ｗₐⲕₑ ᵤ𝒑, ៳ₒ𝑛𝑑ₒ

the question that irked me during my playthrough was “what makes this any different or worse than no more heroes?” it’s easy to draw comparisons as they share similar gameplay systems with arguably surface level complexion that revel in mashy combos topped off with brutal finishers. though what makes killer is dead a few pegs lower than nmh in its gameplay is that it blindly takes itself too seriously. the game pleads to be on the same level as prominent action game contemporaries, yet doesn’t take enough of a leap from NMH’s base to reach that point. NMH’s somewhat simple gameplay works for me because it’s self-aware; it knows its combat isn’t super deep or nuanced and makes the most out of it with shorter levels that feature fun gimmicks and comedic flair. KiD is kind of mindless in its approach to this, with having all your action game standards like upgrades, mission based structure, etc etc… without doing much to help it stand out. missions outstay their welcome with noticeably bland level design and bosses where the player’s skills are rarely tested. and even if you take the mediocre level layouts out of the question, there’s nothing all that eye-catching about any of the stages. traversing areas in say killer7 introduced a cornucopia of moody camera angles and striking set-pieces that ominously wrapped around the gameplay. although killer is dead looks pretty, its locales are conversely too bland.

ₒ𝒑ₑ𝑛 𝑦ₒᵤᵣ ₑ𝑦ₑ𝑠, ᵢ𝑡𝑠 𝑡ᵢ𝑚ₑ 𝑡ₒ 𝑑ᵢₑ

overall feels a bit like a mashup of random aspects from NMH and killer7 to mediocre prevail. notably trying to replicate NMH’s humor in tandem with k7’s tone without understanding what makes either of which work so well. NMH’s comedy works because it recognizes itself as a parody/critique of the genres that influenced it. killer7’s notoriety stands tall on a secure horror and political thriller infested foundation. killer is dead’s humor and story fall flat because its writing lacks any sort of flair or legitimate intrigue. the moon shows up god knows how many times however i struggle to find any true motivation for its inclusion. it’s as if the devs looked back at games like the silver case and killer7, saw they had moons show up a few times, and figured it’d be a good idea to reuse that motif more obnoxiously in order to fit in. the same could be said for many analogous aspects in the game.

𝑦ₒᵤ’ᵣₑ 𝑚ₐⲕᵢ𝑛𝑔 𝑚ₑ 𝑏Լᵤ𝑠ⲏ

the worst offense here, without a doubt, are the “Mondo Girls” side missions. your goal? silently stare down your date’s body uncomfortably while they aren’t looking and receive compliments from them! sucks. terrible. garbage. mondo seems to enjoy diving headfirst into misogyny. even funnier during one of the later levels when he inquires “Is our game ethical?” it must’ve been rhetorical, right?

тⲏₑ ⱼₒ𝑏…ⲕᵢԼԼₑᵣ ᵢ𝑠 𝑑ₑₐ𝑑

maybe it’s unfair of me to compare this so closely to grasshopper’s previous titles, though i believe it’s justified with how much inspiration it draws from them. also i feel like grasshopper has that sort of reputation with a standard to uphold you know? i’ll still give this game points in that regard, because at least it’s better than no more heroes 2.