Customer Reviews

Stranglehold

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Stranglehold is a 3rd person shooter where you play a solo cop fighting against criminal armies. The play is very similar to Max Payne, but without the ability to jump. Instead, objects are moved over just by running into them. I really enjoyed this mechanic of the game. The environmental effects are excellent, as are character interactions with the environment. For example, you could jump off a wall, kick over a table for cover, grind or walk on railings, etc.

The graphics are not as good as I would expect from a Playstation 3 title. The detail does not look significantly better than the last generation consoles. Additionally, the violence level is pretty high and graphic, although not as high as a horror movie by any means.

If you enjoy good action adventure games heavy on the action side, this is definitely recommended for you. It has solid gameplay, good pacing, and is a lot of fun.

I really enjoyed playing this game from beginning to end. I loved the game-play, and how mostly every object interacted with your character. For example you can slide across a dining cart in slow motion. I also enjoyed all the awesome "moves" he can do. Example: when you click the up arrow you get to pick a exact place on someone's body, and it'll shoot right there. Small things like this make this game a must buy.

Stranglehold is a 3rd person over the top action shooter. Like most games the aim is to progress the storyline and reach the conclusion, but getting there you have to take down a lot of bad guys. That's where this gets a little different from your regular shooter. You get style points for each take down depending on what you do. You have a slo-mo button that slows the action down (aka John Woo film style) that allows you more time to take people down and get some style points. You can also use the scenary to add style. Jump across a table, run up or down a railing, dive off a crate.

All in all this is an enjoyable game. Decent graphics, gameplay and story. Game is a little short coming in at 7-8 hours though. I picked it up for $15 and was a steal.If you can pick it up for $20-25 it's worth it.

Before you read further, understand that I am a very laid back kind of person and am not an elitist when it comes to games. I've been gaming back when Atari was the thing and so I am able to forgive graphics or storyline if the game is fun to play.
This is one of those games. The storyline is straight and to the point. It's nothing new, but then again, is there anything really new? Go here and depopulate everything that moves, but it goes further in that it lets you depopulate everything that doesn't move :P (and gives you the bill at the end of the chapter - my highest collateral damage has been 36.5 million - going to have to go back and make sure I'm not so conservative next time around).
It is just fun to go ballistic on hordes of enemies. It is not a game where you can hang back and try to be methodical or stealthy. This game is all about kicking doors down and taking names and is much more fun when you are frantically hopping around the scenery firing exorbitant amounts of bullets while the whole world literally crashes down around you. It's also one of those games where it is fun to watch someone play so you can actually note the attention to detail that was given to this game.
Yes the graphics may be dated, but it was made in 2007, what do you expect? It's not a deal breaker. The environmental damage is persistent. If you shoot and break something - it stays there, it doesn't magically disappear. Kill animations are specific to the area that the target was shot at. For instance, if you shoot them in the neck, they grab their neck and gurgle/choke blood. If they were shot in the eye, they cover their eye, etc.
It does have its flaws, just like every other game, and you can read plenty of the other reviews to see what they are.
I bought the game last year for [...] bucks and figured I had nothing to lose. I just played through most of it today with a buddy and had to say I was decently surprised. I wasn't expecting much from the reviews I had read previously but I am glad I picked it up.
I am still catching up on a backlog of games, but I do hope other action games incorporate the level of environmental interaction that this game does.
It is a short game, we played for about 7 hours and we are one chapter away from the final. Again, not a deal breaker if you get it at a low price or just rent it.
I did not bother with the online multiplayer, I highly doubt anyone is even playing that. Besides, not sure the game mechanics would translate well into an online multiplayer.

Stranglehold for the PC is the best version. The PS3 somehow managed to mess up everything that made this game the best. One: the sound cuts out during certain scenes (especially during the first seconds of the game). Two: Inspector Tequila doesn't look good at all on the ps3 port. I have component cables for video and Toslink for audio. It looks like they took character models from the psone and tried to give the illusion of a ps3 game. Three: the controls are horrible. The PC version has the best controls for this game. To sum it all up, the pc version is definitely better than the xbox and ps3 port. Graphics and sound are flawless on the pc version. I love my ps3, but only for their newer games. I can't wait till Mortal Kombat comes out in April. Also, SSF4 and Batman Arkham Asylum are 2 of the best games out there for the ps3. If you want to play and experience Stranglehold for all it has to offer, please don't buy the ps3 version. You should buy the pc version and make sure you have a good graphics card. You won't regret it.

I played the demo that I had downloaded a while ago and it seamed like a cool game. Then I got it here on Amazon. This game is sick! The bullet time is cool, with out being just like every other game with it. The story line is cool, not to hard to follow. And the action just keeps on coming. And unlike some games the levels actually get harder. Not just a few difficult ones before a semi easy last mission. WHich I've encountered many times with out naming titles. This is a great game and since it's a little older it's priced just right!!

Many reviewers have already covered Stranglehold's features and gameplay extensively, so I'm just going to talk about a few things I've noticed as a long-time fan of FPS games and of John Woo.

*First-generation graphics: Stranglehold is showing its age. The graphics are clearly from the first generation of games produced for current game consoles. It's not too distracting, but don't start playing if you've just finished a graphics powerhouse title like Metal Gear Solid 4 or Uncharted 2.

*Repetitious and clichéd gameplay: anybody who has ever played Doom, Quake, Half-Life, Black, Max Payne, or any other shooter knows the drill. Run around, collect guns, shoot at anything that moves, and pick up health packs before you die. No surprises here...either you love this sort of thing or you hate it.

*Classic John Woo style: if you dig Woo's ultraviolent, over-the-top Hong Kong action flicks, especially Hard Boiled, you'll enjoy all the Woo touches in Stranglehold. From awesome tracking shots in cut scenes to acrobatic character moves, Stranglehold is the closest you're ever gonna get to being Chow Yun Fat yourself.

So, which is it going to be? As a review writer, I have a duty to ding Stranglehold for its so-so graphics, lame storyline, and repetitive gameplay. As a committed fan and friend of John Woo's cinematic oeuvre, I ought to give Stranglehold a 5-star review. Hmmmm, well...unlike a typical John Woo main character, I don't feel I can let friendship outweigh my duty to warn potential victims of this game by giving it a perfect rating.

Bottom line: 3 stars, with the caveat that fans of Woo's HK work are much more likely to enjoy Stranglehold than those who are unfamiliar with films like The Killer, A Better Tomorrow, and Bullet in the Head.

This game isn't going to change the world or anything. It is fun. Plain and simple. It is like a summer blockbuster movie. It has its flaws, but it keeps you entertained. And for a low price (if you can find one for), it is worth it. I would not spend $60 on this game. $20 or lower is reasonable.

I didn't think much of this game when it first came out and then when I seen it for the price on Amazon I figured I'd give a try and glad I did. It was a very fun game to play and was very entertaining. I especially loved the slow down bullet time to get an accurate shot on an enemy and also the Max Payne type slown down to shot swarming enmeies. It was also nice that you don't have to take time to reload your weapons. The only gripe that I have was the lack of different weapons but that is a minor flaw!

Could have been good but it crashes too often. Also too many places where the game takes over the characters movement. Too many places where you should be able to go but can't. Too many silly characters who take too many shots before they fall. Fine if they had amour but right in the head? Too many times your feet are glued and you have to dodge bullets. Too many places where the cut scene can not be bypassed. As I type my PlayStation is frozen solid because of this game. Yes I have the update. There are other problems but I can not remember them right now.