Stranglehold Critic Reviews

As long as you go into this game expecting an intense John Woo thrill, you will not be disappointed.

Stranglehold is fun. It's fun in a "God hand" way.

After finishing up the single-player campaign for the second time I came away very happy and found that I wish there was more to play. Finding yourself smiling more than once while finding a new way to kill an enemy or blow up that dinosaur skeleton is a normal occurrence for this game. The gameplay is simply superb and it looks really good while doing it.

Stranglehold accomplishes what it sets out to do: be a cinematic, flashy action experience that mirrors one of Woo's films. It does this with excellent, accessible controls, playful, simple features that dodge gimmicks, fun environments that crumble during combat and polished presentation to make the package work.

High-engergy action with some brilliant moments and touches. Shame it's so short.

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.

The action-centric gameplay is as intense, over the top and engaging as any Woo work should be, and combined with the visuals of the Unreal 3 engine, the title is essentially what a next-gen Max Payne needed to be.

The game is short, but it almost seems like a good thing, as too much more of it would have been too much. Again, the game is great fun (even given some frustrating camera issues that make it difficult to pinpoint an enemy causing Tequila damage), but it’s best in small doses.

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.

The ultimate guy and gun-enthusiast game. If you like shooting things, blowing things up, revenge, or cool action scenes, this is the perfect game for you.

Despite the game's undoubted scope for replayability, it is decidedly low on play time. But in the cold light of day, we're not too bothered with all that - because Stranglehold offers something so raw and so hyper-energetic that the next game you play after it will feel positively tired and lethargic in comparison. Woo hoo.

Plays like a John Woo movie. Although ”tequila time” is nothing new, it is still a great effect. Gameplay is solid and everything runs smoothly. Action tends to get a bit repetitive towards the end, however.

Stranglehold will capture the hearts of anyone looking for an action game, period. It might even capture the hearts of anyone looking for a game. While there are problems with the game, you will quickly forget what those are as you continuously mow down your enemies with various execution techniques.

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.

The action-centric gameplay is as intense, over the top, and engaging as any John Woo work should be, and combined with the visuals of the Unreal 3 engine the game is essentially a next-gen Max Payne.

Overall, Stranglehold is a fun shooter to play, and an exciting indicator of the things to come if the borders between Hollywood and gaming continue to blur.

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 might stumble occasionally under its own ambitious weight, and might not quite deliver on all its promises and potential, but it's still a unique and absorbing 8-hour tour through a legendary action director's potent unfilmable dreams.

The game is short, explosive and downright slick and it's everything we hoped it was going to be.

The gunplay works great and the presentation definitely carries Woo's signature style. It's the quintessential action game experience, even with its weak multiplayer option.