Stranglehold Review

This is a video game sequel to John Woos blockbuster hit movie Hard Boiled. The game transpires after the events of Hard Boiled and has everything you would expect from John Woo. Stranglehold is a PlayStation 3, xbox 360, and PC exclusive. Gamers will be in control of protagonist inspector Tequila, and Chow Yun Fat reprises his role as the stylish hero. The plot in Stranglehold is about a little girl being used as ransom; consequently, Tequila is sent to rescue her.

The storyline seems impertinent and takes a backseat to the slow motion and fast action. The gameplay is a swift action packed adventure from start to finish. Players will be immersed in a world that entails bullets flying, cinematic deaths, and plenty of weapons. Virtually the entire environment can be utilized to a certain extent.

If you cannot destroy a pillar, you can probably use it as cover or various other ways during a firefight. In a nutshell, the paramount goal in Stranglehold is to eradicate anything and everything that moves. Players will have a usual arsenal of weapons that include handguns, assault rifles, shotguns, a rocket launcher, and machine guns. In addition, inspector Tequila will be able to utilize four abilities known as Tequila Bombs. These abilities are mapped to the D-pad for easy access, and they all fit the game nicely. In Stranglehold, a visible meter will be at the top of the screen. You have to fill this meter in order to execute a Tequila bomb maneuver. Killing foes is the only way to charge up your meter, so do not be afraid to pull the trigger.

The first Tequila Bomb is a rudimentary health increase. The second Tequila Bomb is precision aiming. Precision aiming gives you a chance to slow down time and accurately target your adversaries. Firing at a particular body part will cause your opponents to act accordingly.

For instance, shooting at his head will cause him to die. Likewise, shooting him in the groin will coerce him to grab his private part and die (my personal favorite place to shoot). The camera will actually zoom in on the bullet in precision aiming mode. The third Tequila Bomb enable you to enter barrage mode. This is very similar to scarface which gives you a balls mode rampage of destruction. It works the same way. You have a limited amount of time where your attributes are enhanced, and you are invincible. The fourth and final Tequila Bomb is a smart bomb. When used, it cause you to pulverize all opponents on screen instantaneously via a cinematic scene. The inspector will spin, (ala max payne 2) and only he will remain standing. Another gameplay aspect that will appease max payne fans is the aforementioned slow motion bullet time. There is a separate meter for this, and it fills up in the same manner as the Tequila Bomb meter. Slow motion can be initiated when running, walking, diving, and interacting with the environment.

Some of the things you will be able to do are running up and down railings and slide across counters while spraying your rivals with bullets (ala Hard Boiled movie). There is no doubt that many players will enjoy the standoffs in Stranglehold, but I found it to be rather arduous. The standoffs play drastically differently from the actual gameplay. Your objective is to evade and fire simultaneously, but this part of the game is cumbersome. The audio is amazing as you will hear gunfire and people soaring through the air. The graphics are somewhat hit or miss. Chow Yun Fat looks exactly like his real life counterpart, and the setting do look like Hong kong. However, a good chunk of the enemies appear insipid. There is multiplayer in Stranglehold, but it is not as engrossing as the single player campaign. Stranglehold does have its flaws which are its short length, and the plot is a disaster.

If anyone is intrigued to get their next max payne fix, then answer is Stranglehold. The comparisons between max payne and Stranglehold are uncanny. From the slow motion bullet time effects to the surprisingly short game, Stranglehold is about as close to max payne as you can get. Even though avid gamers will cruise through Stranglehold in one day, that should not deter anyone from playing the game.

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