  Whilst definitely cinematic, Killer7 does not channel the spirit of Attack of the Killer Tomatoes. |
If Killer7 was a movie, its director would probably be David Cronenberg. Or David Lynch. Capcom's latest Gamecube outing offers many wonderfully cinematic qualities, but just like its would-be cinematographer's work might arguably be surrealist nonsense, Killer7 is most definitely an exercise in form over function.
The Heaven Smile, a terrorist organisation led by Kun Lan threatens to derail society as we know it. The global powers that be enlist a group of assassins, known as the Killer7, as their last chance of eliminating the looming menace. Headed by Harman Smith, a weak old bloke in a wheelchair, our great white hope is, as the name suggests made from seven personalities, each with unique skills and attributes. Whether or not the seven are actual real individuals, and not just the crazed split personalities of a greater being is one of the many questions easily raised. The ambiguity of Killer7's story line is immediately apparent.
Killer7's presentation is wonderful, setting the tone from the start through it's stylised aesthetic and audio. The majority of the action is set in a fixed perspective environment; the beautiful cell shaded visuals complementing the angular techno-ish soundtrack perfectly in establishing the already edgy atmosphere. Because of the often-peculiar perspectives presented, the player can only move in a predetermined fashion, with only the ability to run in one particular direction and not randomly within the arena. Often, a maniacal laugh is audible, the cue for the player to flip the gameplay to first person mode to duke it out with one or more of the Heaven Smile agents. Whilst initially invisible to the naked eye, a quick scan of the surroundings will temporarily reveal their location, and their necessary disposal can commence. Their blood is afterwards absorbed by the player's character - used either to charge up weapons or upgrade character skills. Sometimes the foe's weakspot is visable, perhaps on their arm or leg. Naturally a direct hit will spell their instant demise.
As previously hinted, the gameplay runs entirely on rails; the player cannot move freely around the gaming environment and is fixed to a predetermined path in any given direction. In these days of expansive three-dimensional worlds in video gaming this might sound like the worst schoolboy error a developer could make with what appears to be a first-person shooter, but the biggest mistake would be to classify Killer7 as such. It is first and foremost a puzzle game, and as such there is inevitably a great deal of back tracking as the pieces of the puzzle are collected. Thankfully because the surroundings are distinctive enough, the player won't be lost in a series of similar looking hallways.
Whilst players will no doubt have a favourite character to run through the majority of the game, each personality's varied traits have a unique and necessary purpose that is not always particularly obvious. Throughout the course of the game, other than the nasties encountered there are one or two more helpful characters worth talking to. Whilst their words (read: whispers) of wisdom might seem incredibly cryptic at times, more often than not they directly allude to what lies around the corner, and perhaps more importantly, just which character the player should proceed with. Switching between them is thankfully a breeze, and can be activated at any given time.
|
|
However the solution to the many puzzles, and fights with both regular enemies and bosses is a mixed bag; for example the weak spots of the agents are often all too easy to spot and can be dealt with firing a single shot. But the flow of the gameplay is well paced, and in some way the restricted movement of the player character means becoming lost is a very rare occurrence.
Killer7 has been rightfully granted an M rating for its intense violence and gore depiction, easily on par with - if not surpassing that of Capcom's other recent nasty, Resident Evil 4. Cut scenes regular update the storylines with scenes of distress and horror.
Just like a Lynch movie, debate over the merits and meaning of Killer7 will no doubt rage for months to come, if not years. But just as some dismiss surrealism as trivial waffle, others will find great delight and much scope within the fixed parameters of what is presented here. Highly recommended.
