Stranglehold

Kombo.com (9 out of 10)

As long as you go into this game expecting an intense John Woo thrill, you will not be disappointed. If you like games like Disgaea or Phoenix Wright, this isn't for you. Otherwise, this is an amazingly great purchase. Get it now.

Gamigo (8.8 out of 10)

Wer gnadenlose Action nicht nur gerne im Kino schaut, sondern auch die Heimanlage öfters mal arbeiten lässt, der sollte sich Stranglehold unter gar keinen Umständen entgehen lassen. Ihr wollt Action? Hier bekommt ihr sie! Innovationen sucht man allerdings meist vergeblich, abgesehen vielleicht von der Kugelkamera. Zudem hat man seit Max Payne einfach das seltsame Gefühl, alles irgendwie schon einmal erlebt zu haben. Aber sollte man Stranglehold deswegen abstrafen? Nein, denn dafür macht es einfach zu viel Spaß. Einzig und alleine die gemeine Kastration der deutschen Version (zur Erinnerung, sie war nie für Jugendliche freigegeben) stößt uns übel auf und man kann wohl davon ausgehen, dass diese Art der Seuche noch weitere Kreise ziehen wird. Wer aber keine Probleme damit hat, wenn der rote Lebenssaft nicht literweise fließt und auch die Verblichenen keines Blickes würdigt, der kann bedenkenlos zugreifen.

360 LIVE (8.7 out of 10)

Am Ende bleibt ein geradliniger, dabei extrem unterhaltsam gemachter Shooter mit ziemlich viel Kino-Charakter, grandioser Action und dem vermutlich höchsten Bodycount aller Zeiten. (...)

Play.tm (86 out of 100)

The fact that everything in the game, from the environments to the rewards system, is setup to encourage such visually pleasing action rather than simple run and gun ensures that you're never bored by the incredibly linear progression. If we're looking hard to nit pick it's a trifle short, can feel repetitive after a while and the restrictions on Tequila Time in multiplayer means it's never going to hold the interest in that area. Put aside such quibbles however and you're left with a fantastic action game that brings you as close to being the lead in a fully formed John Woo film as you're ever going to get, for his fans that alone will be enough, for the rest of you still left undecided go and watch 'Hard Boiled' with an Xbox controller in your hand and imagine how great it would be if it was interactive.

Power Unlimited (86 out of 100)

Stranglehold is zo’n game die iedere Hong Kong liefhebber gewoon moet checken. Het is hard, het is goed en er is genoeg voor iedereen.

Atomic Gamer (86 out of 100)

While Stranglehold doesn't revolutionize action games, or even any one part of action games, it's a solid game with an authentic cinematic style, great use of Chow Yun-Fat, excellent action, and destructible environments. This one won't be going down in the history books along with the very best action games and the multiplayer mode is mediocre at best, but Stranglehold still carves out a niche that you'll want to come back and experience again every once in a while. Last I checked, Marcus Fenix and Gordon Freeman couldn't fly through the air horizontally while taking out a half-dozen guys with a pair of Berettas. Until they figure that out, Stranglehold definitely has a place in any action fan's library.

XboxAchievements (85 out of 100)

I’d love to score the game higher, as it does so much right throughout the game, and it’s certainly one of the most enjoyable shooters you can find on the Xbox 360. However, a fairly short campaign, poor multiplayer games and no real incentive to play through more than once except for achievements and style points mean I can’t score it any higher than I have here. However, the most pertinent point was made in the first sentence, and if it’s a fun game you’re after, Stranglehold could easily be the game for you.

AusGamers (8.5 out of 10)

At the end of the day Stranglehold is that rare breed of game that fuses simplicity with great technology. The destruction model for the game’s environments (fuelled by the Havok and Unreal game engines) is unparalleled, while the overall sensation of cool just keeps you pushing on (fuelled by John Woo and Chow Yun-Fat). It is a relatively short game, but there's plenty of reason to keep picking it up, if not for the Achievements then for higher scores per level or just plain beating the unforgiving Hard Boiled mode, if you're still not convinced though, we have the PC demo available for download here. I grew up watching John Woo and Chow Yun-Fat in their honkie movie exploits, but never once did I imagine their filmmaking styles would be perfect for a videogame, now I do. More please.

IGN Australia (8.4 out of 10)

Stranglehold is far from being the ultimate shooter, but it knows what it is, and that's a homage to some of the great Hong Kong action films, and this is a role it revels in – not just in the sense of style that pervades every aspect of the game, from the settings to the special moves, even the epic sense of cool that pervades everything Tequila does, but in the production values and – importantly – the fact that it doesn't take itself too seriously. As the game progresses, the action film clichés stack up, but in the best possible way. After all, how can a bad guy diving out of the window of a skyscraper, only to appear moments later rising up in a helicopter, possibly be bad? And who wouldn't love seeing Tequila diving out of an exploding building, only to land in a speedboat? Robots, that's who. Are you a robot?

ActionTrip (83 out of 100)

In a nutshell, it's safe to say that with Stranglehold, you will be getting exactly what you paid for: over-the-top arcade action with a Hong Kong twist and trademark Woo choreography. As such, the game is great. On the other hand, there is only so much you can do with what you got here, and Stranglehold, although very good, is neither technically nor in any other way, able to pass that threshold and achieve excellence.

Xboxdynasty (XD) (8.2 out of 10)

Stranglehold ist wie die Popcorntüte im Kino. Sind die ersten Popcorn noch lecker, wird die Leckerei immer öder, je weiter man in der Verpackung vordringt. Actionfans weiß der Titel zwar sofort zu gefallen, aber leider nicht auf lange Zeit zu motivieren. Ähnlich wie im Kino, gibt es auch bei der Spielergemeinschaft immer zwei Seiten. Seid ihr eher der Typ der im Kino bei heftigen Explosionen und den waghalsigsten Stunts mit offenem Mund noch gerade ein WOW von den Lippen lassen könnt? Dann ist Stranglehold euer Spiel! Solltet ihr zu der Sorte Kinogänger gehören, die in einem Actionfilm eher mit dem Kopfschütteln und so was von sich geben, wie: “Mensch, muss der denn niemals Nachladen?“ oder „Ist das Mister Unverwundbar?“, dann lasst lieber gleich die Finger von diesem Titel.

Gamesmania.de (81 out of 100)

Ein wahres Actionfeuerwerk ist John Woo´s Stranglehold auf jeden Fall geworden. Dank der tollen Präsentation glaubt man fast wirklich in einem Kinofilm mitzuspielen. Spaß macht das Spiel daher fraglos, doch nach einiger Spielzeit sackt die Motivation dann doch merklich ab. Besonders die oft geringe Abwechslung innerhalb einer Mission hat mich richtig gestört, zudem hält man das irre Spieltempo kaum länger als eine Stunde am Stück aus. An ein Max Payne kommt Stranglehold auch deshalb nicht heran, da eine spannende Story fehlt. Fast ist man daher schon froh, dass die Daueraction nur sieben Stunden anhält. Ein Erlebnis ist der Titel aber allemal, der erhoffte Hit allerdings nicht.

IGN (8.1 out of 10)

There are a lot of mindless shooters on the market, but none of them immerse you in John Woo's world. And that's where Stranglehold stands out. This is the true sequel to Hard Boiled, which means Stranglehold is more about style than substance. So, not surprisingly, the story is melodramatic and forgettable and the adrenaline-pumping action is the star of the show. Stranglehold could use two more chapters and a little more visual polish, but it is an otherwise exhilarating experience. There are plenty of "Oh my God" moments and just enough challenge to sustain anyone's interest from start to finish.

Defunct Games (80 out of 100)

When Midway announced that they were going to develop the world's first John Woo video game we had our doubts. How would this video game company ever be able to match the excitement of Hard Boiled or The Killer? Now that the game is out it looks like our worries were for nothing, because John Woo Presents Stranglehold is a fantastic action game. Unfortunately it's not a perfect action game, but we feel it's still worth your time.

Eurogamer.net (UK) (8 out of 10)

If you're prepared to do without online, then Stranglehold has an awful lot going for it. It might well be the most direct, straightforward action game you've played in years, but in a way I'd see that as job done by Midway - it never seeks to overcomplicate, the combat and controls are refined, the learning curve is well balanced, the visuals fantastic, and in many ways there's an almost old school purity about it. Simply put, it's exceptionally good at what it sets out to achieve, which is to distil the best bits of John Woo's cinematic vision and turn it into a crazed video game approximation that anyone can play - in that sense, you can't really fault it. Some might baulk at the lack of depth, and the sense of mindless repetition, in which case steer clear. The rest of you can put your brain on standby, and enjoy the most ridiculous display of videogaming carnage ever.

EL33TONLINE ( )

Only problem with this game really is that it is a bit short in this day and age and that the acting is pathetic, unless Chinese actors speaking Chinese English does it for you. Other than that it’s a decent title. It is also quite nice to see a Hollywood movie director directing a game and actually pulling it off.

4Players.de (80 out of 100)

Doch bei dem ganzen Stakkato vergisst das Team, dass ein Film wie HardBoiled auch von seiner Dramaturgie lebt, dass alles auf einen Höhepunkt hinarbeitet, den John Woo in nahezu all seinen Filmen mit zielsicherer Perfektion zum Einsatz bringt. Hier allerdings kennt das Drehbuch nur ein Tempo, kennen die Gegner kaum Intelligenz, die Spannungskurve keine Variationen und die Grafikabteilung hat nicht verstanden, dass bei einem Actionfilm nicht nur die Akteure und die Sets, sondern auch die Hintergründe überzeugen müssen. Stranglehold hätte viel mehr sein können als nur ein Dauerfeuer-Viagra für Baller-Fetischisten. Doch statt einem Lobgesang auf den "Heroic Bloodshed", der nur bei den emotional und dramaturgisch überzeugenden Zwischensequenzen angestimmt wird, bleibt Stranglehold eine leicht dissonante Explosiv-Orgie ohne Kompromisse.

Armchair Empire, The (8 out of 10)

But as far as action games go, Stranglehold is about as flashy as they come, with enough slick gunplay to keep fans of the genre glued to their seats and having fun, even if they skip multiplayer altogether.

V2.fi (80 out of 100)

Stranglehold on pelinä kuin hongkong-leffat; tahallisen korni, toiminnantäytteinen, juoneltaan ohkainen, eikä missään nimessä liikaa ajattelua vaativa. Muille kuin haastavien räiskintäpelien ystäville sitä on melko hankala suositella ja räiskijöillekin vinkkaisin ensin demoversion testaamista, sillä sen perusteella pelistä saa varsin kokonaisvaltaisen kuvan. Täyden pelin hinta on mielestäni näin lyhyestä pelistä hieman liikaa, sillä ainakin itse odotan saavani moisella rahalla hupia pidempään kuin muutamaksi hassuksi ehtooksi. Räiskintäpelirintamalla on tällä hetkellä sen verran paljon kiinnostavampiakin tuotteita, että rohkenen väittää, että Stranglehold tulee livahtamaan alelaareihin aiemmin kuin arvaattekaan.

Totally Gaming Network (8 out of 10)

In summary Stranglehold is a blast from start to finish, it has a total John Woo movie appeal and your heartbeat will certainly race in portions of this game. It is great fun to play and even better on replay as you can try bigger and better ways at causing mayhem on your quest to be the hero. The multiplayer while fun to play does have it’s problems and could have probably been executed better but it’s tweaks here and there and as such is no biggy… this therefore is certainly a game worth owning.

GameSpy ( )

The game is short, explosive and downright slick and it's everything we hoped it was going to be. Stranglehold is a must for action lovers and John Woo fans everywhere and while you'll be done with the game in a reasonably short time, the journey is one full of eye-popping moves and gratuitous, enjoyable carnage.

Yet Another Review Site (YARS) (8 out of 10)

The graphics are proper Hollywood eye candy. Very stylised , and most definitely a John Woo product. The camera does go astray on occasion when enemies get close up, but this is just a minor annoyance. As is the fact that after a bit you do find the gameplay a little bit repetitive. Not enough to stop you playing through till the end. The major fly in the ointment is the multiplayer- just don't bother with it. I would stick with Gears of War, or Halo 3! Audio wise this is top draw as the voice acting & one liners from the hapless goons combine with the excellent score to create a believable game environment. If you are a fan of John Woo's cinematic work, then you are in for a treat. Time for a Tequila Slammer I think- Cheers!.

GamesCollection (8 out of 10)

John Woo sceglie il videogame come mezzo mediatico per il seguito di Hard Boiled, spendendo in sviluppo almeno quanto uno su pellicola. Semaforo verde, un gioco accattivante incentrato su l'azione pura in stile Cinese e Circense (ecco, l'ho detto) che non deluderà i fan John Woo ne i fan dei giochi d'azione. Un buon gioco per spassarsela qualche ora all'insegna dei film d'azione di un tempo.

Gamer 2.0 (7.9 out of 10)

Overall, Stranglehold offers bang for your buck akin to purchasing one large firework instead of a handful of smaller ones. Except that the large firework turns out to be only slightly larger than a mediocre one. Still, it manages to push the envelope with cinematic firefights worthy of the John Woo name even if its story has been told a million times.

TeamXbox (7.7 out of 10)

Like a blockbuster action movie, there are definitely moments when Stranglehold drags (the second level was tedious), but there’s no doubt that your heart will be pumping by the time you make your way through the later levels. You’ll need to make full use of your Tequila Time and Tequila Bomb powers, as there’s no way you’ll survive without them. Our biggest qualm was with the game’s multiplayer mode, which feels tacked-on and unnecessary. Ultimately, this feels like a good first outing for the King of Heroic Bloodshed, and we can’t wait to see what he’s got in store for us next. Perhaps a video game sequel to “Hard Target” starring Van Damme and his stunningly greasy mullet?

Jeuxvideo.com (15 out of 20)

Stranglehold utilise parfaitement la grammaire cinématographique de John Woo et offre aux fans du réalisateur un pendant vidéoludique à ses plus belles oeuvres. Le jeu est beau, jouissif et se laisse savourer de bout en bout. Néanmoins, des problèmes d'IA, de durée de vie et de construction limitent le titre de Midway au rang de "simple" très bon jeu malgré son statut d'élégant défouloir. Pourtant, on en viendrait déjà à croiser les guns pour profiter d'une éventuelle suite tant le titre ici présent semble préfigurer un avenir radieux pour le jeu d'action nouvelle génération.

1UP (7.5 out of 10)

And while the story and writing are reasonably solid, they're not nearly riveting enough to outweigh the too-simple, occasionally glitchy nature of the fundamental game. Stranglehold is good enough to present some solid entertainment for the eight or so hours you'll spend playing through the story. And it's certainly good enough to look forward to a sequel, and an opportunity for the developers to put some more meaty gameplay on top of all that pretty tech. But it ultimately ends up as little more than a mindless destruct-a-thon, heavy on style and just a bit too light on substance.

Fragland.net (73.5 out of 100)

Stranglehold is by no means a bad game, but due to a lack of depth and variety, it's far from being an essential purchase. Fans of the genre and John Woo afficionados won't be disappointed, but gamers who are looking for something more than a simple, no-nonsense shoot 'm-up, should look elsewhere.

The Review Busters (7.25 out of 10)

Stranglehold will make you believe that Hollywood directors can create good video games. John Woo's first video game will have you interested in its story, but you will mostly enjoy the game play. With only seven hours of game play on the easiest setting this game will have you playing it over and over again on the harder difficulty settings, especially if you want all those achievement points. Stranglehold does fail on delivering a true John Woo online gaming experience, you will only find yourself getting frustrated when you go online with this game. Only buy Stranglehold for its single player experience and not for its online game play. On a final note though I really do enjoy this game. Because of Stranglehold I got into John Woo's older Hong Kong movies and I should have a review on Hard Boiled for you guys soon.

Computer Bild Spiele (2.38 out of 6)

In diesem Spiel spüren Sie, was heißt, ein Actionheld zu sein. Es sieht fantastisch aus und Sie sind ununterbrochen in Schießereien verwickelt. Bis auf einige Probleme mit der Kameraführung glänzt das Spiel mit gelungener Steuerung und grandioser Grafik. Erwarten Sie aber keine Spieltiefe oder fordernde Rätsel. Mit Stranglehold - einer Art "Moorhuhn" mit Pixelmenschen - werden Sie packende Stunden erleben, das Spiel aber kaum für einen zweiten Durchgang herauskramen. Daran ändert auch der viel zu hektische Mehrspielermodus nichts. Im Solospiel wirkt der Spielfluss aber aufgeräumt, weil alles richtig positioniert ist. Das ist "gute" Unterhaltung.

Peliplaneetta.net (72 out of 100)

Samalla peli ei valitettavasti tarjoa ihan niin paljon vastinetta rahalle kuin toivoisi. Kuuden tunnin mittainen yksinpeli ja Tequila Timen vesittämisellä pilattu tylsä moninpeli eivät ainakaan allekirjoittaneen mittapuulla vielä saisi aikaan ostopäätöstä, vaikka Woo kolahtaisi kuinka kovaa. Se on kuitenkin selkeästi niin hyvä Hard Boiledin henkinen jatko-osa, että jokaisen John Woo -fanin tulisi ainakin kokea se. Pari-kolmekymppiä halvempana Stranglehold on varsin suositeltava toimintapläjäys, täysihintaisena tuntihinta muodostuu aika kovaksi.

Gamer Within (7.1 out of 10)

It’s not the type of game that you’re going to remember for its utterly unique and innovative gameplay or features. Rather, it’s a game that manages to effectively combine and refine familiar gameplay techniques that combine with its “cool” factor to produce a game that is a lot of fun to play.

GameSpot (7 out of 10)

Stranglehold isn't the sort of game that's going to set the shooter genre on fire. It's a more-than-competent take on an existing formula, and it has enough unique moments and overall challenge to succeed. Sure, it gets repetitive at times, it's got a few design quirks, and the multiplayer is borderline irrelevant. But there's enough solid, exciting action here for shooter fans to sink their teeth into. It's a short ride, but an amusing one while it lasts.

UOL Jogos ( )

E quem disse que todo jogo precisa ser um divisor de águas? "Stranglehold" exige pouco dos miolos e nem tanto assim dos reflexos. É o tipo de game para jogar sem grandes expectativas, só para relaxar. A idéia de levar a fórmula de "Hard Boiled" ao título deu certo e, pelas horas da campanha single-player, compensa o investimento. Depois, ficará esquecido na prateleira, porque o multiplayer é quase descartável e não há fator replay. Toda ação frenética é limitada, mas aqui os toques de John Woo sustentam bem a trama.

PlayDevil ( )

Stranglehold is ultimately an average action title. The multiplayer promise is completely ruined by a) the lack of people playing and B) the fact that it is just a race to pick up all the cranes dotted about the level. This is a real shame as bullet-time in multiplayer would be very cool. The single player is also very short, and whilst it is clearly a high-budget, fun game, there are some shortcomings in the AI, and some frustrating moments. Also, there is not a great deal of replay value, leaving you with a 5 hour game; making it very expensive per hour of enjoyment you get. Stranglehold is an ambitious title and if you like pure action and ignore a few flaws, it may be entertaining for a short time.

Gamestyle (7 out of 10)

If you like destruction, shooting people and a game with a brain the size of a pea then there is no doubt that Stranglehold is the game for you. It’s not smart or clever, but despite the flaws it still managed to entertain us right to it’s conclusion. Much like a John Woo movie then.

Super Play (Sweden) (6 out of 10)

Så när som på ett slående hjärta på rätt ställe finns det ingenting under ytan. Stranglehold är inget dåligt spel, men det borde vara mycket bättre än så här med tanke på förutsättningarna.

G4 TV: X-Play ( )

Stranglehold sits alongside Double Dragon and Dynasty Warriors as the type of digital entertainment you'll like despite its numerous flaws. For every knock on the AI or short length or why-bother multiplayer, there's always the inherent joy of shooting someone in the face. That's why you're playing Stranglehold, and that's what it does well. You didn't really expect this to be the next Metal Gear Solid or Zelda anyway, did you?

Games TM (5 out of 10)

(...) As a game that barely manages to fulfil its minimum expectations, falls far short in a number of areas, and excels at little but the destructibility of its environment, only an average score can be awarded. A five it is, the, but it should have been so much more.

Destructoid (4.5 out of 10)

That said, however, I do consider Stranglehold a “must-rent” game. It’s most assuredly worth the eight or nine bucks to experience the different levels and Massive D scenarios, and even I have to admit that seeing Inspector Tequila again – even in a story as absurdly underwhelming as Stranglehold's – is pretty exciting. If you do end up buying it, I would suggest that you only play it for twenty or thirty minutes at a time: not only will you spread the meager amount of gameplay over several days, but playing it in short bursts will prevent the levels from ever feeling as stale or repetitive as they might if played back-to-back. After that, do what I did: sell your copy on eBay, and just play the free demo should you ever feel a niggling itch to touch this promising, but ultimately underwhelming, title once again.

Game Revolution (C-)

Really, the saving grace of Stranglehold is that it’s actually fun when it’s working right. The gunplay is satisfying, and the flying bullets and shreddable environments just feel right. If you’re a fan of Hard Boiled or action games in general, Stranglehold is a worthy rental and you’ll easily beat it before it’s due back.