I'd like to begin by pointing out that the only other Suda 51 game I've played is Shadows of the Damned. I loved that game, so when I saw there was a new one coming out I jumped on it at once. When it finally released, I kept seeing a lot of mixed reviews, but I decided to go for the game anyway. I definitely did not regret it, but it wasn't a flawless experience either.
The first thing I noticed was the graphics. The art style is absolutely beautiful. It has a very slick cel-shaded design with a very descriptive style. There is one problem though. While the STYLE is very well done and the design choices are neat, the implementation is done terribly. I feel like oftentimes they had a problem transferring the textures, because they almost always looked very low resolution. It is unfortunate because it is clear there is more detail, but it's not visible due to the low resolution textures. I didn't feel like the game had extensive effects or processing usage so I don't quite understand why the graphics had to suffer so greatly.
This actually leads me to the audio quality of the game. The music is hit or miss. About 2/3 of the time the music sounds appropriate for an action game, while sometimes it just feels out of place. The voice acting sounds a bit drab most of the time, though I feel like that has a lot to do with the style of the characters. Still, I never felt like it detracted from the experience, I merely thought that it didn't really ADD to the experience either.
The game itself plays great though. It is an action game through and through. You use combos, blocking and dodges in order to kill your enemies. There are a couple of unique features that add to the game though. The first is the concept of style kills. If you beat up enemies a certain way, then it enables you to do a finisher of your choosing. Depending on which finisher you choose, it will provide you with an appropriate pickup (like blood or health upgrades, for example). This gives you a little freedom on what you decide to upgrade. You aren't forced into picking up specific upgrades in specific places. Instead, you get to upgrade what you want depending on how you choose to play the game. Another cool feature that I felt was unique was the concept of dodging. Dodging is almost always in an action game, but this game encourages using parry and dodge extensively. If you dodge at the right time, it can stun the enemy very briefly so that you can do a handful of quick slashes that deal a moderate amount of damage AND get your combo score up very quickly. I LOVED this mechanic quite a bit and made the game feel very tight and impactful. When you parry properly you also have an opportunity to hit back. You also have an attached ranged weapon that you can use on the fly, though I hardly used it unless there were flying enemies. If you do choose to use it it definitely helps with chaining combos and also with hitting weak spots if needed. Everything else is pretty standard fair for an action game, but I feel like it all fell together quite well.
One of the most interesting aspects for me were the boss battles. They all felt challenging, unique and fun. On top of that, the normal encounters are evolving throughout the game, so you are always kept on your toes. I absolutely loved that (that's something I feel like a lot of the action games don't quite pinpoint)! Another feature I liked was the bonus stages. You get a handful of bonus stages you can play in order to challenge yourself and acquire more unlocks. One thing I DIDN'T enjoy was the Gigolo part of the game. Essentially you sit at a location with 1 of 3 girls and you try to check them out when they aren't looking to get interest high. When you get the lady curious enough you can give her gifts to keep her loyal and interested. Eventually you can get her interested enough so that you go to bed with her and then acquire some type of a customization item or upgrade. It is a silly take on sexuality, which is quite amusing, but it felt completely out of place. There was really no premise for it, there was no real purpose and it didn't even feel like it fit the character (Mondo) properly. It just felt like they threw it in in order to attract the gamers who are into sexuality in games. It could have been an awesome feature had they integrated it a little more, but luckily these sequences aren't required. In fact, I only did the sequences twice and was still able to almost completely upgrade Mondo by the end of the game and I didn't feel at an advantage or handicapped. Overall though, the gameplay is extremely solid and is definitely something worth checking the game out for.
The last thing I'd like to mention is the story. The story-telling technique felt very convoluted, and thus fell flat quite a few times. During the first half of the game, nothing make sense and everything is just cut up so randomly. You have no idea why anything is happening and everything feels disjointed and disconnected. The characters all felt quite shallow and static as well. The moment you hit the second half of the game though, things change drastically. You begin to have revelations in the story that start to connect everything together, and everything starts to make sense. All of a sudden you get sucked in and need to know what's going to happen next. The game then leads to a very explosive conclusion that felt very well done and fun. I feel like they were trying to borrow from the Kill Bill style here, because Kill Bill went the same way for me (Volume 1 was very confusing and boring to me, and Volume 2 connected everything together beautifully and made the complete experience a lot more enjoyable...for me at least)...to a fault. That being said, if you stick with it, you WILL be in for a treat. Although, this treat is a little short-lived. It'll be over before you know it, and the optional assignments are just as short. Typical for an action game I suppose.
In the end, this isn't a perfect game...but it certainly is fun. While the actual gameplay is extremely solid and well done, parts of the package here and there will stick out like a sore thumb. In the end, if you enjoy violent, gritty and over-the-top action games then you will find enjoyment out of this one. I merely felt like Suda 51's team could have taken a little more time to try and organize their thoughts and polish a few points.
Personally, I give this game a solid 7.5, but due to the new rating system I need to give it a round figure. I will have to go with a 7.0 due to some of the glaring issues in the game. That being said, if you choose to purchase this one, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. In the end, this game assured that I stay a Suda 51 fan.