Alex makes his eagerly awaited return with The Capcom Series: Killer7
‘The Capcom Five’ were a set of five games announced by Capcom in 2002 to increase the Nintendo Gamecube’s popularity and postpone its impending doom, because let’s face it; the far superior PlayStation 2 was kicking its ass. These games have nothing in common besides this intriguing marketing campaign, but it’s sure an interesting mix.
Resident Evil 4 is the best known and best selling of the five, shipping over 3 million copies worldwide by the following year.
Viewtiful Joe, a unique 2D platformer set in the mysterious world of ‘Movieland’ with astonishing cartoon art style
P.N.03, a bland third-person shooter which never became commercially successful
Dead Phoenix, which was never released.
…and killer7.
Resident Evil 4 is the best known and best selling of the five, shipping over 3 million copies worldwide by the following year.
Viewtiful Joe, a unique 2D platformer set in the mysterious world of ‘Movieland’ with astonishing cartoon art style
P.N.03, a bland third-person shooter which never became commercially successful
Dead Phoenix, which was never released.
…and killer7.
The oddball of the list is killer7, being the only one to not be developed by Capcom. Instead, it was published by them in 2005, and developed by Grasshopper Manufacture. The game’s creation was lead by Goichi Suda, better known as Suda 51, the legendary director responsible for such works to come as No More Heroes and Shadows of the Damned. However, Killer7 was the project that kicked-off the rest of his career, and outside it’s cult following, very little recognition has been bestowed upon this, quite rightly pretentious, masterpiece.
You would probably be right to say that the premise of the game is to defy all regular conventions and stick two fingers up to genre classification. Is it an action game, adventure game, thriller, rail shooter, puzzle game, art showcase or acid trip? Is it a combination of these things or just a figment of Suda 51’s insanity? Whatever it is, it’s a work of art, and one of the most unappreciated games in the modern age.
The game revolves around an elite syndicate of assassins known as the ‘killer7’, made up of seven completely playable and unique characters.
You would probably be right to say that the premise of the game is to defy all regular conventions and stick two fingers up to genre classification. Is it an action game, adventure game, thriller, rail shooter, puzzle game, art showcase or acid trip? Is it a combination of these things or just a figment of Suda 51’s insanity? Whatever it is, it’s a work of art, and one of the most unappreciated games in the modern age.
The game revolves around an elite syndicate of assassins known as the ‘killer7’, made up of seven completely playable and unique characters.
Con Smith shows his agility!
- Garcian Smith, the leader of the group, who has the power to resurrect his fellow assassins and is armed with a silenced pistol.
- Dan Smith, a cool yet bitter revolver-wielding killer with admirable style.
- KAEDE Smith, the female of the group who chooses a scoped pistol and can destroy blood barriers.
- Kevin Smith, a silent albino with throwing knives and a useful invisibility power.
- Coyote Smith, a South American thief with a penchant for padlock picking and colourful t-shirts.
- Con Smith, the youngest and shortest of the seven, whose total lack of sight grants him incredible hearing. He wields dual pistols and can run very quickly.
- Mask de Smith, an ex-wrestler with powerful grenade launchers, and impressive raw physical strength.
Meet Harman Smith, charismatic creator of the group
At the centre of it all is Harman Smith, the wheelchair-bound old man and instructor of his group. The killer7 members manifest from his mind, his distinct separate ‘personalities’, however Harman himself is only played in specific parts of the game. Although your goal varies throughout the levels, the ongoing aim is to stop the plans of evil mastermind Kun-Lan and his army of ‘Heaven Smiles’, a horde of giggling, nearly-invisible monsters who explode upon human proximity.
A snippet of first-person combat against an egg-laying ‘Mother Smile’
The first thing to mention is the controls. To run, you hold down a button which moves your player along a set path. Since most gameplay takes place in corridors and narrow rooms, this system has some sense to it. Of course, at a junction you have the options to choose which direction you go, but you’re never permitted free movement. You can do a 180 degree turn but that’s about it. For combat, you hold the aim button to go in first person view, and from here, you are able to aim and shoot at enemies while in a static position. They couldn’t have made this more bizarre, but when it’s stripped down, this technically makes the game a rail shooter. However, unlike any rail shooter I’ve ever played, the levels are fully explorable, and even confusing. Does this make it an ‘adventure rail shooter’?
Part 2 of Alex's long-awaited Killer7 review comes next week! Check the Capcom Series official page for updates!
Part 2 of Alex's long-awaited Killer7 review comes next week! Check the Capcom Series official page for updates!
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