Killer7

It's not every day you run into games like Killer7. This surreal, adventure shooting game may feel awkward approaching it at first, but once you progress through the game, the story gradually picks up. You'll either love Killer7 or hate it, depending on how much you immerse yourself in the story, get through its simplistic gameplay, and maybe enjoy (or not enjoy) the game's music and stylish look. If you're into the rather bizarre type of games, then this game is definitely worth checking out.

The story is about a professional assassin named Harman Smith. He possesses a terrifying power called "God-Killer", rendering him unstoppable when it is used. Kun Lan, the main antagonist of the game, possesses a terrifying power called "God Hand," in which he can turn anyone he touches into "Heaven Smile." These human time bombs are the main enemies throughout the game, and it is up to Harman to stop Kun Lan's evil plans from becoming successful. But Harman isn't alone in this one. He is the leader of a group of assassins who call themselves the Killer7 Syndicate.

But then you start to wonder; is it really a group of assassins, or just a schizophrenic Harman Smith? What's mysterious about Harman himself is his seven personalities, who possess unique powers and abilities of their own, and he has the incredible power to call upon them at will. Harman's personalities actually take their physical form whenever they are called into action. It's great to know these characters because they add color to the atmosphere. I mean, you got a luchador, and then you get this badass guy and the not-so-great gal, and that blind kid who can run faster than the Flash himself, and the list can go on and on. So yeah, Killer7's characters are a totally bizarre bunch, but they're not the type of characters you will soon forget.
 

 

The gameplay is fairly simple. It isn't a free-roaming shooter like most games, but is more of an on-rails shooter with a little bit of a Resident Evil-ish feel to it. Pressing the X button is all you need to move around, as the path is already determined for the player. But the player does run into junctions, in which the player has to choose which way to go. Pressing the triangle button will perform a 180-degree turn in case the player wants to back track. Pressing the R1 button enables first-person shooter mode, in which is the main combat of the entire game. Whenever you hear some crazy, freakish laughing, that means Heaven Smiles are right around your alley.

During first-person mode, the player has to 'scan' the area for Heaven Smile, since they need to be exposed first before you're able to kill them. Once that's done, you can shoot away until they eventually keel over. Another way to fight them off is by means of counterattacking. Whenever a Heaven Smile gets too close, a brief flash of lightning appears on-screen. That's the time to initiate the counter move, and it basically knocks back the enemy, or an instant kill, depending on what character you're using. Each personality has their own style of counterattack and one-liners to go along with it, which makes the gameplay fun and the characters memorable…or not.

There is no HP bar. All you get is an "eye" at the top left corner of your screen. As you take damage, the eye will start to close, and when it's almost completely shut and take more damage, it's game over. Although you can restore your health by using the blood you collect from the Heaven Smiles that you defeat, once you run out of that blood, the enemy can kill you with just one hit. But when that situation does happen, don't worry. There is a possibility that you can be brought back to life. Garcian Smith, one of the members of the syndicate, can bring every persona back to life. Just take Garcian to the spot where that particular persona last died and you'll be back in Harman's Room where it can be resurrected. Keep in mind that Garcian is the only persona that has this unique ability. So when you're playing as Garcian and he dies, it's really game over.

The best way to collect massive amounts of blood is aiming for the Heaven Smiles' weak spots, which appear in yellow throughout their body. Shooting their weak spots will grant you additional blood vials. You can even use the blood vials to power-up each of the personas' abilities inside Harman's Room. These attributes range from better accuracy or faster firing speed. By leveling up these stats, you can unlock skills that can be useful in combat. The game also has some pretty interesting puzzles to solve, as well as crazy and lengthening riddles to decipher that will keep you entertained for hours. In some cases though, they can leave you frustrated for too long, because it's also easy to get lost in certain parts of the game. The key to understanding the game itself is to absolutely pay attention to everything you encounter. It is easy to get lost if you suddenly overlook a certain part of the game, and you cannot proceed to the next levels, which can be a pretty frustrating experience for players.
 

 

The game's cel-shaded graphics are not what you call great, but its stylish presentation makes up for it. The blood, violence, character movements, and other miscellaneous stuff look and feel cartoon-ish and kind-of-not realistic, but it definitely fits the game's surreal setting. Some of the animated cutscenes are awesome to look at, and feel more vibrant than the game's overall dull scenery. The music is extremely catchy; it's all a mix of techno, dance, electronica, etc. that does not fail to entertain. I guess a great example is the "Rave Music" that plays every time before a mini-boss coliseum fight. Sometimes you can't help but bob your head to the beat or even hum to the tune, but overall, it's just sounds great to listen to and enjoy. The game's sound effects are great, such as gunshots, footsteps, picking locks, opening doors, etc. were done quite well.

Voice acting ranges from great, to passable. The characters fit their roles well, and the voice acting is successful in portraying them, adding flavor to their personalities. But there are some characters who sound monotonous and somewhat boring, so that's a bummer. The dialogue stumbles quite a bit too. Characters in the game tend to have long dialogues, but some of the things they say sometimes do not make sense...at all. But that's just me. Maybe you have to delve deeper into the meanings to actually get what they're trying to say, and if you're into that, be my guest. And let's not forget the infernal laughter of the Heaven Smile. I know I won't.

To sum it up altogether, Killer7 is overall, an excellent game. Its lengthy story and unique stylish presentation make up for its rather simple gameplay. Although you may find the story and characters rather quite eccentric, and sometimes find yourself confused for unexplainable reasons, the positively surreal experience of playing Killer7 can leave you entertained for hours. It just takes some getting used to, is all.
 

David Gabriel, NoobFeed