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John Woo Presents Stranglehold on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC
Distributed by
Midway Games Ltd
Posted: December 14th, 2007.
Companies are always going on about the synergy between movies and video games, but all this really ever seems
to mean is lots of dreadful movie tie-ins where all the money has been spent on celebrity voiceovers. Stranglehold
is different though, in that it’s essentially a sequel to 1992’s classic movie Hard Boiled, made purely for video
games. This time Inspector "Tequila" Yuen is unleashing his unorthodox policing methods on Russian crime bosses in
both Hong Kong and Chicago.
It stars the likeness of original lead Chow Yun Fat and has been developed with hands-on help from director John
Woo – who it turns out does seem to know a thing or two about video games.
Of course video games have been ripping off John Woo for years, particularly his trademark slow motion shots of
two-handed pistol action. As a result this initially seems dangerously similar to Max Payne et al., but the
graphical power of the next generation consoles and PC ensures that this is a far more dynamic and interactive
affair.
Not only can you make use of a bullet time effect (call "Tequila time" here) to slow down time around
you but almost all of the scenery can be used too, from sliding down banisters guns firing to scooting across
the room on top of a waiter’s trolley. The damage done as you go is truly impressive, with tiles shattering off
the walls, chandeliers impaling bad guys as they fall and electric wires and water mains unhinging themselves
everywhere. Making a mess has never been so much fun.
Features:
- Dual-wielding, stung-laden gunplay combined with massive destructible environments ensures that Stranglehold is a true tour-de-force. The environmental interactivity and two-fisted gunplay all come online, bringing the experience to a whole new level
- Experience flowing gameplay, such as running up railings, swinging on chandeliers, and leaping onto moving objects, all without interrupting intense gun battles
- Featuring the cinematic flare of action director John Woo, Stranglehold also benefits from Woo’s direction on storyline, camera placement, and cut-scenes. Starring international action-star Chow Yun-Fat as Inspector Yuen, the game’s cast is comprised of other A-list Hollywood talent
- Using the Massive D physics engine, bring the world down on your enemies, carve your own realistic path of destruction through environments, and maneuver through unique piles of debris which persist in the environment
- Engage the enemy in Tequila Time by targeting and firing in real-time while the world dramatically slows down, and enjoy the exhilaration of running up railings, swinging from chandeliers, and leaping onto moving objects – all without complex controls
- Using a highly modified version of the Unreal 3.0 engine integrated with the Havok physics system, Stranglehold breathes new life into game environments and characters with stunning graphics. Incredible physics make it possible for everything in the world to be destructible and interactive, allowing for an ever-changing battleground depending on how players approach different situations
The game retails on the following formats at: Xbox 360 £49.99, PS3 £49.99 and PC £34.99,
and a full review will follow early in the new year.
Click on the formats above to purchase the title.
News page content input by Dominic Robinson, 2007.
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DVDs reviewed by the editor are watched on a Panasonic TXW32R4 32" widescreen TV
connected to either a Creative Dxr2 DVD-ROM player or Microsoft Xbox and
played through a Sony STR-DB930 amplifier.
PC games reviewed by the editor are on:
Since Nov 2005: Intel Pentium D 830 3.0Ghz, 1Gb RAM, 128Mb nVidia GeForce 6700XL, Windows XP
Since Aug 2003: Intel Pentium 4 2.66Ghz, 512Mb RAM, 128Mb GeForce4 MX440 graphics, Windows XP
Since May 2003: Intel Pentium 4 2.6Ghz, 512Mb RAM, 128Mb ATI Radeon 9600TX graphics, Windows XP
Since Jun 2002: Intel Pentium III 600Mhz, 384Mb RAM, Windows 98 SE, 64Mb ATI Radeon 8500LE
Since May 2000: Intel Pentium III 600Mhz, 384Mb RAM, Windows 98 SE, Voodoo 3 3000 AGP
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