Everything a shooter should be on a next generation console!
User Rating: 9 | Stranglehold (Collector's Edition) PS3
I had a feeling that this game was going to be good (especially since I'm huge fan of shooters) but I had no idea it was going to be this awesome. The first cool aspect of the game is the ability to slow down time (a feature made popular by the Max Payne series) called Tequila Time. At first this will seem like just a cool way to kill people and build your ability meter back up but in the latter parts of the game, it'll become a vital asset. Another awesome feature is the ability to interact with the games enviorment...this combines itself with the Tequila Time feature by slowing down time if for example, you slide down a hand rail or are rolling backwards on a cart while shooting people. The way a lot of the moves you pull off play out, makes it look very theatrical when in shoot outs. Occassionally, you'll be involved in something called "stand offs"...which are basically like Mexican Stand Offs. You'll run into a room and without warning will be surround by 4 or 5 guys pointing their guns at you while you're point yours at them. Once this happens, you go into basically first person view and while in the same spot, will have to dodge bullets while trying to shoot every guy that's surrounding you. Depending on how patient or skilled you are...this can either be very fun or very annoying (it got very annoying for me towards the end). The only complaint that I really have about the game is that the length and difficulty of the chapters are uneven. For example, Chapter 2 was absurdly long but Chapter 4 was short and the last two chapters of the game are ridiculously difficult. I felt the chapters leading to them were no where in the same ballpark.
My Breakdown:
What's Good:
- Hours of action!
- Awesome weapons
- Cool abilities
- Innovative ability system
- Fun interactive environment
- No one trick pony. This game is diverse in the way it delivers on gameplay and you're very unlikely to get bored playing it!
What's Not-So-Good:
- The Graphics seemed inconsistant when playing on a HD TV. Some times they would be sharp but at some points, it looks a little choppy.
- Having to complete a stand off at the most inconvienent times
- Not the best voice acting that I've heard
- While the story wasn't all that original, the twist that came towards the end did catch me a bit by surprise.
What's Bad:
- Unnecessarily long stages. Seriously, play through Chapter 2 and you'll see exactly what I mean!
- The outrageous difficulty of the last two stages may be enough to have a lot of players not coming back for more after completing the game.
In all, this is a great game and a must own for anyone who is a fan of shooters and/or owns a PS3! The length and difficulty of some levels make the game more than just a "pick-up-and-play" but the action and innovative gameplay makes it very addicting and fun to play.
