In November 2002, Capcom unveiled the first images of the what would later be known as the Capcom 5, five gamecube-exclusive titles with which they would explore new dimensions in game production. While one title was the next installment of a high-profile series, Resident Evil 4, the other 4 were completely new franchises. Among them, the most intriguing was probably Killer7, with its unique aesthetics and convoluted scenario. It was also the last to be released. It was met with very polarized reviews - some hailed it as the game of the century, while many dismissed it as a fiasco. What everyone agreed on, though, is that with its audacious graphical style and extreme degree of violence, it was unlikely to attract a mainstream audience. That prophecy was probably fulfilled beyond Capcom’s expectations as the game only sold a few thousands copies worldwide.

Killer7 boasts two very interesting characteristics:
 its unique approach to violence, and
 its innovating style and gameplay.

Killer7 and violence

The good thing about a game called Killer7 is that no one could honestly expect it to be about collecting flowers or little animals. But then, the game raises the ante. So to make a long story short, Killer7 is the most violent game ever released, bar none, and considering the trends in editorial freedom that development studios now enjoy, it’s unlikely that any game will ever come close.

Of course, Killer7 features blood

Killer7, Gamecube, 2005

The game features blood, and no small amount thereof.

(and no small amount thereof) and people shooting at each other (again, in ample quantities). But that is almost a detail compared to the substance of the game. The game explores the darkest possible themes, including and not limited to teen suicide, child murder, bullying, sadomasochism, torture or mass murder. And it does this in a very, I’m almost sorry to say, appropriate way: the most horrible stories are usually told by the game characters,

Killer7, Gamecube, 2005

Suzie, the kaomoji-speaking severed head

notably Susie, the severed head whose ghost reveals the unbearable events that happened to her before her demise, or Kess, the ghost of a neglected child turned serial killer. The result is extremely disturbing, as was intended, yet the game doesn’t try to show all of this blood and gore, but rather entices the player to imagine the horror beyond the words.

Killer7, Gamecube, 2005

Kess Bloodysunday, another very disturbing underage ghost

In Killer7, violence is not something gratuitous that the publisher decides to lace the game with to increase its appeal. Quite the contrary, it is rather at the heart of the game concept and narration. Interestingly, the player is put rather at the receiving end than at the dealing end. Sure, they get to shoot monsters and turn them into droplets of blood. And they are made well-aware of the background of the characters, who are all professional killers. But most of the violent content is rather delivered through the player through the narration, as the story unfolds or, more dramatically, during cutscenes. As a result, it’s fair to say that Killer7 doesn’t glamorize violence, or use it as something cool. Many players, though, will find this mental violence much more difficult to withstand than the realistic blood effects that contemporary shooters have got them used to.

As a side note, upon release a famous American lobbyist tried, without success, to get Killer7 an Adult Only rating - a rating that few games would deserve more than Killer7 would, and that ironically would probably have contributed to increase its sales.

Killer style

From the earliest available screenshot, it was clear that Killer7 was something different, something unique. The game is obviously cel-shaded, but beyond that, background elements are uniquely treated - often silhouettes, sometimes in just two colours or using a very basic, visible gradient. Only elements which have a role in gameplay are displayed, others are purely ignored. All of this contributes to give the game a very unrealistic, no, unreal look and feel, as if the game was some kind of abstract nightmare. In a way, this abstract approach makes the incredible dose of violence which the player is forced to ingest more acceptable.

Killer7, Gamecube, 2005

Kaede, one of the 7 killers

It also blends well with the obfuscated scenario, which revolves around the insanity of one of the main characters. From the beginning, we know that all the Killers are controlled by one mind, that they are both distinct and unique - just like the 7 split personalities of a schizophrenic. Speaking of characters, suffice to say that character design is absolutely splendid. Not only are the characters graphically remarkable, each infused with a strong personality that is well translated by the game style, but they all have a compelling background story that contributes to make the world of Killer7 a consistent but insane universe. And that doesn’t just apply to playable characters, but to every one in the game.

Killer7, Gamecube, 2005

Cutscenes vary greatly in style.

A powerful tool used by the developers to immerse the player in the game, as well to flesh out their characters, is cutscenes. Some are rendered with the game engine, and some are pre-rendered FMVs just like in the days of the Playstation 1. These were outsourced to various studios, hence a healthy variety of styles which take the game even further away from the graphical conventions in effect in current videogames, as if it were necessary. I’ve stated earlier how much impact a well-directed cutscene can have on a game universe, and Killer7 is one of the best examples one could find. There are truly memorable moments, such as when the Killer7 reach the "First Life" company headquarters, the brief but unforgettable appearance of the assassin Linda Vermillion, or the Russian roulette game between Garcian Smith and his former school principal, Benjamin Keane.

Cutscenes are used very intensely in the game, both to highlight dramatic moments such as those mentioned above, or simply as a narrative device. Dialogues, for instance, always trigger a cutscene. Most characters - especially dead ones - have a distorted, undecipherable voice, so all cutscenes are subtitled.

Killer gameplay

Killer7’s uniqueness is also present in the gameplay mechanics. In traditional action/adventure game in the Resident Evil vein, the player has a fine control on the moves of their character, while shooting is done somehow automatically (which auto-aim mechanics or similar). This defies logic as moving is not so important in such games, where the character only needs to go from point A to point B, while shooting is (or should be) a matter of life or death. This is why, in such 3rd person action/adventure games, battles are rather won by successfully dodging enemy attacks, than by managing to hit the opponent in the most efficient way. Killer7 reverse that logic. Movement becomes automated - the characters move on "rails" and can only change directions at fixed intersections, but shooting is where the player has the most control. The player moves a cross-hair which, depending on the weapon, has more or less inertia, and they must position the cross-hair carefully upon the opponent they are targetting, which all have weak points. The player can upgrade all the characters, to improve their accuracy or the rate of fire, and can experience the difference it makes in the controls. Likewise, adventure games usually involves collecting items. In recent Capcom action/adventure series (Resident Evil, Dino Island, Onimusha...), the developer actually had to make those items as obvious as possible (they were usually much bigger than in real life, or shined, or both). Killer7 goes even further, since the player cannot explore a room outside of their rail, when they are near an item they are simply asked if they want to take it.

Who killed Killer7 ?

Killer7 exhibits many qualities of a potential blockbuster: a very strong identity, top production values, a very deep universe, a non-compromise stance on what makes the core of the game. Yet, it sales were less than mediocre. Why?

Wasn’t the game not mainstream enough? In its definite format, it’s clearly geared towards an elitist class of gaming aesthetes. The game story is dense and confusing. Not unlike "Silent Hill", it seems that the events depicted in the game are not sufficient for the player to get a full picture of the story. This is why a series of books written by game author Suda51 has been published in Japan to better explain the Killer7 world.

This explanation, however, is a bit limiting, as there are plenty of obscure games who achieved critical, then commercial success. So? What has prevented Killer7 from this good fortune would be, rather, its relative lack of interactivity. Granted, playing Killer7 is more demanding than watching a horror flick on DVD. But eventually, the action is diluted and slowed by the cutscenes. These cutscenes may very well be the best to ever grace the Gamecube or any other gaming system, but they still make Killer7 too much of a contemplative experience.

Eventually, what killed Killer7 was the lack of marketing support from Capcom, which is understandable in front of the finished product. The marketing trust that would have been necessary to put that game on the map would have been humongous, and could very well have done more harm than good to Capcom in terms of corporate image. I suppose we can consider ourselves lucky that the game was released at all.

What next? If anything, Killer7 contributed to establish the reputation of Suda51. His company, Grasshoper Manufactures, was involved in the NDS RPG "contact", and, more recently, released "No More Heroes" for the Wii - another very personal game, which, thanks to Suda’s personality, received much media coverage. Yet Suda is partnering with superstar producer Hideo Kojima on a secret game only known as "Project S" - what can we expect?