Stranglehold Demo Impressions

Stranglehold popped onto Xbox Live yesterday. It's a meaty download at 1.3GB so be prepared for a bit of wait before you can take Inspector Tequila for a stroll.

The game is a third person shooter and has been developed in collaboration with the film director John Woo of Hong Kong action movie fame. It features Chow Yun Fat whom is reprising his role as Inspector "Tequila" Yeun from the movie Hard Boiled. Those that have seen a John Woo film should know what to expect as the game brings on non-stop action with a cinematic flare.

The demo is based in Hong Kong and the story commences via a cut scene showing the abduction of a police officer. After the police department receive a ransom call demanding that they send in a lone policeman to Kowloon Market Inspector Tequila steps forward and volunteers for the mission.

The game makes use of most controls on the Xbox 360 controller with the left joystick used for movement and crouching (when clicked) and the right joystick used for aiming. The right trigger is used to shoot whatever weapon you have while the left is used to interact with objects or to perform dives when used in combination with movement. The left bumper button is used to take cover, for example against walls or columns while the right bumper is used to activate "Tequila Time" which is a slow mo mode that lasts for a limited duration. Special moves entitled "Tequila Bombs" are activated via the d-pad and finally "X" is used to pickup weapons, "A" switch weapons and "B" is used for grenades. Although there are quite a few controls to remember the game does a good job of introducing them to you as you play through the level.

As soon as the demo begins you're thrust into the action and one of the most impressive things that you immediately notice is the amount of destruction in the game. Most of the objects in the game can be damaged in some form or other and as you take on an ever increasing number of enemies you start looking at the environment for assistance in dispatching your enemies. Any environmental objects that "Tequila" can directly interact with flash as you approach them and objects that can be shot to cause damage noticeably "glint" to draw your attention. The game rewards you for style and the more stylish a kill the more your "Tequila Bomb" gauge is filled. Thus instead of running at opponents head-on you soon find yourself diving over barriers, sliding down banisters and trying to interact with the environment.

There are four "Tequila Bombs" (special moves) accessed via the D-Pad which include a health boost, a precision aim which zooms in on the target and follows the bullet to the point of impact, a barrage attack where you unleash a massive number of bullets, and finally the spin attack which kills every enemy in the vicinity. The game also includes "stand off sequences" at set points. In these slow-mo events the camera changes to an over the shoulder view as "Tequila" is surrounded by a number of enemies and one by one you have to take them out as you dodge left or right to avoid incoming bullets. The last three "Tequila Bombs" and the "Stand-Offs" are very cinematic and enhance the overall "movie like" feel of the game.

No shooter would be complete without a selection of weapons and you start with a pair of pistols but eventually you will come across shotguns and a few hidden weapons like the golden pistols or Uzis.



The demo offers a good amount of gameplay and to start with only two difficulty levels, "Casual" and "Normal" are available. Repeated plays unlock "Hard" and "Hard Boiled" and also the last two "Tequila Bomb" moves (Barrage and Spin Attack). If you want to experience all the demo has to offer then you will most likely play through the level at least three times.

Overall I thought the graphics were great and Chow Yun Fat was easily recognisable as Inspector Tequila. Although the controls are pretty good I did find that "Tequila" has a tendency to slide over objects (which is automatic) far too easily which did annoy me on a number of occasions and an option to have this tied to a button combination may have been preferable.

If you're a fan of action games and third person shooters, and especially if you like Hong Kong action movies, then I'd recommend you check out this demo. The game is shaping up very nicely and I'm looking forward to it's release later in the year.