I found Shinji Mikami’s (Resident Evil, Devil May Cry) Killer 7’s PS2 version for 5€, promptly buying it. It has always sounded intriguing, but I wasn’t at all sure if I’d be willing to pay a higher price for it.
Sure enough, after a few hours of playing, the game sent me straight to GameFAQs, during the first level. The controls are not difficult, they’re just different, but the level layout and perspectives conspire to make it a very disorienting affair. I’m happy about the trip to the FAQ, though, because it explained some basic gameplay issues which I would’ve spent quite some time figuring out on my own.
The story is at this point very enigmatic, adding to the game. The basic gameplay with it’s on-rails progression and static first-person shooting benefits from the unfathomable context. If this were a run of the mill Tom Clancy affair, nobody would give it a chance. With the all-encompassing weirdness, you get the sense that the disorienting feel is purposeful.
It looks great and feels awarding in its strangeness, though I am no fan of Resident Evil-esque absurd puzzles. I would’ve bought the original Gamecube version but I’ve never seen it on a shelf. The PS2 version sports annoying loading times and this being mostly a first-person shooter, suffers from the DualShock’s crap analogue control.
I do remain enthusiastic to see more of the game, but at this point it’s anyone’s guess how far I’m willing to go into it. An art house affair, just like the better reviews (Eurogamer, Edge) said, all style before substance.
Leave a Reply