Killer7

 PC
User Score
8.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 54 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 45 out of 54
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 54
  3. Negative: 4 out of 54

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  1. VicMiyamoto
    Jun 4, 2019
    10
    Suda51 masterpiece, a amazing new concept of gameplay with a insane story and great grapichs for it's time, a remarkable point of SUDA's career
  2. AngryJobelNerd
    Feb 17, 2019
    10
    One of the most unique experiences out there, and should be played by everyone who plays video games in general. Suda51 fans will be very pleased as well.
  3. CanalJF
    Feb 28, 2020
    10
    To me, it's the best game ever made. An amazing storyline done in an avant garde way mixed with unique and very fitting gameplay. It's an uncanny metaphorical complex adventure.

    A masterpiece, the game that got me into Suda51...
  4. GoodSpellingFor
    Nov 20, 2019
    10
    The most unique game I've ever played and the remaster works great on PC. As excellent as it gets
  5. Yifferboi
    Nov 17, 2018
    10
    Hands down one of the most unique games ever. Now on Steam with a surprisingly respectable port, unlike most NISA games
  6. B-Bog
    Aug 31, 2020
    5
    REALLY awkward controls, especially for aiming. Enemies respawning all the time forces you to come to a halt every 2 metres, switch into first-person-perspective, do the scanning thing without which you can't actually shoot the enemies even though you know where they are, then the scanning thing doesn't work the first five times you try it because the enemy is not close enough, meanwhileREALLY awkward controls, especially for aiming. Enemies respawning all the time forces you to come to a halt every 2 metres, switch into first-person-perspective, do the scanning thing without which you can't actually shoot the enemies even though you know where they are, then the scanning thing doesn't work the first five times you try it because the enemy is not close enough, meanwhile another enemy has closed in on you and exploded, this incapacitates you for another three seconds after which the first enemy has gotten dangerously close, then you try to shoot him but you have to reload, which you didn't know because there's no ammo HUD, and thus this enemy explodes on you too and kills you, which means you have to switch to Garcian Smith because he's the only one capable of collecting corpses so they can be re-animated, so you try to walk from your last save, which is miles away from where you died, to your corpse with the weakest character in the game who still has to deal with the same armies of constantly respawning enemies...Aaaaaaand rage quit.

    The art-style, design, and narrative of the game are very interesting but I find to be very flawed on a mechanical level. There's pretty much no reason at all for the "rail-walking", the game would've been fine or probably even better if it let you walk around freely. I already discussed controls above but the game is also SUPER finicky when it comes to aiming. Like, shots that clearly landed on weak spots just don't get counted. And some shots that the game expects you to make are downright ridiculous, as with the giants. Their head is bobbing while they walk towards you and their eye( weak spot) is constantly opening and closing and on top of that, your own reticle is constantly shaking. Combine this with the afore-mentioned issues and it's basically impossible to take them out once they start moving. One idea would be to take them out from a distance, but then again, the scanning device only works short-range, so, no such luck!

    Don't know if I'll continue playing. Right now I find it to be infuriating (Texas level).    … Expand
  7. KrakenOfPepsi
    Mar 29, 2020
    9
    Some might be quick to point the simplicity of Killer7’s gameplay, and they wouldn’t be wrong. But to focus on the gameplay alone is to almost miss the point of Killer7 entirely. That point being, it really just goes out of its way to be non-conventional at every opportunity, and that includes its game design philosophy. The game IS simple, but that doesn’t mean it lacks depth. Killer7 isSome might be quick to point the simplicity of Killer7’s gameplay, and they wouldn’t be wrong. But to focus on the gameplay alone is to almost miss the point of Killer7 entirely. That point being, it really just goes out of its way to be non-conventional at every opportunity, and that includes its game design philosophy. The game IS simple, but that doesn’t mean it lacks depth. Killer7 is an action game yet it is very slow-paced, the game is on rails yet it has open-ended and large levels, the story on its surface is completely nonsensical but underneath its exterior it is one of the most mature and complex narratives in video games. Killer7 is a living contradiction, and it embraces this fully. Take for example its execution of boss fights; sometimes the game just totally denies you the satisfaction of a boss fight, and has you one-shot the boss with a lazily placed bullet, while others are so obscure in their design that they feel more like a puzzle than a fight. Killer7 IS an action, but it also isn’t an action game, I don’t know how else to put it.

    You could try label Killer7 with genres, but it would end up sounding something like; surrealist, noir, horror, sci-fi, over-the-shoulder, on-rails, puzzle, action-adventure shooter. It doesn’t really roll off the tongue. If you’re wondering how any of these elements co-exist with one another effectively, trust me when I say, it is something you need to see to believe. I say that because it is truly remarkable how Killer7 manages to maintain such a strong sense of mood and atmosphere throughout the entire game, despite constantly toying with expectations and mish-mashing style and genre with complete reverence. The game is absurd and at times hilarious, it is mysterious and deeply intriguing, it is confronting and horrifying, and it is also completely insane yet profound.

    If you were to view the game strictly through a conventional game-design lens so to speak, you wouldn’t be able to deny that the gameplay is pretty simple. Your characters have fairly limited attack and movement options, and because levels are on rails there isn’t as much freedom of exploration as you would have in other games. You can’t customize characters, and you start and end the game with the exact same characters and abilities. But focusing on that alone would overlook so much of what makes this game great. Each level is unique and memorable, the settings are based in reality yet feel other-worldly. The atmosphere is ominous and unnerving, yet has this high energy permeating throughout the whole thing which is so exciting and fun to experience. The simplistic cell-shaded graphics are highly stylized and have aged surprisingly well, the game is dripping with style and feels like you’re watching a piece of art in motion. The story and cut-scenes are highly engaging and interesting, and it makes exploring the levels so much more exciting as you anticipate what will happen next. Enemies are dangerous, and their placement effective. Exploring levels is intense, especially on higher difficulties. It might not seem like horror game on its surface, but it’s definitely one of the best survival-horror games out there. People often attribute Resident Evil’s horror to its gameplay, and attribute Silent Hill’s horror to its atmosphere. I would argue that Killer7 is somewhere in between, but its overall feel is much more like the secret dog ending from Silent Hill 2 than anything mentioned.

    Killer7 came out in a time where games still used cut-scenes as rewards, and it shows. The cut-scene are arguably the best part of the game and they are all so memorable. Twenty years later the game still looks amazing, but the animations are a little rigid here and there, the voice acting however is incredible and gives the characters so much personality and charm, totally overshadowing the slightly dated animations. With how much content was removed from the game, it is astounding that Killer7 still manages to have so much to say in its short length, and craft such a bizarre and rabbit-hole-like story and world.

    There is a lot to unpack in terms of its story, so I won’t bother trying. The game is too complex and bizarre to fully explain, it is best experienced on your own. So despite any issues you might have with the gameplay, the game definitely does not overstay its welcome. Every level keeps the plot moving at an efficient pace, and never slows down. The settings of the levels are all varied and memorable, and some even have their own over-arching gimmicks as well. The game really isn’t that long, and the plot really doesn’t waste time at all. If supernatural assassins fighting power ranger rip-offs while caught up in a cosmic-scale political conspiracy isn’t engaging enough for you, I genuinely don’t know what is. It is a game I CAN recommend, but not to a general audience. People who will like this game already know they like it.    … Expand
  8. HowdyPardner76
    Nov 19, 2019
    10
    This remaster of this huge cult classic works like a charm, everything is there, and they even added subtitles making it easier to understand what's going on. One of the most unique pieces of video games you'll ever come across. Go for it
  9. BlueDemon75
    Dec 1, 2020
    10
    Why is Killer7 a unique and surreal experience and why you should give it a shot?

    Killer7 is an unconventional action-adventure game developed by Grasshopper manufacture and capcom, directed by Suda51 (Later known in the west for No More Heroes) and Shinji Mikami (known for Resident Evil). Killer7 was first released in 2005 for the GameCube and PS2, it later received an HD remaster    Why is Killer7 a unique and surreal experience and why you should give it a shot?

    Killer7 is an unconventional action-adventure game developed by Grasshopper manufacture and capcom, directed by Suda51 (Later known in the west for No More Heroes) and Shinji Mikami (known for Resident Evil). Killer7 was first released in 2005 for the GameCube and PS2, it later received an HD remaster released for PC in 2018 that was perfectly handled by Engine Software.

    In Killer7 you will take the role of one of Harman Smith and his assassins, the ''Smith Syndicate'' the titular Killer 7. You can switch between the assassins during the game as you see fit, as long as they are awaken and ready to go. Each assassin brings a different weapon, weaknesses, strengths and personality to the table, some are more fit to certain jobs than others. You will move through the level, fighting a terrorist group known as ''Heven Smile'', overcome challenges and do everything in your power to reach and assassinate your target.

    So how is the gameplay exaclty?

    In terms of controls, they are rather simple but a bit stiff, getting the hang of it in the PC version can be rather challenging to those used to more modern games. You move the character in a third person mode, however you are locked to pre-determined paths (on rails), it seems limiting at first and it does turn off a lot of people, but once you get used to it, it keep the pacing of the game in a good speed and it does saves you time when it comes to making sure you didn't miss anything while exploring.
    You will be controlling one of the 7 available assassins, however at the start of a mission not all of them will be availabe right of the bat, as you score kills you will be able to awaken the remaining assassins in a safe room.
    During the game you will explore a level, fight enemies, complete puzzles, find information about the game's universe, its individuals, its society and politics, and most importantly collect soul shells that allow you to go trought the vinculum gate and slay your target. The soul shells work as a way to progress in a mission, think of them like collecting keys to open the door where your target is.

    At first sight the concept is simple enough, be an assassin, kill some bad guys. But the world of Killer7 is a nightmarish, hostile and confusing world, everything seems normal on the surface, but a constant feeling of unease is in the air. The deeper you go the more confusing things will get, characters speak in criptic ways, in-universe global politics comes into play along with cultural conflicts and spiritual symbolism. And on top of it all there is a layer of irony and a masterful meta commentary on the real world version of these conflicts. You will never be certain on who is right and who is wrong. The time line of events later published by Suda51 in the book Hand in Killer7 spans close to 400 years, certain official informations given about the world will directly contradict others, things are not what they seem and fans still debate the meaning of certain scenes to this day.

    ''Why would I ever play this then? it sounds like a impenetrable mess.''
    -You, while reading this.

    Well, lore wise it kind of is, however piecing the obscure lore together is part of the experience. Even if you come out of the game and don't understand absolutely nothing I can 100% guaratee that it will leave a lasting impression, you will be thinking about it for days if not weeks afterwards and it is a unique experience no other game can provide, and I'm not being hyperbolic here, I'm serious, there is no other game out there like Killer7. The best word I can use to describe it is ''insanity'', and you will know why from the moment you press new game. In my honest opion, it is is Goichi Suda's Magnum Opus, and Suda himself stated that he might never be able to surpass it. It's been 15 years and it remains a somewhat obscure Gamecube era Master Piece.

    Score: 10/10 // Master Piece [★★★★★★★★★★]    … Expand
  10. PunxND
    Aug 30, 2021
    9
    Killer7 is truly a bizarre but unique game. The best way I could describe it is that it's a game that isn't in my top 10 of best games ever played, yet I feel like it has its own list in terms of it's creativity. There are so many aspects in this game that come off as so creative and brilliant and simply because of that, it's such a strong game. In terms of the PC port itself, it's notKiller7 is truly a bizarre but unique game. The best way I could describe it is that it's a game that isn't in my top 10 of best games ever played, yet I feel like it has its own list in terms of it's creativity. There are so many aspects in this game that come off as so creative and brilliant and simply because of that, it's such a strong game. In terms of the PC port itself, it's not perfect. The tutorial assumes the controller button layout even if you're using a keyboard which made some things confusing if not using a controller, but I found myself still enjoying this game so much. The characters being on rails didn't really ruin the game for me and the keyboard + mouse made aiming much easier.

    Killer7 is a truly unforgettable experience whether you enjoyed playing it or not    … Expand

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 6 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 6
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 6
  3. Negative: 0 out of 6
  1. GameSpew
    Jan 29, 2019
    80
    Killer7 is a mad piece of work, and embracing it doesn’t come all that easily. Those who do open their arms for it though, will find themselves in for one hell of a wild ride.
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  2. GameStar
    Jan 21, 2019
    84
    Surreal action-adventure, which is more art than game. The PC port has not aged.
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  3. DarkStation
    Dec 3, 2018
    100
    Killer7 is a work of art that surprised many in the past. Now that it’s been remastered for the PC, a lot of new players and old fans alike can finally experience the game in gorgeous high definition. Personally, the game has always been a landmark title to me that set a creative standard that has yet to be topped. It’s absolutely polarizing through the ways it breaks conventions in both the story and the gameplay. Overall, Killer7 is a game I absolutely recommend to those interested in layered, artistic experiences or highly-stylized games with surprises at every turn.
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