thing doesn't have just a little bit. It has everything. Everything that made Killer7 a

GameCube classic.

Everything your friends didn't believe until you showed them, in No More Heroes. It's violent.

It's sexy. It's sexist.

It's...utterly ridiculous. It's everything you love—or everything you hate—about

Suda 51.

But...that means it's predictable.

And that's one thing you'd never predict from Suda.

Now, now...it's not a loser, by any means. On the contrary, Killer Is Dead is one of

the year's most stylish,

entertaining and...irreverent video games. Another patch on the vest of gaming's most

notorious punk rocker and

closest answer to Quentin Tarantino. If you like your games as gorgeous as they are f*cked

up, you'll love Killer Is

Dead.

But if you're familiar with Suda's work, be aware that...this one kind of feels like a

greatest hits. And most of the

time, a "greatest hits" never has the same impact.

Most of the time.

In fact, if there's one thing that makes Killer Is Dead stand apart from games like No More

Heroes, it's that...this

is kind of a dark game. I mean, it has all the potty humor you would expect from Suda,

but the tone is far more

sinister this time. Even uncomfortable, at times. In fact, while the gameplay is basically

just No More Heroes 3, the

game is actually closer to Killer7 in tone...and its balance between fear and funny.

And...with a little extra foxy.

Actually, it's more than a little. And that's another thing that stands out with Killer

Is Dead. I mean, Suda's games

always sexualize women, but...this takes it to a level that even surprised me. I mean,

there's actually a minigame

where...you have to stare at a woman's "parts," when she's not looking. Do it enough times,

and you can give her

expensive gifts. Like flowers. Do that enough times, and...well, you know.

And the crazy thing is that...that's how you get new weapons, and upgrades. From sleeping

with women. Who then give

you these things, in return. And honestly, if that's something you find offensive...you'll

find a thousand other

things offensive, in Killer Is Dead. This game is just...unremittingly misogynistic,

even for Suda 51. So that's

definitely something to consider.

One way or the other.

As for the gameplay, well...that's familiar ground, too. And actually, that's where the

game disappoints the most.

Killer Is Dead is almost identical to No More Heroes, the same counter-based sword game

that exhilarated Wii

owners...about half a decade earlier. And that's fine, because it's fun. Killer Is Dead

is fun. But it does give the

experience this overwhelming feeling of "been there, done that."

And again, you just don't expect that from a Suda game.

Now, there is one new gameplay element that separates Killer Is Dead from No More Heroes.

And this one feels like

Shadows of the Damned. In addition to your sword, you also have this...arm cannon, which

lets you do some third-person

shooting if you have enough blood. It's a fun change, but...you use the sword like,

90 percent of the time. Which

means...it's really not much of a change.

Fortunately, though, it is fun. I mean, if you like No More Heroes—and you should like

No More Heroes—you're going to

love Killer Is Dead. Dodge, attack, rinse the blood off, repeat. It's fast, it's frantic,

it's awesome. And for the

most part, it looks amazing. It has Suda's unmistakable style...but even that's held

back by some technical issues. So it's, like...one step forward, two exploding

torsos back.

Suda 51 has always taken this...off-road approach, to game design. But the thing is, when you

go off the road enough

times in the same place? That becomes a road. Worn down, visible...predictable. If you like

the way Suda drives, like

I do, you're going to love Killer Is Dead. But if you're hoping for an unexpected turn?

For a new route?

That's a route Killer Is Dead doesn't seem interested

in taking.