The year 2005 brought to us many amazing video games like Resident Evil 4, Call of Duty 2 and Guitar Hero. Though there was one game that was hidden away as a weird and odd creation from developer Grasshopper manufacture led by Suda 51. Titled Killer 7, this rather unique third person adventure game—that has elements of a FPS—was considered an amazing game to those who gave it a chance but has been long forgotten by modern gamers unfamiliar with it. Though we here at Honey’s Anime haven’t forgotten about Killer 7 and we were amazed that nearly 13 years later, Killer 7 has come back again as a port for the PC. We once more ventured into Suda 51’s original title and we have a review of our experiences—and what you should expect—down below just waiting to be read.

Killer 7 is a Suda 51 game meaning strange themes and visceral concepts are going to be delivered right to you while playing. Players assume the role of a man who’s able to switch between several personas and must use these “killers” to defeat an enemy unseen by the public eye. Explore various locations around the world as you solve puzzles and shoot hidden threats. You’ll need to constantly be on your toes to avoid being the next victim of the so-called Heaven Smile! Be prepared for Killer 7, folks; this is one game that defines Suda 51 and how amazing—and surreal—his style can be.

Killer 7 revolves around a tale of two forces who work behind the scenes of the world with different goals in mind. Kun Lan leads a powerful force called Heaven Smile that threaten the world using suicide bombers unseen by the public. Against him is Harman Smith who uses 7 deadly assassins that all exist within him! Lead the Killer 7 team to defeat Kun Lan and his evil forces to prevent the world from falling into his evil hands. Utilize the 7 powerful persona of the various Smith family and you will become the ultimate lethal team of assassins! Now what are you waiting for, an invitation? Go out there and take down some Heaven Smile!

As of recently, we here at Honey’s Anime are continuously being surprised by what games get ports to various modern-day consoles. Though, one of the biggest surprises that hit us out of nowhere was a port of Suda 51’s strangest and yet coolest title, Killer 7. Releasing for the PC we put some time into Killer 7 and have some feedback to share with you readers who might be veterans of the original Killer 7 or those who have always wished to try it out on a modern machine. All of the info you need can be found in our review of Killer 7 for the PC. It’s time to kill some baddies!

Killer 7 was originally a GameCube/PS2 title that released back in 2005. Players assume the role of an older man named Harman Smith who wheelchair bound but has a rather unique power. Harman has several personas within him that he can summon into existence to act as his vessel. Seven unique assassin characters reside in Harman and he uses these agents to kill Heaven Smile, an enemy led by Kun Lan. Killer 7 right from the gate will impress those new to Suda 51 with a unique story, interesting theme and of course, extremely stylish gameplay.

Going beyond the main concept of Killer 7 is where things get a bit more difficult to explain but we’ll do our best to simplify what you’re expected to do as the player. Players will enter a linear based game where movement is done by simply pushing one button to run forward and then choosing a direction or point of interest to go to and continue forward. Along the way, enemies will also need to be taken on and that is where Killer 7 switches from third person to first person. Here, players must scan the room, find the hidden enemies and shoot them before they reach you. If an enemy touches one of your killers, then you’ll take a massive amount of damage. Each of the Smiths—aka the killers—has a different life bar so while Dan Smith might be able to take 3-4 hits, Kaede Smith can only take 2-3 depending on the enemy type. Now we know what you’re thinking. What do you mean by different killers/Smiths and what makes them so different?

The Smiths are 7 different personalities within Harman that also have unique traits about them. Dan Smith is the better shot of the group with his revolver and tends to be perfect for eliminating multiple threats with speed/efficiency. Coyote Smith is a rough dude who can do insane amount of damage but has a bit of a slower reload. MASK de Smith—the luchador of the group—uses twin grenade launchers so he can instantly kill any small enemy with one hit but must reload after each shot. Each character can be leveled up from the blood consumed from killing enemies but also must be used for various puzzles and to access some rooms specifically. MASK de Smith can break busted walls and Kaede can see words written in blood and analyze them for clues. Killer 7 is a weird game folks, but in the end, it’s basically summed up as run from room to room, kill enemies and solve puzzles.

If that wasn’t weird enough for you though, we aren’t done explaining the nuances of Killer 7. Beyond the action and puzzles lies a bit of an RPG experience. As you get blood—which we mentioned above—you can level up your Smiths to boost their skills in combat and give them special attacks like killing downed enemies or doing more damage if an enemy is hit in a critical spot. However, while leveling up, you’ll notice one Smith is not able to be leveled up. That Smith is Garcian and he is the cleaner and acts as a revive man for your team. If a Smith dies, their head—yes, their head—can be retrieved by Garcian and be revived for blood in one of Harman’s room which are scattered across the map. If Garcian dies though, the game ends and you’ll be forced to reload at the last save spot. As cool as Garcian is, we recommend not using him in combat unless you must go back through an area to get a fallen Smith.

As strange as Killer 7 is—and we’ve barely scratched the surface of its weirdness—the reason why it works so well is because this game is the literal definition of style. Killer 7 has a cel-shading effect and even today it makes Killer 7 look like a playable comic book, minus the thought bubbles and dot matrix. The voice acting is often laughably bad but it works giving each character a real-life feeling to them ironically enough. Unfortunately, Killer 7’s visuals do look dated as this port clearly only had minor upgrades done. We noticed no slow downs or frame rate drops but the environments and character models look like they came from a 2005 game. Killer 7 oozes with style but we do wish a remaster was done rather than just a port.

Killer 7 released so long ago that it feels like a new game to us here at Honey’s Anime despite us having beat the game dozens of times over the course of its original release. While the graphics don’t make Killer 7 feel new, the uniqueness of it does. Killer 7 was a breath of fresh air in gaming when it came out in 2005 and in 2018 it feels the same. Strange, violent and surreal, Killer 7 is the perfect game for those who love cult classic movies or games that just feel like hidden gems. Plus, for the $19.99 price tag, Killer 7 offers a solid 10+ hour experience with a new game + mode that allows for a new character and various challenges even beyond that. We recommend Killer 7 for all Suda 51 fans, those new to his games and those who just want a departure from the usual ho-hum games that seem to pour out more often than not.

Killer 7 might not look that impressive visually—seeing as how this is a port—but that doesn’t take away from the impressive and unique gameplay as well as the stylish themes. SUDA 51 has proven that his games still continue to amaze even years after their conception and that’s why we still love Killer 7 now despite the lackluster visuals. We know these feelings will be shared by many gamers out there though and that’s why we can’t recommend downloading Killer 7 enough, folks. Are you interested in replaying Killer 7 or entering it for the first time? Let us know in the comments below! Be sure to keep stuck to our amazing hive for more game reviews, gaming articles and anime articles curtsey of us here at Honey’s Anime!