John Wick Hex (PlayStation 4)
Official GBAtemp Review
Product Information:
- Release Date (NA): May 4, 2020
- Publisher: Good Shepherd Entertainment
- Developer: Bithell Games
- Genres: Turn-based strategy
- Also For: Computer
Game Features:
John Wick is a modern action movie classic. While its sequels have gotten a more mixed response, it’s hard to deny the appeal of the original. It captures a believability often missing from the genre with intricate choreography and sound mixing that makes every hit feel impactful, and it does this without sacrificing the high body counts and memorable setpieces that defined the genre in the more outlandish ‘80s and ‘90s. It ties these seemingly disparate elements together with an arresting performance from Keanu Reeves who wields his impressive frame to terrifying effect, while carrying an expressiveness that makes it hard to forget the real person calculating these decisions. It also garnered praise for its refreshingly simple—but still engaging—plot, setting and character motivations, cutting out the filler that often drags down action films with the same ruthless efficiency its title character dispatches his enemies. In short, it’s about as close to perfect as a film can get, and one that both begged for and rejects the possibility of a video game adaptation, because as much as we’d all want to be John Wick in this world, it’d be impossible to maintain the flim’s fluidity in the hands of a player.
Enter Mike Bithell. The acclaimed director behind Thomas Was Alone and Volume brings us John Wick Hex, the first game based on the franchise. Bithell isn’t known for action games (Thomas Was Alone being a puzzle-platformer and Volume being a puzzle-stealther), so he may seem like an odd choice for the project, but John Wick Hex actually meets him at his level by being a turn-based strategy game, rather than an action title.
The main idea behind this seems to be that a regular player couldn’t manage the focus that John Wick has, so the only way to simulate it is to allow players infinite time to make their decisions. It’s an interesting idea, but it immediately creates a different feel for the game than that of the film. The film is an emotional experience, as your pulse pounds and you try to keep up with the action; the game is a cerebral one as you carefully plan out your method of attack, three and four moves ahead. The film is fast-paced, only providing brief moments of respite to catch your breath; the game is nothing but catching your breath, as you might spend thirty seconds orchestrating a manoeuvre that takes three to execute. A further disconnect is made in the audio and visual design of the game. The wider viewing angle, necessary to give players a good sense of their surroundings, robs the action here of the intimacy of the film’s fight sequences. The foley work, while fine on its own, pales in comparison to the film, lacking the oomph that made each punch and gunshot carry so much weight. Finally, the visual design is too cartoony, compared to the grounded look of the film. It’s understandable, as a budget title, that John Wick Hex couldn’t go for an ultra-realistic style, but that doesn’t make it feel any less connected to its source material.
Of course, none of these things are inherently problematic on their own. They only demonstrate how rarely the mood of the movies is ever captured. Taken on its own merits, unconnected to the source material, John Wick Hex is an impressive little strategy game. Every action in the game takes place on a handy timeline at the top of the screen, that maps all of your and your enemy’s movements.
For example, if an enemy sees you and readies his gun, you can see that it takes 1 second for him to prepare to shoot, at which point he will fire, which takes about 0.5 seconds, and then another 0.5 for him to end his action. With that, you have a variety of options at your disposal, and as you highlight each option, it’ll show you where it fits in on the timeline. You can crouch (0.5 seconds) and then roll behind cover (another half second), with movement greatly reducing the enemy’s hit rate. If you weren’t in the middle of an action when he spotted you, you may be able to get off your own shot before he does his, and if it hits you’ll interrupt his action. If that doesn’t work, you always have the option of throwing your gun at him, which will execute faster and give you a better chance to interrupt enemy fire, but, of course, leaves you without a firearm. You can resupply and steal weapons off the ground from your victims, but picking up a gun takes a second and a half—a risky proposition if there are any enemies in the vicinity.
Most of the action revolves around this timeline, but luckily it’s a robust enough system to support it. There are a wealth of options to consider just when facing one enemy, but when you’re taking on multiple foes it gets very interesting. Melee attacks can stun enemies for a few seconds, and some even let you reposition yourself by the end of the attack, so you’ll be keeping a close eye on the timeline as you figure out the optimal path to stun enough enemies to get to cover while moving enough to avoid gunfire, until you can get secure enough to fire off some rounds. Each level has a certain amount of trial and error involved as you learn each enemy’s location, but it’s still incredibly satisfying to nail down an approach that lets you wipe out every enemy flawlessly, usually involving constant weapon swapping and keeping enemies stunned in order to stay ahead of the attack.
Unfortunately, it is somewhat static. While, throughout the game, you’ll encounter different enemy and weapon types and get access to certain perks, the core systems stay the same. The game finds every suitable application for these over its relatively short runtime (between six and eight hours for a single playthrough), however, and given how lean and focussed each level is, it’s unlikely you’ll get sick of what the game has to offer.
Where should a licensed game’s priorities lie: translating the property it’s based off to an interactive medium, or being a compelling game in its own right? How you answer that question will probably determine how much you like John Wick Hex. It rarely captures the feel of the movies, in terms of its look or pace or tone. Removed from its license, however, it’s a clever and engaging strategy game. The timeline system is a smart way for the game to let itself throw hordes of enemies at you without being overwhelming and force you to switch up your tactics regularly if you wanna have any chance at success. While some may consider it a no frills experience, it feels more lean and to the point, cutting out filler in much the same way its film counterpart does. In fact, if anything, that’s the one area where Hex does reflect the film; they’re both quick, clean experiences that know exactly what they want to do and know how to do it damn well.
Verdict
- Clever strategy gameplay
- Tense music
- Actors from the original film return to voice their characters
- Doesn’t really feel like John Wick
