I'm sort of at a crossroads when it comes to this game. On the one hand, the initial confusion regarding the controls, the incredibly bizarre gameplay feel, the insane puzzle of plot, obvious lock and key approach to gameplay puzzles, and the shitty boss fights do drag the game down to a degree and make it difficult to recommend to those not willing to tame it.

But on the other hand, I've rarely seen a game that felt more specified on a craft level. Killer7 is a weird, weird game, yet all its mechanics and plot beats work toward its intent. Each of your 7 characters have a distinct feel in terms of their gameplay and the proper use for them, while the forgiving death system and brief spurts of anime cutscenes add to the style in their own way. You're constantly left surprised by killer7, sometimes confused and sometimes in awe, but I was compelled to keep going in it all throughout for how well its style coats it in exploring what a game can be capable of in piecing together this information. The final (real) chapter of gameplay in particular has such a tone to it, helped along by great tone setting music and truly sublime sound design.

It's a game I admire more than love, but nonetheless find it a remarkable craft that every piece could arrange itself in such a way.