Fans of John Woo action movies will be excited to learn that the continuation of the classic action thriller, “Hard Boiled, will make its appearance today on the Xbox 360 platform.
Initially, Midway had indicated that the often delayed game would ship for the Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and PC at the same time, but after missing the initial ship date by a week, only the Xbox 360 version arrived. We have been told that the delay on the Playstation 3 and PC version will be minimal and it will ship for these two additional platforms later this month.
“Stranglehold” is rated “M” for Mature and is available in the standard edition for US$59.99 and a special collectors’ edition that includes a behind-the-scenes documentary, along with extended cut scenes that will retail for US$69.99. You can currently download the demo on Xbox Live, but no word as to when you will be able to download the PC version of the demo.
The initial buzz on the 360 version is that the game is well crafted and looks very good with a very interactive environment that can be destroyed in just about any way that a player can imagine. Many reviews have suggested that the multiplayer mode is pretty useless and the game play is pretty short in the single player mode. It has been called a “Max Payne” rip off, but we think “Stranglehold” deserves better than that kind of description.
Also shipping is “Medal of Honor: Airborne,” which is being released for both Xbox 360 and the PC. (The Playstation 3 version will ship in November.) Based on our experience with the 1.27GB PC demo version of “MOH: Airborne” we can say that this should be quite a popular title on the PC, at least from our experience with the single play version (the PC demo did not include the multiplayer for testing).
The game offers a good mix of action and an impressive design that sets it apart from other MOH games of the past. Early reviews have indicated a strong multiplayer to be a part of the overall package, but issues with the aiming of weapons and hit detection might leave some scratching their heads until the first patch is released. The game is rated “T” for Teen and is currently available for US$59.99 for the Xbox 360 version and US$49.99 for the PC version. If you like WWII shooters, the fact that the levels are not strictly linear and the strong multiplayer slant could make this game a big departure from MOH disappointments of the past, and worth picking up.