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Home / Hawkes Bay Today / Lifestyle

Game Review: Killer is Dead

Ian Knott
NZME. regionals·
6 Sep, 2013 06:00 PM2 mins to read

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Killer is Dead.

Killer is Dead.

If there's one thing you can be assured of when you pick up a game envisioned by the now legendary Suda51 - it's a whole heap of weirdness.

But he has a track record of turning crazy into genius, and his latest - Killer is Dead - is no exception. Playing as professional assassin Mondo Zappa (in any other game, this would be a ridiculous name) you traverse the globe eliminating enemies or whomever employers Bryan Execution Firm pay you to kill.

The gameplay in these missions becomes repetitive; hack and slash your way through waves of henchmen and creatures before arriving at a boss battle - wash, rinse and repeat.

But what saves Killer is Dead from mediocrity is the highest quality cell-shaded graphic style we've ever seen. There's more thought and artistic beauty in this game's menu system than most games could ever dream of having.

The game earns its R18 rating from extreme gore, violence, and strong sexual and misogynistic themes. Mondo's katana and cybernetic arm, that acts as a gun, dishes out brutal damage on enemies. A solid upgrading system gives the game replay value. Although the game doesn't have multiplayer modes, the single player campaign holds enough action to keep the toughest critics happy. The combat's repetitive nature may drive away some players, but fans of Persona, Killer 7 or No More Heroes will love Killer is Dead.

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Killer is Dead
From: Grasshopper Manufacture
For: Xbox 360
Rating: 4 / 5

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