouldn’t be played so much as actually ‘experienced’.

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