John Woo Presents Stranglehold – 360 – Review

Ask action filmmakers
Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez who their biggest influence in Hong Kong
action cinema is and they’ll tell you that it’s – hands down – action master
John Woo. It is John Woo who takes a gunfight and turns it into a surreally
beautiful choreographed tango of bullets, blood and doves. It is John Woo who
continues to influence action filmmakers around the globe and introduced the
world to Chow Yun-Fat, quite easily one of the most brilliant actors to come out
of Hong Kong. These two talents together have made some fine action flicks (like
The Killer and Hard Boiled to name a few) so it made sense to put
them together in a game that mixes that action-packed Woo style with the charm
of one cool actor. John Woo Presents Stranglehold for the Xbox 360 is
everything action fans could want but then again it might leave you wishing for
a longer director’s cut.

Stranglehold
features Inspector Tequila Yuen (who was played by Chow Yun-Fat in the movie and
now in the game), the shoot-first-forget-the-questions Hong Kong cop from
Hard Boiled. In fact, the game serves as a sequel to Woo’s action-packed cop
flick and serves up a hot plate of action and drama that the film offered fans
of the genre. Here, Tequila finds himself up in a war between two powerful Triad
gangs in Hong Kong that fight to take control of the criminal underworld. After
the death of a fellow officer, Tequila sets out to find out what the Dragon Claw
is up to and why this case involves the Russian mob and the Triad boss’ daughter
and granddaughter. It’s an interesting story set in the backdrop of some pretty
exotic locales and with plenty of twists along the way but the story never gets
deep nor does it reach a satisfying conclusion.

Then again, John Woo
movies usually make up for a lack of a deep story with the action itself and
there are numerous action sequences in this game. Inspector Tequila isn’t
satisfied with just pulling the trigger but rather when he pulls the trigger he
does it with style. Like the movie, Tequila favors shooting two guns and he’s
not afraid to dive, slide or roll into a battle. Stranglehold fills the
game with the genuine Woo-styled acrobatic shooting and believe me when I say
bad guys will get filled with led, things will explode and the environments will
be ripped to shreds.

The problem is that these
things have been done before in other games that range from the excellent Max
Payne games to the so-so Dead to Rights games. Diving while shooting
in slow motions isn’t a new concept, neither is tossing yourself backwards
while shooting or going into a “bullet time” mode where you can dodge a bullet
like in The Matrix. Still, Stranglehold is able to showcase its
own original moves such as the ability to interact with objects whether it’s
shooting a sign that will land on an enemy’s head or using a banister to slide
down the stairs while shooting at the surprised enemies. You can hop on a cart
and roll down an alley or dive and lay prone on the floor and shooting bad guys
from below. Then there are the Tequila Bombs that come in the form of four
specialty actions that become available when the Tequila Bomb gauge is full.
There’s Health Boost, Precision Aiming (that works like a cool sniper attack),
Barrage Attack (where you become invincible and unleash a flurry of bullets for
a limited time) and finally there’s Spin Attack (a trademark slow-motion move in
most Woo movies where the hero spins around with two guns while doves fly in the
background).

With a healthy amount of
original and familiar action elements, the game’s action flows decently enough
and thanks to the great controls this makes the shooting actually fun. There are
some really juicy levels that are categorized as chapters and each one has
Tequila stepping into situations where he’s outnumbered and outgunned. There are
even some instances in the game where you have to draw down on three or more
enemies in a single move and there are boss battles that have you going up
against some mean foes. You’ll be ripping apart a restaurant filled with Triad
members in one chapter and then destroying drug labs by the sea. The game is
never short on moments that will have you smiling at the complete destruction of
your surrounding or anytime Tequila’s shotgun blast sends an enemy flailing off
a ledge.

Unfortunately, the game
has its share of problems and it comes in the form of some gameplay clichés and
glitches. Enemies will almost always find cover behind an explosive barrel and
when Tequila mans a gun turret aboard a helicopter you can expect the bad guys
to line up like bottles in a carnival shooting gallery. Some enemies never miss
a shot even if you’re behind some great cover and, for some reason; snipers just
automatically know where you are even if you manage to successfully sneak past
one or two enemies nearby. The game is also really short and you can finish it
in one sitting but for some who will find the action a bit on the repetitive
side will not see this as a bad thing. There’s also an online multiplayer mode
fit for up to six players but it’s mostly Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch game
modes that are frenzied and fun for really short bursts. I don’t see many gamers
playing the multiplayer game for very long. At least you can unlock some extras
for the multiplayer mode from John Woo himself in the Unlock Shop. 

The game’s graphics don’t
even push the Xbox 360 to its limits but then again this isn’t a bad-looking
game either. The visual effects alone are stunning and your jaw will drop the
moment you turn a neat restaurant into a pile of rubble. You’ll encounter a
number of beautiful backdrops and it’s satisfying to see Chow Yun-Fat performing
some cool tricks like sliding on a table while shooting a support beam that
brings a section of roof right on to of a bad guy. Sure, you’ll go up against a
few clones but overall the game is easy on the eyes.

Stranglehold also has a
fantastic soundtrack that adds to the cinematic feel of the game and punctuates
the cut scenes perfectly. The score goes perfectly with Yun-Fat’s solid
performance and the decent voice work of the rest of the cast, although what
would have made the game more authentic (and go hand-in-hand with the film) is
the dropping English for Cantonese to keep the game sounding like a somewhat
poorly dubbed movie. Still, it’s hard to complain when the sound effects are
this good. 

John Woo Presents
Stranglehold is a hardboiled,
bullet-slinging action game that’s a wee bit too short but considerably fun for
those action junkies that like their action game with plenty of style and
cinematic flair. There are times when the game doesn’t change its
go-here-and-shoot-the-same-dudes format but destructive environments and John
Woo-styled action, there’s a lot more good here than bad. If you love a decent
shooter and don’t mind it’s short lengthy, you can’t go wrong with this one.

Gameplay: 8.0

The game borrows elements from the
likes of the Max Payne games just to name a few others but at least the
game handles the action beautifully. Unfortunately, there are some weak spots
and the levels are few so expect a short and occasionally repetitive shooter
that’s actually pretty fun.

Graphics: 7.5

The game’s visuals are great and
there are some amazing visual effects as well as stunning backgrounds. Still,
the character models just don’t feel worthy of the Xbox 360. There are a few
characters that really do stand out as well as Tequila and a number of others.
Plus, things blow up and you can rip the environments apart with bullets.

Sound: 8.0

The game’s soundtrack is not only
wonderfully cinematic but it’s also just plain gorgeous with the right dash of
action flick momentum and a heavy dose of Asian flavor. Too bad we can’t say
that about the voice acting but it’s not bad and Chow Yun-Fat, as always, gives
a great performance.

Difficulty: Medium

Some levels throw numerous enemies
at you at once and some boss battles will give Tequila plenty to worry about but
then again you’re given enough chance to figure out how to defeat them. There
are some glitches in the game that have enemies shooting right through concrete
to make things a bit unfair.

Concept: 8.5

Tequila is back in a video-game
sequel to the awesome Hard Boiled movie so expect to find the no-nonsense
cop taking down the criminal underground is own way … with no backup and plenty
of bullets. There are some entertaining levels in the game despite its short
length and extras in the game that are worth unlocking (like the video that
teaches you the art of Origami). There’s an online multiplayer mode but it’s
almost not worth mentioning.

Multiplayer: 6.9

Online the game is a frantic
deathmatch shooter that is big on style but low on substance. There are plenty
of skins to use in the game (including the ability to play as John Woo) and a
nice number of environments to hold a six-player shoot ‘em up.

Overall: 8.0

A short but genuinely fun
action-packed ride, Stranglehold isn’t an innovative shooter but there’s
enough here to please John Woo fans and any gamer looking for a worthy action
game. Sure, the action can get repetitive in places and many of the moves seen
here have been done before many times, but the cinematic feel is pure Woo and
that’s definitely worth a look.