It took a while, but yeah, I can see why people like this so much.
Killer7 is hands down one of the strangest games I have ever played, and even after having played the Silver Case, Killer7 took a lot of time to grapple with. Extremely distinct cel-shaded visuals that somehow look way more gritty and daunting than any of its peers? Check. Strange controls and concept of your usual gameplay mechanisms (the shooter, but now it's a rail shooter where you can somehow aim everywhere?) that feel really screwy and kooky at first but after finishing it, you come to the conclusion that there's no other way this game could be played? Check. A bat-shit crazy story that includes some variety of guns, nukes, blood, global relations, and the human psyche? Check. It's SUDA51 distilled at its core, and somehow even after some familiarity with his works this game was so strange yet alluring to me.
Perhaps the only major criticism I have is that the game's mechanics aren't super well explained; you have to sit in a room and listen to Iwazaru prattle on for a solid half hour if you want to understand EVERY game mechanic (and you actually will need to, because this game pulls every trick out of its bag and is not afraid to maximize every tool). I feel like this could have been alleviated somewhat if the game mechanics were introduced in an interactive tutorial (such as the special abilities being used for the first time, or healing with thin blood), and this was admittingly one of the barriers that caused me to put down this game for an entire year. That said, while I was feeling quite lukewarm at first, I really warmed up to how the game played and what it demonstrated as I went along, and needless to say this is one game that is now embedded within my permanent memory and will be quite difficult to forget, if at all. It might seem like one of the most out there games (and it is, in many respects), but I recommend that everyone at least try it out and put aside their reservations and expectations; just let SUDA51 take you for a ride. It's quite an adventure.
Killer7 is hands down one of the strangest games I have ever played, and even after having played the Silver Case, Killer7 took a lot of time to grapple with. Extremely distinct cel-shaded visuals that somehow look way more gritty and daunting than any of its peers? Check. Strange controls and concept of your usual gameplay mechanisms (the shooter, but now it's a rail shooter where you can somehow aim everywhere?) that feel really screwy and kooky at first but after finishing it, you come to the conclusion that there's no other way this game could be played? Check. A bat-shit crazy story that includes some variety of guns, nukes, blood, global relations, and the human psyche? Check. It's SUDA51 distilled at its core, and somehow even after some familiarity with his works this game was so strange yet alluring to me.
Perhaps the only major criticism I have is that the game's mechanics aren't super well explained; you have to sit in a room and listen to Iwazaru prattle on for a solid half hour if you want to understand EVERY game mechanic (and you actually will need to, because this game pulls every trick out of its bag and is not afraid to maximize every tool). I feel like this could have been alleviated somewhat if the game mechanics were introduced in an interactive tutorial (such as the special abilities being used for the first time, or healing with thin blood), and this was admittingly one of the barriers that caused me to put down this game for an entire year. That said, while I was feeling quite lukewarm at first, I really warmed up to how the game played and what it demonstrated as I went along, and needless to say this is one game that is now embedded within my permanent memory and will be quite difficult to forget, if at all. It might seem like one of the most out there games (and it is, in many respects), but I recommend that everyone at least try it out and put aside their reservations and expectations; just let SUDA51 take you for a ride. It's quite an adventure.