Stranglehold

The graphics are a bit dated, but if you can forgive that given the age of the game it is the most exciting, fun shooter I have ever played. Others have compared it to Max Payne 2, and I would strongly agree that it is very similar. Lots of slowmo-supported combat, with extra points for stylish kills (given the age of the game, it is amazing how you can interact with various objects found throughout the game world). A good example would be trollies - jump forward with the slowmo-enabling jump button, and land on the trolly and you'll get extra points for every baddy killed while the trolly remains in motion. Fun stuff. would give it even more than five stars if I could.

This game is oozing with action. It makes me want to go to watch John Woo movies all over again. As other reviews mention it, it is Max Payne in terms of gameplay, but not in terms of story. In terms of story, it's a classic 90's Hong Kong action movie. Its simple short plot that gives you that action-movie adrenaline buzz. Cheap as well.

I love the game, but it can be a little difficult to control, but I will chalk that up to just it being an old game

Come on now. This is straight Business.

Having seen Hard-Boiled and The Killer, I know the score when it comes to John Woo and works influenced by his films; dual pistols, no reloading unless it looks cool, environmental destruction, acrobatic gunfights, and slow-motion. Stranglehold offers these things and more, but many small things keep me from enjoying it as much as any of the Max Payne titles or F.E.A.R., such as: - Jank cover mechanics which make me pop out, aiming at no one - Jank railing/fence-walking which doesn't catch when I press the space bar to interact - Platforming as jank as Max Payne's, which could be alleviated with a proper jump key - A somewhat uncompelling story which excuses the (surprisingly great) variety of locations to shoot up, complete with Chow Yun-Fat's flat voicework as Tequila - The strange decision to have "Tequila Time" (the slomo mechanic) activate the instant the player has enemies in view while diving or doing environmental parkour - Bullet-sponge enemies, ESPECIALLY the bosses, which make the game a slog after the second level All the same, the combat is enjoyably arcade-y in its pacing and sound design; the music goes as hard as the hospital shootout in Hard-Boiled; the character-action-esque abilities like the long-range snipe and spinning room-clearer are clear tributes to key scenes in that same film and others like The Matrix and Equilibrium. The "showdown" sequences that involve leaning while shooting take great reflex to accomplish and feel undeniably badass. Midway made Stranglehold as a sequel to Hard-Boiled, and their love for it shows in the mechanics they put in. Ultimately, though, it feels lackluster compared to other John Woo-influenced games because a lot of the gameplay elements don't seem to mesh together. I expected a Hong Kong action movie experience, and at best, I got more than a passable imitation; the influencer being influenced, and not always for the better. I'd still recommend it; I had my fun.