Stranglehold

Great game, non-stop action. I must stress that the game is 1000% better with the Stranglehold HOR+ FOV fix that can be found on pcgamingwiki. (https://community.pcgamingwiki.com/files/file/1590-stranglehold-hor-fov-fix/) It enables the game to be run in high res like 1440p and has better FOV options. The default FOV in this game is crazy small! With that patch though the game is very enjoyable. 10/10 would fly through the air in slow-motion while shooting people in the face again.

The camera is way to close to the players back you can hardly see your surroundings which because it makes diving and sliding across stuff basically suicide because you can see anything but your back and enemies surround you and shoot you to death. Plus the game doesn't have full controller support like it was OG console game so why no controller support? outside of those 2 things it is still fun to play and if they fix the camera and zoom it out it will be perfect even with out the controller support

This game got me hooked, can't deny that. So, Why the 3 stars? let me explained. Stranglehold holds little regard for hiding the fact that is a genuine clone of Max Payne but with some nice improvement that makes the game feels ''unique'' and lots of Fun. Of course, the game has still some flaws, like the enemy spawn system (which is my major complaint here), how the whole movement design was arranged and if it was not for the presence of John woo, the game would not have the same score. But! Overall, it offers an action-packed ( those words were meant for this game) gameplay which even to this day it manages to surprise you, even in its simplicity of So, worth buying? welp, yes! Tequila is the same hard-boiled cop in this game you know and love and not only his fans will enjoy the experience of shooting punks while sliding in a kitchen table!

I first heard about Stranglehold in 2007 and wanted to play it but I only played it in 2020 (well, it even supports Full HD as an advantage), it's not a bad game, especially if you like Max Payne, Matrix: Path of Neo, etc., I'd even say that I enjoyed it but I still have some mixed feelings about recommending it to others. Here's what kept me in the game: + One can easily see John Woo's presence in the game. The cinemati looks great. Well, the angles in are great. + Level design. It's pretty straightforward, and I like it. + I could feel the atmosphere of the places, I'd say that. + The soundtrack. This Tequila's Theme is so calming. + Characters are quite charismatic. +/- Slow-mo starting automatically when one aims at someone. +/- Headshots work much better than shooting at other parts of a body, I could understand a few more bullets but not like 10 more for some of the enemies. +/- Small weapon choice Yet I wanted to quit the game before finishing all the missions several times, here's why: In the very start of the game. - The default mouse sensitivity is crazy, because it feels like a port even though it is not (considering it was marketed for PC too). Here's an advice I found on Google: "Raising y-axis mouse sensitivity to much higher than x-axis gave an adequate playing experience" It wasn't clear from the menu. Later on: - In starting levels one can interact with more side objects than later on in the game so there are less ways of how to play the game and it gets more and more repetitive as there are crowds of bots coming onto the player's character, I found it rather tiring, the game needed more balance in this aspect I believe but you may like it. - The character has 4 abilities, the player will only use 3 of them at most, and once the character has acquired them all in the middle of the game, nothing new will be introduced during the later game except for a weapon. - Quality of some cut scenes in story mode is awful cause the videos were compressed

In 1992, John Woo delivered his Magnum Opus, Hard Boiled which was met with luke-warm reception in Hong Kong. When it hit the American market, the response (pun intended) was explosive. John Woo did what nobody thought could be done, he dethroned Die Hard. From its fast paced action to its beyond over the top shootings, Hard Boiled went on to become a legacy and a staple for the Action genre and to this day still sits high as King. Mr. Woo has been credited with the effect known as "Bullet-Time" A time crawl sequence where characters are able to focus thier shots and you can see bullet travel. This is the most well known in films such as "The Matrix" and other games such as "Max Payne." You can also use this ability in game with an unlock that you gain at the start of the game. It allows you to focus your shots, and depending on where you shoot, you will see a greusome animation that is in sync with your shots. Throat shots play a nice struggle and gurggling noise for example. Stranglehold is Hard Boiled's sequel, but it is not without its flaws. For example, the length of the game is the main weakness it holds. Only seven levels with a completion time of four hours, you may not feel like you got your money's worth if you bought this at its original release back in 2007. Now released after over a decade in the abyss at a shiny new price of $9.99, you have nothing to loose. Other flaws include lack of options. There are none. No, I'm serious the only option you have is screen ressolution and dynamic shadows, no graphical detail control. Flaws in gameplay are minor but can be a bit annoying. While it has its flaws and down falls, Stranglehold has a unique blood pooling system that I have not seen since. Instead of a blood pool spreading on fallen enimes, the blood trickles and travels. It is quite morbidly facinating to watch. If you love fast paced action, this is your bag.