| Killer7 is Capcom's offbeat Gamecube/PS2 shooter from mid-2005, one with a very distinct look and feel unlike anything else |
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After the masterpiece of gaming Capcom delivered in Resident Evil 4, I was extremely psyched about their release of Killer7, an altogether much more mature, violent title, backed up with an incredibly hard hitting storyline to boot.
Having now finally found time to finish it, I'll give you some insights into my feelings towards the game, but there's something I feel I need to clear up before we get into all that. This ain't no gaming masterpiece. It's essentially just an on-the-rails third/first person shooter when all's said and done - one with the odd puzzle thrown in, and a mind-bending back-story - but what it lacks in gaming proficiency, it more than makes up for in outright style. You've never seen or played any other game even vaguely like this, and probably never will.
The basic premise involves you taking control of 7 "killer" characters, all named Smith. They're employed by the government and, under the control of their master - a wheel chair bound Harman Smith - are tasked with destroying a terrorist group by the name of Heaven Smile. Heaven Smile take the form of hideous monsters who tend to laugh maniacally before exploding. Oh, and they're also invisible. Still with me?
Thankfully they can be seen by utilising a scan ability, one which all the Killer7 members come equipped with. This plot is the single main feature that'll keep you playing, as each section reveals more and more about the characters, your enemies, and the Killer7 organisation as a whole.
The plot also deals with a political struggle set between the USA and Japan in the near future, and the more you play through it, the more it feels like somewhat heavy-handed commentary on many of today's political situations. That's not to say Capcom force any specific political viewpoint down your throat - so much of the plot is really open to interpretation - but it
is clear the devs are at least attempting to create discussion amongs their players if nothing else.
While the plot can be viewed as reason enough to play the game, it's far from the only thing it has going for it. As mentioned before, this is a very stylised production, and to be honest I don't know any other game this close to coming off like a full-blown anime cartoon. While the likes of Zelda - The Wind Waker were beautiful, it, like many others, lacked that harder edge and raw anime style displayed here. There are even fully hand drawn anime clips used as cut-scenes found later in the game.
| Combat is handled via quasi-FPS segments as seen here |
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Ultimately the closest comparison one can make to its visual style is Frank Miller's Sin City comics. With that same visual flair present, the personality of each character really shines through, with an artistry that defies simple moving pixels and coding sub-routines. It really draws the player in in that regard.
All that being said, I have complaints. The movement of the characters is somewhat limited in design. As I touched on before, the entire game is on-rails, so even though the surrounding areas appear to have multiple different visible pathways, very few can actually be followed. To move your character forward you simply hold down "A" and they'll run along a designated path, then when you reach an intersection, point of interest of a character to converse with, you flick the control stick to interact with them or it. To backtrack - if for example, you reach a dead end - the "B" button is used to turn your character 180 degrees. Pretty simple stuff as I say, yet while this limited set-up doesn't allow for any control over the in-game camera angles, it does allow room for the game to set up a number of very dramatic and stylish set pieces.
When the Heaven Smile announce their presence via laughter, that's your cue to press the "R" trigger to draw your weapon, then scan for their exact position via "L". After found, the Heaven Smile will shuffle towards you before clicking their self-destruct button, so to defeat 'em you'll need to pop some serious holes in 'em, while the blood pours out like a sieve. Most of them in fact, have a critical hit point that glitters, and upon a direct shot to this area, they'll be instantly killed.
| The art style of Killer7 is truly unique within gaming circles, but won't be for everyone |
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This'll reward you with blood of all things, which can then be used to heal or level up your character's stats, power special moves, or even gain hints as to completing some of the game's more trickier puzzles.
The sound is one area which, on the surface, doesn't give off too good an impression, but listen beyond the bizarre soundscape and you'll notice considerable thought has been put into the way it reacts. As a result, this isn't a game that can be played with the sound turned down for instance, as it's the best way to judge when Heaven Smile are nearby.
The voiceovers from NPC characters are also presented in a garbled, broken English via nonsensical wordage that somewhat forces you to take note of subtitles. This sort of escalating confusion that you experience while playing Killer7 actually has the bizarre side effect of drawing you deeper into the game though.
That said, some of the speech from your playable characters does get recycled a bit too often, with the same identical catchphrases repeated over and over. Sure, it's dead cool to hear Coyote snarl, "You're Fucked!" after blowing away another target, but it does begin to grate after a while.
With such a strange and abstract game, too severe a difficultly level or too much repetition could easily have resulted in many giving up long before the end credits. Killer7 strikes a decent balance between puzzles and enemies in that regard. To make the puzzle solving even easier, the game map also provides clues as to which item or person is required to progress.
It's also almost impossible to reach the Game Over screen, as one of the Killer7 characters is used as a "cleaner" too. When any of your characters dies, you can select Garcian, who travels to pick up the dead character's head (held in a paper bag, of all things), where he'll imbue them with life via a button bashing mini-game. More than anything, this essentially just confuses you even more as what the fuck is going on.
| Be sure to lock the kids in the attic, Killer7 ain't for young eyes |
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Finally, it's worth noting that after playing Killer7 for just a short while, it becomes blatantly apparent that this ain't a game for kids. Not only does it boast some very adult themes, with numerous cut-scenes containing sick violence and sexually explicit imagery, but the complex plot and unnervingly dark ambience make it something only the mature gamer can really appreciate and enjoy at that.
So all in all, you're probably wondering whether or not you should be picking up a copy of this crazy game. That's one bloody difficult question to answer, as it's just so different to the norm. There are those among you who would probably adore the hell outta this sucker with its incredibly stylish demeanour, but then there's the other end of the spectrum, those who just won't see the point whatsoever.
Yeah, the gameplay can get repetitive and it's not exactly the hardest title I've played through, but if anything the real challenge comes in just trying to make sense of what the hell's happening. Admittedly, even after finishing the game I'm still not sure.
As a result I'd recommend this to anyone who wants something a little off centre compared to their usual gaming experiences. On the hardest difficulty setting, most players'll blast through it in a little over 15 hours, but if nothing else, I can certainly recommend it as the one of the best rental games ever.
If you think of Resident Evil 4 as the big budget Hollywood blockbuster, Killer7 is the more stylish, critically acclaimed box office failure, immensely enjoyable but just way too far outside the mainstream to be appreciated as anything more than cult. Which is a shame, really...