Advanced Search >
Help Me Search

Games

Sony

PS3 | PSP | PS2 | PS One

Microsoft

Xbox 360 | Xbox

Nintendo

Wii | DS | GBA | Cube | N64

Other Platforms

PC | N-Gage | Dreamcast

Upcoming &
Recent Releases

sort by namesort by score

66 Aliens vs. Predator
74 Army of Two: The 40th Day
62 Assassin's Creed II: Battle of Forli
69 Assassin's Creed II: Bonfire of the Vanities
xx Assault Heroes
89 Battlefield: Bad Company 2
86 Bayonetta
88 BioShock 2
xx Blur
56 Borderlands: Mad Moxxi's Underdome Riot
83 Borderlands: The Secret Armory of General Knoxx
82 Borderlands: The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned
78 Call of Duty Classic
xx DanceDanceRevolution
75 Dante's Inferno
xx Dante's Inferno: Dark Forrest
59 Dark Void
xx Dark Void: Survivor Missions
82 Darksiders
xx Dead to Rights: Retribution
65 Diner Dash
84 Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening
xx Dragon Age: Origins - Return to Ostagar
66 Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce
xx Feeding Frenzy 2: Shipwreck Showdown
xx FIFA Soccer 10: Ultimate Team
82 Final Fantasy XIII
67 Fret Nice
xx Frogger Returns
93 God of War III
xx Grand Theft Auto IV: The Ballad of Gay Tony
xx Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned
76 Greed Corp
58 Guitar Hero: Van Halen
87 Heavy Rain
xx History Channel: Great Battles - Medieval
xx How to Train Your Dragon
80 Hustle Kings
65 Hyperballoid HD
60 James Cameron's Avatar: The Game
xx Just Cause 2
69 Karaoke Revolution
47 Last Rebellion
60 Madden NFL Arcade
75 MAG
75 Major League Baseball 2K10
65 Matt Hazard: Blood Bath and Beyond
81 Mega Man 10
90 MLB 10: The Show
73 Moto GP 09/10
74 MX vs. ATV Reflex
93 Peggle
xx Peggle Nights
86 PixelJunk Shooter
71 Polar Panic
56 Puzzlegeddon
74 Resident Evil 5: Desperate Escape
80 Resident Evil 5: Lost in Nightmares
xx Resonance of Fate
63 Revenge of the Wounded Dragons
27 Rogue Warrior
72 Saboteur, The
xx Singularity
78 Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing
xx Split/Second
76 Star Ocean: The Last Hope International
xx Superstars V8 Next Challenge
xx Thexder NEO
55 Vancouver 2010: The Official Videogame of the Winter Olympic Games
68 Vandal Hearts: Flames of Judgment
64 White Knight Chronicles (International Edition)
xx Winter Sports 2010: The Great Tournament
80 Yakuza 3

Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed games.

Stranglehold

EMAILPRINTps3

Stranglehold
77
7.1 User Score:

Generally favorable reviews

Based on 22 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 12 votes
Read user comments
Rate this game >

Game Info

Publisher: Midway

Developer: Midway Chicago

Genre(s): Third-Person Action, Adventure

Players: 1

ESRB Rating: M (Mature)

Release Date: October 29, 2007

Summary

Acclaimed action director John Woo presents Stranglehold, a stunning 3rd-person action adventure videogame and "spiritual sequel" to Woo's action masterpiece "Hard Boiled." Stranglehold redefines the action gaming experience with its acrobatic gunplay, thrilling cinematography, frenetic combat and incredible Massive Destructibility (Massive D). Chow Yun-Fat reprises his signature role as Inspector Tequila, pitting gamers as a take no-prisoners cop waging a personal war with Hong Kong crime lords. Tequila's loyalties to the force are tested when his ex-wife is kidnapped by the Russian mob in Chicago. Tequila struggles to balance his duty to uphold the law with doing what it takes to save his family. [Midway]

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

90

Play Magazine

Stranglehold is fun. It's fun in a "God hand" way. [Oct 2007, p.81]

84

Cheat Code Central

It delivers on its tagline of being a true John Woo experience and then some. While the game may have suffered several delays, I can honestly say that all of the push-backs have been well worth the wait, and it easily strangles all competitors.

Read Full Review >
82

GameZone

Like a true action-packed cinematic spectacle, Stranglehold delivers a number of spectacular moments that will not fail to dazzle hardcore fans of the genre.

Read Full Review >
81

IGN

There are a lot of mindless shooters on the market, but none of them immerse you in John Woo's world. And that's where Stranglehold stands out. This is the true sequel to Hard Boiled, which means Stranglehold is more about style than substance.

Read Full Review >
80

GameDaily

It's a quintessential PS3 action game, even with its weak multiplayer option.

Read Full Review >
80

Playstation Official Magazine UK

Stranglehold has a cool-as-anything hero, a strong story, a great pick-up-and-play vibe and - later on - a genuinely taxing tactical side. It is, in short,one of the most exciting games of any genre on PS3. [Oct 2007, p.84]

80

Official Playstation 2 Magazine UK

An exhilarating shooter brushed with John Woo's genius, Stranglehold plays like Max Payne in a bag of snakes. [Oct 2007, p.8]

80

GameSpy

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

Read Full Review >
80

AceGamez

The promises of fully destructible environments and John Woo signature shootouts just seemed too good to be true. But Midway stepped up to the plate and proved all the skepticism dead wrong, producing one of the most viscerally appealing videogames to be released in years.

Read Full Review >
78

PSM3 Magazine UK

The gunplay is astonishingly entertaining, but Stranglehold sorely lacks any variety. [Nov 2007, p.70]

77

PSX Extreme

It presents a nice visual package, but an even better adrenaline-rushing gameplay experience that really has you engrossed all throughout the game. The controls take some time to get used to, and the graphics aren't super hot, but they do the job well enough.

Read Full Review >
76

Game Over Online

Taken as a whole, Stranglehold is a well-made, but short and shallow gaming experience that ends up being best suited for a rental and not worth its asking price for anyone expecting a game with a lot of depth to it.

Read Full Review >
75

Gaming Age

Brainless shooters are one thing, but with an interesting storyline and the world of John Woo controllable in the palm of your hands, action fans should flock around this one as it offers much “bang” for the buck.

Read Full Review >
75

1UP

While the story and writing are reasonably solid, they're not nearly riveting enough to outweigh the too-simple, occasionally glitchy nature of the fundamental game.

Read Full Review >
75

Worth Playing

Stranglehold is the poster child for the creation of a new category of very short, lower-priced games that hold together over their abbreviated length.

Read Full Review >
75

PTGamers

Stranglehold is a good action game that could have been much better. The story should be more compelling, way beyond a basic excuse to shoot everything that moves.

Read Full Review >
74

Gamers' Temple

If you’re interested in checking out a game that plays differently from most of the action shooters out there, then Stranglehold is worth a look. However, don’t be surprised if you find yourself getting a bit tired of the whole thing before you reach the end despite the game’s short length.

Read Full Review >
70

Hardcore Gamer Magazine

There are those who would call a game such as this "shallow", and with good reason: most games like this are. However, most games that subscribe to this concept don't allow you the freedom of movement or tactics that Stranglehold does. [Nov 2007, p.56]

70

GameSpot

For as long as it lasts, Stranglehold delivers a satisfying, if somewhat derivative action game experience.

Read Full Review >
70

DarkStation

Just like I said in my review of the Xbox 360 version of Stranglehold, I truly believe this is a game that is worth checking out, it doesn't take itself to seriously and makes for a good experience.

Read Full Review >
70

Playstation: The Official Magazine (US)

Still, the single-player is entertaining enough, with a lot off the fun of John Woo's original movie. [Jan 2008, p.83]

65

Play UK

Balletic it ain't. There are plenty of shoot-outs, though, but these see you jumping about like a loon while you wish they would just end. If anything should ever have 'Rental' stamped on it, then this is it. [Issue#159, p.72]

What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 7.1 (out of 10) based on 12 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Mas J. gave it an8:
So fun, definitely worth the rental. Its the closest game I played to the feel of an action movie. Nice locations to play in and gameplay is good.

M. K. gave it a7:
It could've been better. Overall inferior to max payne... Shoot first, think later gameplay... The opening chapter really captures the John Woo experience. Sadly, dialogue in this game is laughable like all John Woo english dub films. Watching the collector's edition Hard Boiled and playing the game makes you want more than what the game offers. With games like Max Payne around, this game offers nothing. Just John Woo settings and Chow Fat. It does have "awesome" moments, like the first time you are in a stand off or shooting a bad guy in the crouch with pin-point accuracy.

Randy S. gave it a0:
Bottom line the story is hot but, the game play is wack...you should just get a John Woo movie and watch that....Face off any oneb

[Anonymous] gave it a9:
The story revels in how ridiculous John Woo cinema is. Within the first two minutes your role as the renegade cop on the EDGE is established. How does the gameplay hold up? The game's emphasis on using the environment makes it feel rather imersive. Using the environment to kill enemies instead of just shooting them gets bonus points and requires you to think differently than the usual FPS. Killing guys in a stylish manner rewards far more than efficiency. In fact crazy stylish bullshit becomes the most efficient. This is such a breath of fresh air for the FPS scene.

Popular on CBS sites: College Signing Day | March Madness | TV | iPhone | Cell Phones | Video Game Reviews | Free Music

About CBS Interactive | Jobs | Advertise

© 2010 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy (UPDATED) | Terms of Use