How can a game be so mindboggling, charming, terrifying, frustrating, and intriguing at the same time? I don't even know myself, but the way killer7 can be all of these things and still serve as a completely fresh experience is beyond me.

Just playing this game is an absolute joy, while also being a nightmare as well. At first, the odd control scheme can throw people off at first. I mean, how would a game where you press one button to move be interesting? But as you finish that same first chapter, it feels like second nature, and has engraved its way into your muscle memory.
The sound design is absolutely chilling as well. The Heaven Smiles have devious laughs, sounding childish, but also very creepy in a way. There were too many times where their shrieks caught me off guard, and even made me jump out of my chair sometimes. But you know what's even better than hearing the smiles?

Killing them. Never has shooting something with a gun ever felt so natural, so addicting. At many times, it feels like ecstasy. The voices of the Smiths add to this as well. For a GameCube game, the voice acting is phenomenal. Hearing classic lines like:

"This is too easy..."

"Fuck You!"

"Son of a bitch..."

"Hurts, doesn't it?"

God, it sends chills down my spine every single time.

There are way too many confusing elements in this game, and I think that adds to its overall fear factor. The story has many gripping moments that will have you baffled but also enticed, the fact that you can barely see the heaven smiles until you scan the room for them adds a nice layer of dread while moving through the buildings, the many ghosts you find throughout the game with their jumbled up speech patterns are - interesting to say the least, the visceral cel-shaded visuals that have quite a simple look to it, these all just make the game so chilling and unsettling to playthrough, but they also just add to the game's uniqueness and hook you on to its freaky vibes even more.

I could go on about this game - the story (especially near the end) is a big clusterfuck containing politics, (and it's a big shame it was never fully finished) the bosses are really awesome, there's just too much to say about it. I'm kinda sad there's no other game like this, but I'm also glad there isn't, because this is one that will definitely stick with me for a very, very long time. wow.