It's definitely one of the more unique games I've played. But putting aside the novelty, its a very mixed bag.
Gameplay wise, it actually worked surprisingly well. Once you get past a pretty awkward learning curve at the very start, the rest of the game is pretty enjoyable to get through. Things never get too overwhelming so as to strain the limitations of the control scheme but still keeps things interesting with the constant addition of new enemy types and strange map layouts. While I would hardly call any of the gameplay great, it was far better than what I was expecting when I first started playing.
The story is where things start getting harder to evaluate. Like Suda51's other work, Killer7 is not told in a very straightforward way. Characters talk with strange mannerisms and bring up stuff that barely seems related to whats actually happening. And when the events themselves are already so weird and indecipherable, adding that extra layer of obfuscation can make the story feel like a fever dream at times. Even after reading the wiki and watching several videos analyzing the story, I'm still quite confused on a lot of the details. And, especially difficult when it comes to reviewing this game, it really doesn't help that a lot of the lore and story comes from supplemental material so even the stuff that is interesting might not be attributable to the contents of the game itself.
I'd probably give Killer7 a tentative recommendation. Its a pretty short game, clocking in at just over 13 hours for me, so you're not gonna be sinking too much time into it. And while it may have some rough points, the game's unique character really helps keep those issues from ever taking center stage. So give it a shot. Get through the first level at least to see whether you care to keep going.
Gameplay wise, it actually worked surprisingly well. Once you get past a pretty awkward learning curve at the very start, the rest of the game is pretty enjoyable to get through. Things never get too overwhelming so as to strain the limitations of the control scheme but still keeps things interesting with the constant addition of new enemy types and strange map layouts. While I would hardly call any of the gameplay great, it was far better than what I was expecting when I first started playing.
The story is where things start getting harder to evaluate. Like Suda51's other work, Killer7 is not told in a very straightforward way. Characters talk with strange mannerisms and bring up stuff that barely seems related to whats actually happening. And when the events themselves are already so weird and indecipherable, adding that extra layer of obfuscation can make the story feel like a fever dream at times. Even after reading the wiki and watching several videos analyzing the story, I'm still quite confused on a lot of the details. And, especially difficult when it comes to reviewing this game, it really doesn't help that a lot of the lore and story comes from supplemental material so even the stuff that is interesting might not be attributable to the contents of the game itself.
I'd probably give Killer7 a tentative recommendation. Its a pretty short game, clocking in at just over 13 hours for me, so you're not gonna be sinking too much time into it. And while it may have some rough points, the game's unique character really helps keep those issues from ever taking center stage. So give it a shot. Get through the first level at least to see whether you care to keep going.