What makes Stranglehold so impressive is how intuitive it is. The controls have been fully streamlined to make the player look awesome at all times. Is there a table blocking your way? Simply run to it, and you'll jump right over it. Want to roll to the side, and hide behind a cabinet? Just use your analog stick. Simple movement is anything but: the interaction that the player has with the environment is incredible, and it's even more impressive knowing that a single button doesn't need to be used.
But, Stranglehold would be a failure if all you did was move around. Unsurprisingly, the shooting is fun, brutal, and intuitive. The L button activates a bullet time mode, which will allow the player to jump and doge in slow-mo while shooting. A clever mix of careful navigation and wise use of slow-mo will make you a lethal killer. However, Strangehold ups the ante even further: the D-Pad is used to activate some truly over-the-top bonuses. Our favorite has to be the zoom-in function, which will focus your aim. By pressing the trigger, the camera will follow the high-powered bullet, making head shots even that much more enjoyable.Other abilities include high-powered, rapid-fire shooting. Press RIght on the D-Pad, and the shotgun will become a devastating weapon that will literally tear up the environment, and your enemies. Finally, there's one special attack which will unleash Tequila's signature spinning move, where he circles around, firing at all enemies around him.
The environmental effects are nothing short of astounding. The graphics are impressive as-is, but seeing almost every element in a level destroyed is awe-inspiring. Nearly everything in a level can be destroyed. Not only will everything fall apart, but the debris that's left behind will remain in the stage permanently. It's highly refreshing to see everything simply stay, without fading away, or disappearing. After a quick gunfight, utilizing all of Tequila's advanced abilities, the world will be absolutely devastated. In addition, the physics in the world can be used to your advantage: building signs can be shot to fall on enemies, wooden floors can be destroyed beneath goons, and explosives will, well, explode.
Stranglehold combines great graphics, intuitive controls, and dynamic gameplay to craft a true action movie experience. The game will launch on both PS3 and Xbox 360 in August.
