There's very little to like about Killer is Dead. Over the long, paceless cutscenes, it becomes very clear that this is a game that thinks it's something special. It thinks it's funny. It thinks it's important. And yet paceless, pause-filled cutscenes are broken only by dialogue that's laughable in its meaninglessness.
It can be exhilarating to be dropped without explanation into a world that operates under wildly different rules. Grasshopper Manufacture and CEO Suda 51 have goodwill to spare: Sine Mora is a magnificent shoot-em-up; Lollipop Chainsaw is brilliant, empowering fun; Diabolical Pitch is, well, a Kinect game. Killer is Dead actively seeks to undo that goodwill.
Gigolo Mode lets you have actual (off-screen) sex! You win sex out of a lady by staring at her body while she's not looking. Eventually she'll accept a gift, and enough gifts equals a nice sex. This game wears an 18 certificate like a badge of honour. So why is it pandering to this pathetic, sub-Leisure Suit Larry courting ritual? On top of everything else, it's a really boring process.
If all this is fine by you, in which case please jam a dipstick into your humanity tank and check you're not a self-absorbed sociopath, then you'll probably be thinking: "Shut up, it's all about the combat anyway. Just focus on that, you self-righteous dick."
Well, that's not awful, when the cutscenes finally let up. It's a robust system of basic attacks (X), guard breaks (Y), and blocks and dodges (B), with rewards for precise response and timing. It's not terribly hard, except for some stunning moments of unpleasant design, including a "hammer X to win boss battle" moment that requires you to hammer X unreasonably fast.
I've not felt wronged by a game to this degree in a long time. Hatred just about captures the emotion. Killer is Dead has the kernel of an acceptable game, swathed in unlikable characters, a Benny Hill attitude to women, alienating self-regard and some obnoxious gameplay decisions. It's impossible to recommend.
Should you feel compelled regardless, Killer is Dead hits EU shelves on 30th August. It's out now in the States.
12 comments so far...
CSCS on 27 Aug '13 said:
Yikes
TippiestRook99 on 27 Aug '13 said:
Sudaphiles sound like people I wouldn`t like to meet on the street.
2XTREME on 27 Aug '13 said:
I like how it being short is a positive!
Dave2123 on 27 Aug '13 said:
When a review begins with "It starts bad, it gets worse" and is only a few lines long, you know it's going to get a bad score. Whenever I read a bad review, a small part of me does feel sorry for the developers who have spent months working on the game and then get told their work is rubbish.
CunningSmile on 27 Aug '13 said:
Log's history writing for Zeppotron really shows sometimes; that whole review flows so much better if you imagine the whole thing in Charlie Brookers voice
Maximus T on 27 Aug '13 said:
Completely unrelated to the game, but I did an online (and thus extremely rough) sociopath test recently, and found out that I'm only 30% sociopathic.
CunningSmile on 27 Aug '13 said:
Scored 70% myself a few years ago, but I feel much better adjusted now
Alaric14 on 27 Aug '13 said:
Would sociopaths enjoy this, then? I always thought they'd have a more refined gaming palette. A Hannibal Lector for the world of virtual entertainment, if you like.
In any case, this thing was on my radar for a time only because I liked the psychedelic hilarity of Lollipop Chainsaw, but six trailers later - which detailed the gameplay and story sequences - it managed to rub off all my preemptive enthusiasm. If anyone's into overblown action sequences with QTEs, heavy cutscenes, and bloody violence, they might do well to pick up Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance instead. At least the main character's more likeable...Sort of.
thewrongtrousers on 13 Sep '13 said:
"its the worst"
And yet it scores a 4!!! - not really the worst then (unless the you have never plaed a game lthat deserves lower, in which case you have led a very sheltered life). Not that I have any intention of even playing it, sounds awful.
Maximus T on 13 Sep '13 said:
It seems you mis-read. It says, "it's his worst".
lfcgorsty on 14 Sep '13 said:
I tried Lollipop Chainsaw and hated it, so I steered clear, I'm obviously not the demographic that Suda games are aimed at. After looking at the reviews, I'm glad I did
thewrongtrousers on 16 Sep '13 said:
Well it was a c&p, so must have said 'the' at some point.