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| Stranglehold |
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| Action/Adventure |
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| Tiger Hill Entertainment |
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| Midway |
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14th September 07 |
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5th September 07 |
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N/A |
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N/A |
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Hard Boiled is an excellent movie and one that starts off pretty explosive; as one good cop (Chow Yun Fat) struggles to clamp down on the gangs and kingpins of the city. It’s gritty, bloody and full of action sequences that director John Woo has come renowned for. Well the team at Midway Studios certainly can see the potential of John Woo’s style being converted into video game format as they are currently working hard on the Xbox 360 game Stranglehold; which not only features the likeness of acclaimed actor Chow Yun Fat but also features the talents of the man himself John Woo who has provided his expertise to the project.
From the off I have to mention a game called Max Payne, there I’ve said it, as a lot of peoples reactions to Stranglehold when they first see it in action is the obvious resemblance to the Max Payne games. Well for the record Max Payne was released some time ago on Xbox to much critical acclaim and was one of the pioneering titles to feature a comprehensive “Bullet Time” system. Since then a number of titles have incorporated the feature and it is almost an industry standard in action titles. However, whilst Max Payne and Stranglehold might feature similar action, the execution and presentation are far apart now; especially as the developers have the Xbox 360 hardware at their disposal.
In Stranglehold players resume the role of Inspector Tequila and if you didn’t know he was the leading character in the movie Hard Boiled. Stranglehold follows on from the movie in which the outspoken Inspector continues to dish out his very own form of capital punishment on the undesirables of Hong Kong and Chicago. Although Tequila’s methods could be frowned upon he always gets the job done as he fears no man or bullet. Tequila’s family have been kidnapped by the crime lords and so it’s down to the player to get them home safely by any means necessary.
Stranglehold is a third person action game in which players can run and shoot through levels such as a tea house, restaurant, museum and marketplace to name but a few, causing as much destruction as possible; especially to the thugs that litter the levels. Players will be able to carve their own mark on areas by simply shooting surfaces and using explosives. Stranglehold uses the Unreal Engine 3 combined with the Havoc physics engine to provide a gaming experience like no other. During gun battles, and please expect plenty of them throughout the game; players will be able to dual wield guns and what is worthy of note is the level of collateral damage that can be caused. Tiles will shatter when shot bits of wood will splinter and concrete walls can be slowly disintegrated with sustained gun fire. Of course there will be plenty of bullet casings and bullet holes in objects as well as the mess you’ve created in the furious gun battles which can be viewed afterwards; almost like one of those artists who chuck paint at canvass. Players will have different experiences based on how they play and what destruction they cause. The sheer destruction that is possible is something to behold and will no doubt add to the realism of the game (in some respects). Plenty of games create the impression of furious damaging gun battles but rarely have stuff to show you afterwards especially when things like bodies disappear or broken objects fade away after a few seconds; there will be no such tricks in Stranglehold.
As mentioned earlier, Max Payne was one of the first games to get the “Bullet Time” effect right; well Stranglehold aims to do the same by offering the player the chance to slow down time whilst remaining focused and moving at normal speed. In Stranglehold this is called “Tequila Time” and enables Inspector Tequila the chance to dish out even more punishment in style. Players will be able to grab hold of chandeliers run up banisters and perform all sorts of high action stunts that you come to expect from a John Woo shootout. We’re promised a seamless system which will be intuitive and easy enough that even your grandma could kick some serious ass whilst looking awesomely spectacular at the same time. The team have partnered with John Woo to create the same level of intense battles that you would expect from his movies; so not only has he participated in the scripting of the game but also had a leading role in the game’s cinematic direction and special effects. Chow Yun Fat’s likeness looks totally convincing as he was captured in China by the team; he also lends his voice to the game.
Stranglehold is definitely looking like a game to watch; many might dismiss it as a Max Payne clone but judging from the developer videos it’s clear that with John Woo’s assistance and direction, Stranglehold will have enough substance to make playing it a pure joy. I personally think this game will be brilliant not only as a fan of the movie Hard Boiled but as a gamer looking for some no nonsense action. Stranglehold is due for release on Xbox 360 this autumn/fall.
Preview By: Robert Cram
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