Stranglehold

A fantastic game in the classic style of action movies with the maximum use of a famous director. Fantastic graphics, combat system and dizzying speed of the game, as well as a neatly written plot. However, there is one drawback: the single-player campaign is unfortunately very short. But as they say, small is beautiful. However, the game is still worth the price and I highly recommend it to every fan of movies and fast-paced action games. This game is an unstoppable, explosive rollercoaster that will keep you breathless. 5/5

Owned this back in the day on the 360. But why cant I use a 360 controller on thsi bad boy?!?!?! Will change my rating once I can get the game to recognize my xbox one controller input.

I loved this game (and studio) back in the day. Super happy to see this back again; I wasn't sure given the licensing around Chow Yun Fat's image. Does this mean PSI-OPS will be coming soon too? :D

A "Max Payne" clone with some issues when it comes to interact with objects such as stairs, beams and the carts. There isn't that many weapons and the game is pretty short but it's fun! A lot of new games focus on graphics and a deep story - which are all important - but first of all the game must be fun and this game succeeds in that!

‘Stranglehold’ finally resurfaces! Presented by John Woo and developed by Midway as the sequel to the Hong Kong film, ‘Hard Boiled’, ‘Stranglehold’ had Chow Yun-Fat reprise his role as Inspector Tequila. Chow’s involvement was critical, for this game just wouldn’t be the same without him lending his likeness and voicing the character. ‘Stranglehold’ came after the first two ‘Max Payne’ games, of which the action took inspiration from Woo’s films. But, this game isn’t a copycat, and does have its uniqueness. The power to slow down time is rebranded as Tequila Time, in which time slows down as you attack enemies while diving or interacting with environment hotspots. There’s also Tequila Bombs, which grant a health boost or cinematic special attacks. At times, Tequila can find himself in standoffs against multiple enemies for some timed slow-motion gun action. Cutscenes in ‘Stranglehold’ are merely thin plot threads to bring you to the next rounds of shootouts. The more stylishly you kill, the more points you’ll earn for Tequila Bombs. I actually found the action in this game to be too frantic and too frequent. There’s hardly time to absorb what’s going on before the next shower of bullets rains upon me. The developers might have forgot that Woo’s films actually have quiet moments and drama to humanize the characters. Yet, the biggest problem with ‘Stranglehold’ is the camera: it is too close to Tequila to get a good view of the surroundings, and moves in and out too quickly at times. Never in my many years of gaming have I got dizzy from playing a TPS, until this game. It’s overly stimulating, and I found it best to play it in small bursts. ‘Stranglehold’ is a decent game. It looks great, but could have used some polish on gameplay and pacing. Chow’s presence is the draw, and what made me continue playing. It would have been even nicer if there was a Cantonese voiceover version, but it’s already a dream to be able to play a John Woo game starring Chow.