John Woo Presents - Stranglehold on PS3

ChrisBarraclough from London [Highly rated reviewer] , 07/04/2008

Oh great, I thought, upon hearing of the gimmick behind this title. Slow-motion gun battles with dual-wielded pistols, taking on scores of baddies in gritty environments. Haven't I already done this in two Max Payne games, not to mention the fact that slow-motion in games is becoming more tired than Jade Goody running a marathon uphill while munching on a bacon sandwich. It's even been done in first-person with FEAR, although this game doesn't include any small girls that are scarier than ten Michael Myers' in a darkened alleyway. In Essex.

Still, I stuck it in and after twenty minutes I have to admit I was having a fine and dandy time. The highlight was shooting out an electric sign which then plummeted onto a hapless goon who exploded in a shower of sparks and screams and death. Then around the next corner, I belly-flopped onto a dinner cart and blasted about five hundred bullets into some more hapless goons, while riding down a filthy alley. Soon after I was sliding down a bannister and gunning down yet more bullet-fodder. And then I got the slow-mo precision aim, which follows your bullet through the air and into the body of your target, through their flesh and bone before it explodes out the other side in a bloody shower of viscera. I was having fun.

But then I came across a level where I had to destroy drug tables, and it went on, and on, and on. After about fifty such tables, I was beginning to feel like I was really there, inhaling all the toxic fumes, and it didn't feel good. Monotony crept in and even slow-mo blowing a guys aorta out from three hundred yards didn't help. Even taking control of a machine gun turret in a copter as it circles over hundreds more baddies didn't really help lift the feeling that it was just more of the same.

And so, Stranglehold is undoubtedly worth a short rental, but no more. If only to witness a bullet burst someone's eyeball in slow motion. And isn't that something we can all enjoy?

1-Sentence Review: Stranglehold is like discovering a new smutty site on the interweb - thrilling at first, until you realise it's just more of the same.

See more reviews at my site, chrisbarraclough dot com.

  5 out of 5 people found this review helpful

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* * * This review contains spoilers * * *

kingjames112 from Macclesfield [Highly rated reviewer] , 22/12/2007

this is a good game but...it gets very repetetive ..its very hard even when you have it on casual =) diving around in slow motion is cool but i wouldn't buy this as you will find it at the bottom of your ps3 game pile big disappointment ....

  4 out of 4 people found this review helpful

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Noms from London , 24/01/2008

A Must have game for all shoot'em up action fans. The shooting, slow motion graphics, and all the little things like hitting objects and their reactions, pretty close to reality which is what has compelled me to give it 5 Stars. The graphics could have been better for PS3 but they aint too bad. The action sequence and, precision slow motion aims makes up for that.

A must have for a shoot'em up fan. But if you like more mystery then i would suggest Drake's Fortune which is another TOP NOTCH GAME.

  4 out of 4 people found this review helpful

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A customer from West London , 19/12/2007

Nothing new here in this game that has not been done better, If you have nothing better to do for a few hours then this will kill that time otherwise do not bother.

  3 out of 3 people found this review helpful

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Darkmetman86 from Telford [Highly rated reviewer] , 09/07/2008

Good graphics, good storyline, limted weapons, not a great deal of variety with regards to gameplay. Worth a rent but not to buy.

  2 out of 2 people found this review helpful

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wobler from Co. Armagh, N.Ireland [Highly rated reviewer] , 09/05/2008

I never got playing all of this simply because gta 4 came out and i have been hooked on it, so stranglehold was left abandoned. But what i did play was enjoyable and i loved the way you were able to smash most objects up. I would recommend this to any shoot em up fan as there is plenty of action in this and maybe some time in the future i'll rent this out again to finish of what i started.

  2 out of 2 people found this review helpful

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