Publisher: Capcom / Developer: Capcom / Genre: Action / Release Date: TBA
The whole world’s gone crazy. And an underworld mastermind has released deadly creatures that wander the city streets and destory anything at will. These creatures called “Heaven’s Smile” have gaping mouths and the ability to take over the minds of the people around them. Not an easy world to live in especially if you’re wheelchair bound. If your name is Harman Smith, however, it looks like you might have an edge. Seven of them.
Then again, maybe it’s Harman who’s gone crazy. With seven alter-egos it’s hard to tell who the sane one really is. Mr. Smith and the “Smith Alliance” are ready to take back the city streets assassination style. The main benefit of Harman’s alter egos isn’t just their personalities. They each have their own physical appearance which is what grants him his mobility to get revenge on his final mark, the criminal kingpin that has unleashed Heaven’s Smile on the populace.
Each of the seven personalities have unique attributes that allow you to find and eliminate your targets in different ways:
THE KILLER 7
Garcian Smith is the main personality that leads the team. His ability for clairvoyance comes in handy and allows him to find the Heaven’s Smile creatures and avoid traps and pitfalls. That and the fact that he’s a bad-ass black man makes him gain points in my book. (Somebody give the man some shades!)
Kevin Smith is the pasty albino with a passion for knives. If there is such a thing as a loner in a group of schizos, Kevin is your man. Although, it’s almost as if he’s hiding something behind his masterful display of knife techniques.
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Con Smith is the only kid of the group. He’s got hearing that will rival a bat’s and can ascertain the location of enemies by their heartbeat and pinpoint otherwise hidden treasures. Con would give any cowboy a run for their money with his dual-wielded weapons and uncanny aim.
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Coyote Smith is the Latino with the bad attitude. Even though he has trouble getting along with the other personalities he has a highly effective kick that knocks enemies senseless in a single blow. It also helps that he has the ability to move through solid objects, but I don’t think that Coyote is a friendly kind of “ghost.”
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Mask De Smith is the bulky guy in the wrestling mask that probably hides something hideous. Instead of answering emails on Mondays with boxing gloves over his hands like some other guy I know, he gets more serious with his grenade launchers. And of course, Mask has got wrestling moves that he’s likely learned from the pro wrestlers.
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Dan Smith is the more hardcore of the killers and doesn’t trust most of the other Smiths. He has telekinesis that allows him to change the trajectory of his modified Colt Python when shooting from a tight spot.
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Kaede Smith is the only female of the bunch and holds a place in my heart. Her special move where she sprays super-infected showers of blood on her enemies is one of the more graphic ways of getting revenge. It makes my skin crawl which is absolutely fantastic!
When I say this game is graphic, I mean that there is a lot of blood, a lot of shooting and quite a bit more blood. As far as realism, Capcom decided to shy away from that and make the graphics more of a mood setter. The cell shaded look takes me back to a time when I would hide under my blankets after lights out with a flashlight poised over a comic book. The dark, noir feel of the game has me reminiscing about Batman and the times he had flitting about Gotham city. Although Killer 7 is a far cry away from the Batman comics, it does a good job of making you feel like you’ve been transported to a different, albeit creepy, world.
The plot of Killer 7 is a little hazy for me. I know that Harman is exacting revenge on Heaven’s Smile and the mastermind behind it, but I wonder how and why he is able to change physically into completely different people. The thought has crossed my mind a few times that maybe he’s the only one who’s crazy and is really just senselessly killing people by justifying it in his own mind. After all, he is a schizo. For the real deal and the whole story, I guess we’ll just have to wait when the game is released into the wild.