Review: Killer Is Dead

Anyone who has played a Suda 51 video game in the past knows exactly what they will be in for with his latest title, Killer is Dead. It serves as a spiritual successor to other games like No More Heroes and Killer 7, but then takes the crazy factor and amps it up a notch. Set it a fictional universe with a mix of different supernatural elements, you play as Mondo, an assassin who receives contracts from a business firm that specialises in executions.  Each job that you’re given generally has a contained story, but there is also an overarching narrative that plays out through the entire of the game, it’s just so freaking insane that things don’t start to make half sense until the very end. The good news is that the gameplay will keep you occupied while your brain attempts to divulge all the craziness being thrown at your face.

At its core, Killer is Dead is a third-person action hack and slash. To fight his way through the waves of enemies Mondo wields a sword in one hand while his other arm is a cybernetic limb that can transform into a number of different weapons, of which you unlock during the course of the game. The combat is quite simple with the basic idea behind it is to build up as many successful combos as possible.  As your combo meter fills this enables your attacks to be performed a lot quicker and the more devastating your damage output becomes. Meanwhile with each kill your cybernetic arm feeds off of the blood of your enemies, allowing you to carry out special attacks or use some of the alternate weapons. Where Killer is Dead really begins to pay off is with the combat, which is very rewarding and fun; mixing that with the artistic style of game, makes it remarkably satisfying.

Evolving on the look from No More Heroes the cel-shaded art in Killer is Dead makes everything just pop right out. And much like his past titles I really enjoyed the diverse designs of the boss fights; they always have this wackiness about them. So when you are fighting these ridiculous battles and mashing the attack button, the screen is just exploding with colour while Mondo is swinging his sword wildly. Despite my fondness for the art, Killer is Dead has some of the worst screen tearing I’ve seen in a console game. It completely took me out of the experience a number of times when the screen was chopping up all over the place. Adding to that the level design is fairly basic, where you’ll find yourself just running from room to room attempting to clear them out. The design of the levels hits its peak quite early on with an Alice in Wonderland inspired theme, nothing else really compares from then on. It would have been great to see some more of that creativity throughout the rest of the missions.

During the game you have the ability to purchase upgrades that will assist you in various areas like improving your combat, extending your health bar, or enhancing your abilities. At the end of each mission a number stats are tallied up and you’re provided a rating, allowing you to go back later on and try to beat that score. Upon finishing every chapter this usually leads to extra side content that can be played through, this side content is not mandatory but if you want to level your abilities to the max then this can help out. It also helps break up the main part of the game because it offers a bit of variety and different gameplay mechanics in each side mission. However this is where the biggest downfall of Killer is Dead comes into the light.

One of the pieces of side content is the gigolo missions for Mondo. These see you go on a date with a lady while your objective is to stare at certain parts of her body when they are not looking towards your direction. Doing so will fill up a meter, and when it reaches the top you can give the lady with a gift. Each lady has certain gifts that they specifically like, and if you manage to provide them the correct ones then you end up getting weapon unlocks, along with a cut scene that shows you an alluded to sex scene. This piece of disjointed content doesn’t fit with the main part of the game; it just comes straight out of nowhere and serves no real legitimate purpose.

If you’re a fan of what Suda 51 and Grasshopper Manufacture has done in the past then this is a game you should really check out. The disappointment comes with the distasteful piece of side content that doesn’t necessarily need to be in this game at all. Still, overall it offers a simplistic yet entertaining combat system, with some of that crazy Suda style and story where you’ll get to the end, put your control down and ask “What the f*ck just happened?”