58 reviews liked by Thicco0
Killer on Debt
Suda51's Killer is Dead was one of the many titles produced during the "Dark Era" of Grasshopper Manufactured as a developer since they're not publishers themselves. The 7th gen on consoles and the craze of action games, no matter the type was an age to learn the in and outs of the market. Say; your Bayonnetas, Devil May Cries, your Metal Gear Revengeances and even No More Heroes, something more close to home. Each one adding their own flair and substance beyond just connecting combos; the story, characters, dialogue, style, music and the overall presentation helps a lot of these titles stand on their own in top of being Hack and Slash games.
What doesn't suit me much with Killer is Dead is the overall package itself. The consistency in a game is key, maintaining a structure that can last is hard. Specially when we're talking about videogames. Killer is Dead greatest sin is that it can't mantain it at all, and when it does is you start to notice that something is missing. This leads me to believe that: Development time was tight and not enough, it was too ambitious and due to a lack of funding a lot of stuff had to be cut or simple inexperience led to a subpart product.
Takes some light inspiration from No More Heroes combat, combined with a simple yet fun upgrade system and killer7 signature cell-shading style and even the word "killer" slapped on the title. The combat is really fun albeit braindead easy and can get really repetitive on longer sections that require you to fight endless hordes of faceless enemies. It emphazises a "counter and strike" playstyle towards the normal enemies and being agressive towards some bosses; either dodge or parry their attacks to squeeze more juice out of the combat. When it comes to style, Killer is Dead is one hell of a looker, we don't see many games if any with the style that originated in killer7 emphasizing the crude and raw colors over the scenery, specially the blacks disguised as overly thick shadows. Killer is Dead has some of that, but it failed to secure a peaceful cohesion with all of the visual flare it has to offer. It is very close but they might have gone overboard with the motion blur and glow in general? While killer7 remained mostly calm and gave you enough time to analyze the scenery in your head without any intrusive post-processing effect while on gameplay. It is distracting in Killer is Dead if we compare it directly to killer7, it unecessarily stains an already clean image and thus ruining some of the merit it might had towards the future at least for me.
This time we the take control of "Mondo Zappa" and no it's not Sumio Mondo's lost cousin or anything just because they share that word. "Mondo" means "World" in Italian and my guess is because both characters travel around the world very often due to their jobs. Zappa works under an agency sustained by taxes, which means they work for the goverment, and their main goal is to execute whoever the client at hand is asking. Each chapter is treated as missions or levels which can be selected on a world map alongside sitting with some side-content in top of it alá No More Heroes 2. "Giggolo" as they're called are basically side-missions were we need...to enchant women with gifts? The whole ordeal is unnecessary, used as an excuse to give us new gadgets to make combat/exploration easier. It might be one of the many corporate meddling decisions that Grasshopper wered force to include because it really feels out of place and not something even a teenager would like. Lame.
Back to the story itself. It is known by most people that Suda51 makes games for a specific type of audience, they're not for everybody and that is perfectly okay. The weird and outlandish style can both attract and discourage people to try these games. Most Suda51's work tend to be chaotic on the surface, but subtle on the inside; Killer is Dead is vague and tries to tell it's whole narrative in that style. You see, killer7 worked because it has a fundation to stand on and the details of the story while vague were presented correctly as it had a lot to tell and was complex even for it's time. Killer is Dead narrative is quite simple but burried under layers and layers of vague dialogue and shiny visuals that end up confusing more than answering the questions themselves. That is why Killer is Dead fails for the most part and it is why I feel indifferent towards it.
Killer is Dead is worse that the sum of it's part. On one side it is a good and stylish action game, on the other side the music and the story are quite underwhealing and doesn't do much to shine on it's own so I barely had any reason to go forward outside just wanting to finish it. Play it if you're in the mood but don't feel forced to do so, it's 2$ on Steam on most sales.
Suda51's Killer is Dead was one of the many titles produced during the "Dark Era" of Grasshopper Manufactured as a developer since they're not publishers themselves. The 7th gen on consoles and the craze of action games, no matter the type was an age to learn the in and outs of the market. Say; your Bayonnetas, Devil May Cries, your Metal Gear Revengeances and even No More Heroes, something more close to home. Each one adding their own flair and substance beyond just connecting combos; the story, characters, dialogue, style, music and the overall presentation helps a lot of these titles stand on their own in top of being Hack and Slash games.
What doesn't suit me much with Killer is Dead is the overall package itself. The consistency in a game is key, maintaining a structure that can last is hard. Specially when we're talking about videogames. Killer is Dead greatest sin is that it can't mantain it at all, and when it does is you start to notice that something is missing. This leads me to believe that: Development time was tight and not enough, it was too ambitious and due to a lack of funding a lot of stuff had to be cut or simple inexperience led to a subpart product.
Takes some light inspiration from No More Heroes combat, combined with a simple yet fun upgrade system and killer7 signature cell-shading style and even the word "killer" slapped on the title. The combat is really fun albeit braindead easy and can get really repetitive on longer sections that require you to fight endless hordes of faceless enemies. It emphazises a "counter and strike" playstyle towards the normal enemies and being agressive towards some bosses; either dodge or parry their attacks to squeeze more juice out of the combat. When it comes to style, Killer is Dead is one hell of a looker, we don't see many games if any with the style that originated in killer7 emphasizing the crude and raw colors over the scenery, specially the blacks disguised as overly thick shadows. Killer is Dead has some of that, but it failed to secure a peaceful cohesion with all of the visual flare it has to offer. It is very close but they might have gone overboard with the motion blur and glow in general? While killer7 remained mostly calm and gave you enough time to analyze the scenery in your head without any intrusive post-processing effect while on gameplay. It is distracting in Killer is Dead if we compare it directly to killer7, it unecessarily stains an already clean image and thus ruining some of the merit it might had towards the future at least for me.
This time we the take control of "Mondo Zappa" and no it's not Sumio Mondo's lost cousin or anything just because they share that word. "Mondo" means "World" in Italian and my guess is because both characters travel around the world very often due to their jobs. Zappa works under an agency sustained by taxes, which means they work for the goverment, and their main goal is to execute whoever the client at hand is asking. Each chapter is treated as missions or levels which can be selected on a world map alongside sitting with some side-content in top of it alá No More Heroes 2. "Giggolo" as they're called are basically side-missions were we need...to enchant women with gifts? The whole ordeal is unnecessary, used as an excuse to give us new gadgets to make combat/exploration easier. It might be one of the many corporate meddling decisions that Grasshopper wered force to include because it really feels out of place and not something even a teenager would like. Lame.
Back to the story itself. It is known by most people that Suda51 makes games for a specific type of audience, they're not for everybody and that is perfectly okay. The weird and outlandish style can both attract and discourage people to try these games. Most Suda51's work tend to be chaotic on the surface, but subtle on the inside; Killer is Dead is vague and tries to tell it's whole narrative in that style. You see, killer7 worked because it has a fundation to stand on and the details of the story while vague were presented correctly as it had a lot to tell and was complex even for it's time. Killer is Dead narrative is quite simple but burried under layers and layers of vague dialogue and shiny visuals that end up confusing more than answering the questions themselves. That is why Killer is Dead fails for the most part and it is why I feel indifferent towards it.
Killer is Dead is worse that the sum of it's part. On one side it is a good and stylish action game, on the other side the music and the story are quite underwhealing and doesn't do much to shine on it's own so I barely had any reason to go forward outside just wanting to finish it. Play it if you're in the mood but don't feel forced to do so, it's 2$ on Steam on most sales.
Killer Is Dead
2013
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.
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.
It’s definitely a Sega game. It’s definitely a Sonic Team game. It was definitely released in the mid 90s.
What exactly is ‘NiGHTS into dreams…’? I can’t quite answer that myself even to this day.
Is it a video game? Well, yes. Is it a platformer? Yes, but no. Is it a collectathon? Yes, but no. Is it a simulator? Yes, but no. Is it an action game? Yes, but no.
Is it a worthwhile and in-depth experience that is infinitely replayable? Yes.
These are the things I think about when I think of NiGHTS. To some it’s just a niche little Sonic Team game, but if you look further, it’s more than that. NiGHTS is a great showcase of what Sega was during the mid to late 90s.
Some may know where I’m going with this. You might be annoyed that I’m the thousandth person to say ‘Sega was struggling during the mid to late 90s due to its failure in the console market,’ but you can’t deny that it’s a fact, and a crucial part in the history of gaming as a whole. With the release of the Saturn, Sega hoped to dominate the sales of Nintendo’s new N64 and newcomer Sony with their ‘Playstation.’ Of course, this didn’t pan out well and the Saturn sold mediocre in all territories outside of Japan. But of course as Sega, they still had their fair share of unique exclusive titles to their system. NiGHTS is one of these titles.
NiGHTS showcases Sega’s uniquety, and how Sonic Team can make a damn good game that isn’t related to the hedgehog we all know. Takashi Iizuka and his team poured their heart and souls into this game. They spent most of their time learning all about dreams in order to create the most immersive and relatable experience. They wanted the game to feel like a real dream, because the game is a dream.
NiGHTS as a character is relatable, but not relatable at the same time. NiGHTS can be however you see fit in your mind, and I think that’s why I feel that way about the character. You don’t always understand it because you are its creator. You don’t quite understand yourself, and in a dream, you aren’t very conscious of who you really are at all. Nightopia was, and still is intended to be a place you can lose yourself in. A place you can call home, but not quite your “home.”
Elliot and Claire may seem like simple children on the surface, but they are somewhat multilayered if you think about them deeply enough. In the game, they are our connection to the dream world. They are the ones that we see the dream world through in the course of our adventure. As explained by Yuji Naka himself, Elliot and Claire represent the ‘Anima’ and ‘Animus’ dream archetypes respectively. The Anima, as described by Carl Jung, is “the feminine aspect in men,” while the Animus is “the masculine aspect in women.” These traits are reflected in NiGHTS, as it is a “Shadow” or a reflected being of the self.
NiGHTS is who you are. You are NiGHTS.
Controlling yourself in the gameplay of NiGHTS into dreams is smooth and feels natural. Dodging obstacles and gracefully grabbing orbs feels satisfying and getting good at it feels rewarding with the receivement of that sweet ‘A’ rank. The 2.5D aspect of the game really helps it feel more immersive and well, like a dream world. Nightopia is not without its variety, with snowy mountains, an overgrown museum, and rocky mountain tops. The interesting setpieces and unique obstacles keep the gameplay fresh and exciting.
The bosses and enemies are referred to as “Nightmaren.” They live in the opposite, negative world to the dream world; a nightmare world if you will. They’re twisted reflections of negative emotions the dreamer has within them. Even you, as NiGHTS have one.
The beautifully composed soundtrack is the cherry on top of this excellent experience. Catchy tunes that are different each time based on the mood and emotions of the Nightopians. What are Nightopians? They are the living beings within Nightopia. They sing, dance, and can even breed. Their moods will change depending on your actions in the stage and change the mood of the music as well. These creatures run on the prototype system for the Sonic series’ “Chao;” The A-Life System. The A-Life System is an in-depth system used for the development and raising of Nightopians. I still don’t even know how it works, but it’s such a Sonic Team thing. Leave it to Naka and his development team to create something so complex yet so inconsequential in the grand scheme of things.
“To be this good takes Ages.” Damn right it does. NiGHTS is the perfect example of what Sega could do with their ideas back then and create an enjoyable yet immersive game out of them.
I’m not sure what else to say, so all I have left to say is: Play this game. Even if the idea of this ‘dream world’ doesn’t appeal to you, at least give it a small try. It goes on sale frequently on Steam and even so, it’s only ten bucks. This game is a personal favorite of mine if you couldn’t already tell so I give it one of the highest recommendations I can possibly give.
“NiGHTS came from your dreams too. Being so, NiGHTS will keep living for a long time.” - Yuji Naka.
What exactly is ‘NiGHTS into dreams…’? I can’t quite answer that myself even to this day.
Is it a video game? Well, yes. Is it a platformer? Yes, but no. Is it a collectathon? Yes, but no. Is it a simulator? Yes, but no. Is it an action game? Yes, but no.
Is it a worthwhile and in-depth experience that is infinitely replayable? Yes.
These are the things I think about when I think of NiGHTS. To some it’s just a niche little Sonic Team game, but if you look further, it’s more than that. NiGHTS is a great showcase of what Sega was during the mid to late 90s.
Some may know where I’m going with this. You might be annoyed that I’m the thousandth person to say ‘Sega was struggling during the mid to late 90s due to its failure in the console market,’ but you can’t deny that it’s a fact, and a crucial part in the history of gaming as a whole. With the release of the Saturn, Sega hoped to dominate the sales of Nintendo’s new N64 and newcomer Sony with their ‘Playstation.’ Of course, this didn’t pan out well and the Saturn sold mediocre in all territories outside of Japan. But of course as Sega, they still had their fair share of unique exclusive titles to their system. NiGHTS is one of these titles.
NiGHTS showcases Sega’s uniquety, and how Sonic Team can make a damn good game that isn’t related to the hedgehog we all know. Takashi Iizuka and his team poured their heart and souls into this game. They spent most of their time learning all about dreams in order to create the most immersive and relatable experience. They wanted the game to feel like a real dream, because the game is a dream.
NiGHTS as a character is relatable, but not relatable at the same time. NiGHTS can be however you see fit in your mind, and I think that’s why I feel that way about the character. You don’t always understand it because you are its creator. You don’t quite understand yourself, and in a dream, you aren’t very conscious of who you really are at all. Nightopia was, and still is intended to be a place you can lose yourself in. A place you can call home, but not quite your “home.”
Elliot and Claire may seem like simple children on the surface, but they are somewhat multilayered if you think about them deeply enough. In the game, they are our connection to the dream world. They are the ones that we see the dream world through in the course of our adventure. As explained by Yuji Naka himself, Elliot and Claire represent the ‘Anima’ and ‘Animus’ dream archetypes respectively. The Anima, as described by Carl Jung, is “the feminine aspect in men,” while the Animus is “the masculine aspect in women.” These traits are reflected in NiGHTS, as it is a “Shadow” or a reflected being of the self.
NiGHTS is who you are. You are NiGHTS.
Controlling yourself in the gameplay of NiGHTS into dreams is smooth and feels natural. Dodging obstacles and gracefully grabbing orbs feels satisfying and getting good at it feels rewarding with the receivement of that sweet ‘A’ rank. The 2.5D aspect of the game really helps it feel more immersive and well, like a dream world. Nightopia is not without its variety, with snowy mountains, an overgrown museum, and rocky mountain tops. The interesting setpieces and unique obstacles keep the gameplay fresh and exciting.
The bosses and enemies are referred to as “Nightmaren.” They live in the opposite, negative world to the dream world; a nightmare world if you will. They’re twisted reflections of negative emotions the dreamer has within them. Even you, as NiGHTS have one.
The beautifully composed soundtrack is the cherry on top of this excellent experience. Catchy tunes that are different each time based on the mood and emotions of the Nightopians. What are Nightopians? They are the living beings within Nightopia. They sing, dance, and can even breed. Their moods will change depending on your actions in the stage and change the mood of the music as well. These creatures run on the prototype system for the Sonic series’ “Chao;” The A-Life System. The A-Life System is an in-depth system used for the development and raising of Nightopians. I still don’t even know how it works, but it’s such a Sonic Team thing. Leave it to Naka and his development team to create something so complex yet so inconsequential in the grand scheme of things.
“To be this good takes Ages.” Damn right it does. NiGHTS is the perfect example of what Sega could do with their ideas back then and create an enjoyable yet immersive game out of them.
I’m not sure what else to say, so all I have left to say is: Play this game. Even if the idea of this ‘dream world’ doesn’t appeal to you, at least give it a small try. It goes on sale frequently on Steam and even so, it’s only ten bucks. This game is a personal favorite of mine if you couldn’t already tell so I give it one of the highest recommendations I can possibly give.
“NiGHTS came from your dreams too. Being so, NiGHTS will keep living for a long time.” - Yuji Naka.
yuji naka got me feeling like nights in tangerines... trapped in the idea palace cause of that gay little jester (reala), help LOL!
The gameplay is literally unbeatable, it's never felt so good to sneak around bases and take out enemies. It's a shame that the rest of the game is clearly unfinished. Still, that gameplay is so strong that this remains one of my favorite MGS games. The wizardry on display with the FOX engine's scaling resource usage is unparalleled, too.
Obligatory "fuck konami".
Obligatory "fuck konami".
Raiden got screwed over by a girl with a flower type name just like me
This game kinda sucks until the last 10 hours
probably the most perfect stealth game out there
probably the most perfect stealth game out there
This is my favorite game ever
I like a good dungeon crawler, this one's just okay.
Easy boring gameplay fantastic story and characters.
