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 a 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
