Hands-On With Midway's Unreal 3-Powered Hard Boiled Killer

Midway's commitment to the next generation of game consoles is a driven one, that's for sure. The company has figuratively put all its eggs in one basket by going with Epic's new Unreal Engine 3 for all its future in-house developed games, a move that's particularly risky if the games aren't more than great-looking rehashes of current-gen titles. Still, I'll admit to initially being skeptical about John Woo Presents: Stranglehold from the moment I saw the immediately impressive CG trailer during last year's E3 madness. Let me confess something deep, dark and secretive here, folks - I have a love/hate thing for CG game trailers, because they're gorgeously misleading. Sure, games companies pour gallons of heart and soul into their mini-movies, churning out eyeball melting mini-epics that get the salivary glands flowing. Nevertheless, in the back of my brain, I'm automatically set for disappointment when the demo build arrives or the actual game ships, when the lovely movie stops and I'm in a room with crates to run around in order to get to a bunch of mindless patrolling goons that need dispatching.

Therefore, the above was on my mind after I saw the Stranglehold trailer last year and pretty much up to E3 this year (I didn't attend), where I heard the game was actually coming along nicely. Still I had to see for myself, so I absolutely leapt at the chance to see the game in action and yes, PLAY it, at Midway's press event here in New York. After seeing and playing some of the company's other upcoming titles (I'll get to a few of those in another preview), I headed for the room where Stranglehold was being demoed by the game's Senior Producer, Alex Offerman. As I walked in and sat down to face the screen, I got a big ol' grin on my face; there was an amazing-looking Chow Yun Fat model standing in the most realistic-looking restaurant kitchen setting I've ever seen in a game. Score one for eye candy, as Inspector Tequila and his staging area were looking mighty impressive indeed in polygonal form.

As Offerman played with the camera, pointing it down to individual floor tiles and an eye-popping steel table that you could cut up a chicken on, I felt like my face was going to crack as he explained how obsessed the art team was with getting things right. Then he pulled Tequila's guns and shot up a pillar near the table, which produced individual (and chipped) flying tiles and a cloud of dust and particles - excellent. As I was grinning at the minor destruction, a deft flick of an analog stick headed Inspector T. to a set of swinging doors…

The demo proper began after an in-engine cinematic set up an absolutely thrilling shootout inside a restaurant. Dispatching a few gun-toting guys coming from two different angles, Offerman ducked Tequila behind a counter as bullets zinged by, sending chunks of wood and tile flying all over the place. Rushing from behind his temporary cover, Tequila dove and took out two more guys before Offerman showed off a cool move by having him hop belly first on a rolling food cart and blast a few more baddies using the versatile targeting system.

Although Max Payne comparisons sprang to mind immediately, the level of interactivity here makes Max look extremely dated. Besides, if it weren't for John Woo, the team at Remedy (as well as a pack of other developers) wouldn't have had much of a leg to stand on in terms of gimmicks. Tequila automatically butt slides on tables, runs up or slides down banisters and pulls of a bunch of equally cool moves without fumbling with an action button. It was really eye opening to see a game where you don't need to worry about navigating around obstacles for fear of being hung up and shot up because your avatar is stuck on a polygon or larger object. Offerman explained that the development team is going for as seamless and cinematic an experience as possible. By the way, there is an action button used for flipping tables on their sides to act as shields, as I was quickly shown. However, as in real life, a few well-placed enemy shots chipped away the wooden table within seconds. While I was picking my jaw up off my shoes, Offerman then got busy showing me a few other cool things.

As Tequila blows away foes, he builds up a meter that when filled, lets him bust out awesome spinning slow motion 'Tequila Time' moves, complete with Woo's patented white doves and plenty of bodies flying all about. Sure, it's over the top, but it absolutely works in the game's favor. Even more interesting is that this feature was all Woo's idea; in fact, he more or less approves every major aspect of the game so that it's really going to feel like a true sequel to his classic action film, Hard Boiled. Meanwhile, back at the bullet ranch, I got to see Tequila run up a banister blasting some shotgun-toting goons, before taking on another swarm of soon-to-be dead men. As their bodies fell and flew, Tequila was shot at by some new henchmen across the way on a balcony. Offerman smiled and ran Tequila up to a railing, then leapt onto a giant wooden lantern, swinging back and forth as he targeted and blew away the opposition… simply insane.

As he jumped off the lamp and landed on the other side to pick up an automatic weapon, a few more unlucky guards died under a hail of gunfire and Tequila was guided downstairs for the stage's boss battle. That particular fight was a bit of a tricky one, as well as visually insane, as the boss had a rocket launcher and his two assistants had shotguns. While taking out the hired help and applying massive bullet therapy in the boss's general direction was the main goal, I couldn't help but be awed by the smoke and particle effects as chunks of tiles and columns littered the air. The level ended with a camera swooping around the destruction, once again showing off the incredible level of damage that the game world can sustain. Oh, in case you haven't guessed, all this will come with a guaranteed Mature rating for the sheer amount of shells feeding the scenery alone. It's bullet porn at its finest and if the final game is as crazy with the firearms and fireworks, then there will be a ton of panting action fans when the game actually ships.

Firing up the demo once more, Offerman handed me the controller and I pretty much flailed away, more than surprised at how fluid the build played. Traditional third person controls apply here with the automatic sliding on tables and such handling surprisingly well. Offerman noted that the game still has a lot of work left to do, from refining death animations to tweaking elements of the controls to make things even more fluid. One thing I noticed in both watching and playing the level was how the camera really captures the feel of watching a film in addition to playing a game - it isn't trapped behind Tequila or hung up on objects in the environment as he slides and leaps across or over them. Visually, Stranglehold is looking spectacular thus far and if the promised outdoor levels complete with car and boat chases are half as stunning as this demo stage, then the Unreal 3 engine just might be Midway's secret weapon for next-gen domination.

Offerman noted that the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC versions would all look exactly the same, as the team is dedicated to keeping the visual fidelity similar across all three platforms. In other words, there's no Wii version planned at the current time. Alternatively, don't expect any portable versions for that matter. The Stranglehold team is getting the Unreal 3 engine down as best as possible for one of the first games using the technology, something Namco's development team was having trouble with in the now canceled Frame City Killer. Offerman also noted that there will be multiplayer modes in the final version, but he wasn't at liberty to discuss much at the time we spoke. I left the room more than satisfied that Midway will have a smash hit on their hot little hands when Stranglehold is finally completed.

Still, I can see some folks wondering about Stranglehold's big picture future. What's here might not turn out to be a surefire epic masterpiece for every gaming taste, but fans of the run and gun genre and John Woo's bullet ballets will be supremely smiling from ear to ear. Of course, we'll keep a good eye on Stranglehold as it makes its merry and violent way to release, so stay tuned for further updates as they surface.

Previewed by Greg Wilcox for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).