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Killer is Dead suited and booted to slice up PCs in May
Suda 51's Killer is Dead is still alive, after Deep Silver Europe announced last year's stylistic slice-and-dicer is coming to PC in May. The new Nightmare Edition arrives in both retail and downloadable versions, and features a new difficulty mode of the same name. The Nightmare mode only allows kills via three attacks - Adrenaline Burst, Dodge Burst, and headshots - and prohibits the Final Judgment finisher. The Nightmare Edition also includes the Smooth Operator DLC pack, and a Theater mode to revisit cut scenes in. Deep Silver Europe's announcement notes a US price of $20, so although there's no official confirmation yet, it seems the PC port will hit stores statestide. The Euro pricepoints are £20/20 euros, and the release date for the region is May 9. While we weren't bowled over by Killer is Dead, our three-and-a-half-star review said Suda's return to third-person assassinating was also a return to form: "Its combat is neat if still a bit limited, and its dark direction and weird narrative a bit tainted by self-indulgence, but this is still a Grasshopper grindhouse romp worth most of its issues." [Image: Deep Silver]
Killer is Dead, Deadly Premonition provide weirdness on demand for Xbox
XSEED has announced a pair of its latest games are now available for download on Xbox 360 through Games on Demand. Deadly Premonition is available for $20, while the more recent Killer is Dead can be yours for $50. Deadly Premonition is a very odd horror game from Swery, otherwise known as Hidetaka Suehiro. Players assume the role of FBI agent Francis York Morgan who is sent to investigate a ritualistic murder in the small town of Greenvale. Players may freely roam about Greenvale and undertake quests and participate in activities while hunting down the Greenvale killer. Killer is Dead, from Grasshopper Manufacture, takes place in the near-future and stars Mondo Zapper – an executioner with a robotic arm who is tasked with killing assassins and dangerous criminals the world over. In our review we noted that Killer is Dead had that undeniable charm that only Grasshopper can instill, even if it's somewhat hampered by simplistic combat and "dark direction and weird narrative a bit tainted by self-indulgence."
Saints Row 4 marches on in UK charts, A Realm Reborn berths in third
Saints Row 4 maintains its reign in the UK plains for another week, seeing off a number of new releases including Square Enix phoenix (down) A Realm Reborn. The resurrection of MMO Final Fantasy 14 debuts in third, just behind Splinter Cell: Blacklist. Outside the top ten, Massive Shock: a Grasshopper game is struggling to sell! Games by the Japanese studio are rarely big sellers - Lollipop Chainsaw did ship 700,000 - but there'll surely be disappointment at Killer is Dead charting 28th in its first week. Maybe not as much as there'll be over at Capcom, though: Lost Planet 3 lands two places higher in 26. Murkier to judge is Rayman Legends in sixth. Topping the first week sales of predecessor Origins by 20 percent is all well and good, but Origins wasn't exactly a commercial hit. It only sold 50,000 copies across its first month in the US, after all. Still, Legends is the second highest new release this week, pipping Madden 25 which touches down in seventh.
Killer Is Dead review: Drunk on the moon
I invariably recommend games made by Grasshopper Manufacture to friends, not necessarily because I enjoyed them, but because Goichi Suda's studio produces games that have to be tried. Grasshopper's approach to design can be nonchalant bordering on reckless, and leaves me as secure of their games' quality as I am watching a drunk at a dartboard. Much like someone's who had too many, their games can be hilarious, frivolous, profound, outrageous, offensive, and at their worst downright loathsome, but when it comes down to it I want to be there when they're around - even if it means taking a dart to the eye. For better or worse, Killer Is Dead is certainly a Grasshopper game, and for the most part it's closer to bullseye than head wound, although it's an absolute shame its one real gash is so very profuse. But then, the good thing about recommending games to friends is that you can tell them which bits to avoid.
Killer is Dead hits US retail August 27
Killer is Dead, the latest mind-bending action game from Killer7 director Suda 51 and Grasshopper Manufacture, will hit store shelves in North America on August 27 with a bevy of bonus goodies in tow. Publisher Xseed Games notes that all launch copies of Killer is Dead will include an 80-page hardcover art book, a soundtrack disc featuring 25 tracks by Silent Hill series composer Akira Yamaoka, and a download code for the "Smooth Operator" DLC pack, which adds extra in-game missions and other bonus content. Deep Silver will publish an identical deluxe version of Killer is Dead in Europe on August 30.
Killer is Dead puts on its gigolo glasses in Europe August 30
Killer is Dead, Suda 51's next over-the-top action opus, has been pegged for an August 30 launch in Europe by publisher Deep Silver. We've contacted North American publisher XSEED for a launch date in the US. The European date was included in a press release announcing a Fan Edition of Killer is Dead for £54.99, which comes in special packaging with an artbook, Akira Yamaoka's soundtrack and the Smooth Operator DLC pack including an additional mission and a special pair of x-ray glasses for Killer is Dead's "gigolo missions." The Smooth Operator DLC pack will also be included in all standard launch day copies in Europe. The story of Killer is Dead revolves around Mondo Zappa, an executioner for an assassination firm charged with killing bad people the world over. Zappa swings a sword with his right arm while his left, a full cybernetic replacement, can form various other weapons such as a drill or gun.
New Killer is Dead trailer is killer
You could try to make sense of the latest Killer is Dead trailer, but we wouldn't recommend it.%Gallery-191270%
Killer is Dead and depicted in new screens
Executioner and Killer is Dead protagonist Mondo Zapper has new stuff to stab in another stylish batch of screens, freshly taken from the upcoming Suda 51 action game.
Killer is Dead trailer features Mondo's girls, EU pinned for August
If you hadn't gathered yet, from it being a Suda game and including "gigolo missions," the upcoming Killer is Dead features scantily-clad ladies, as does this possibly NSFW video. While the North American release window is still "Summer 2013," Europe and Japan received upgrades to August.
Killer is Dead screens showcase combat, gigolo missions
Grasshopper Manufacture games often feature mature content, and Killer is Dead is no exception. These screens feature its 'gigolo missions,' where you travel the world to meet "exotic women" - publisher XSEED's words - as well as some of the crazy-looking combat. %Gallery-185801%
Killer Is Dead's second trailer is no less crazy than the first
The second trailer for Suda51's Killer is Dead includes earth-stealing, giant aliens, and a woman with 16 arms all holding guns, all to the wholly apt backdrop of Wagner's "Flight of the Valkyries."Killer is Dead is coming to Xbox 360 and PS3 in North America and Europe this summer.
Killer is still Dead in English
You've seen the Killer is Dead trailer, but now you can see the teaser for Grasshopper's latest again, with English voice acting. There aren't any subtitles to distract you from the action this time. The action is distracting enough.
Killer is Dead launches worldwide this summer
Suda 51's Killer is Dead is confirmed for a worldwide launch on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in summer 2013. XSEED is releasing the Grasshopper Manufacture game in North America, while Deep Silver is bringing it to Europe and Oceania.True to the developer's form, Killer is Dead stars an assassin taking out criminals in the near future. The hero, Mondo Zappa, brandishes a sword with his right hand and everything from guns to drills with his other, artificial arm.Today's announcement comes hot on the trail of Grasshopper Manufacture's acquirement by Japanese MMO makers GungHo Online Entertainment. GungHo does have an American publishing branch, but this Grasshopper game won't be the first to take advantage of it.Update: Killer is Dead will feature both Japanese and English audio on the disc.%Gallery-177734%
Killer is Dead's first trailer is live
Killer is Dead finds Suda 51 back in his comfort zone, a land of high-contrast assassins (here, Mondo Zappa, reminiscent of Flower, Sun, and Rain's Sumio Mondo), mysterious blondes, and contract kills of monstrous freaks. There's a lot of blood in this trailer, and some suggestive sound. What we're saying is that you should use your best judgment when loading up this trailer at work.
Killer is Dead shows off sick moves, characters in first screenshots
Killer is Dead, the next game from Suda 51 and Grasshopper Manufacture, is alive, and this set of screenshots provided by Famitsu proves it. Yesterday we learned the juicy bits of Killer is Dead's story, which stars a mercenary named Mondo Zappa as he travels the world killing bad people.Combat in Killer is Dead is sword-based and close-range, though Zappa has an arm that can transform into a drill, a gun and other items. As seen in the shot above, Zappa's attacks get pretty bloody, especially when he uses one of his more powerful moves, Adrenaline Burst. Check out Famitsu's screenshots right here.
Killer is Dead stars an assassin with a drill, gun for a hand
Grasshopper Manufacture's Killer is Dead stars – you guessed it – an assassin in an imperfect future, a spread in Famitsu reveals, as translated by Gematsu. The protagonist, Mondo Zappa, is hired by the Execution Office, led by Chief Brian Roses, to kill murderers around the world, some of which are trying to regain their talents and others that wish for death. And, somehow, the moon is involved.The combat is close-range, mainly using swords, though Zappa is a bit of a transhumanist and his left arm can transform into a drill, gun and other items. Previous teasers compare the swordplay to No More Heroes, another game from director Goichi Suda. Zappa absorbs enemy blood to use the Adrenaline Burst attack, a powerful move that causes large amounts of blood to gush when foes are decapitated.Zappa's favorite food is a half-boiled egg, he's 35 years old and he is quite a lady-killer (possibly literally). He's joined by co-workers Vivian Squall and Mika Takekawa, and an enemy by the name of Victor. Killer is Dead is scheduled to launch on Xbox 360 and PS3 this summer.
Lollipop Chainsaw ships 700,000, Grasshopper's highest numbers to date
Lollipop Chainsaw shipped over 700,000 units worldwide, making it the most shipped game in Grasshopper Manafacture's history. Grasshopper CEO Suda 51 and Japanese publisher Kadokawa Games proudly announced the figure at the game's 'Summer Appreciation Event' in Tokyo. The news comes a year after Shadows of the Damned only sold 24,000 units in its first week at US retail, so success for Grasshopper's major release of 2012 must come as welcome relief.Suda 51 also used the event to show off a new trailer for Killer is Dead, the studio's latest work in progress, which apparently will star a katana-wielding cyborg. That's something to look forward to when the game comes out on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 next year.
Grasshopper working on 'Killer is Dead' for PS3 and Xbox 360
Famitsu reveals the next collaboration between Grasshopper Manufacture and publisher Kadokawa games: Killer is Dead, which is not directly related to Killer 7 -- though, of course, 90% of Grasshopper games are about assassins anyway. In Killer is Dead, players take the role of an "Executioner" who hunts down "S Level" criminals and kills them with a sword.According to Famitsu (according to Andriasang) the sword action will be similar to No More Heroes. Suda is in charge of the scenario and acting as executive producer, so expect leather jackets and wrestling masks like in No More Heroes as well.Key words and themes for the game include "Moon and Earth," "Brilliant Game," and "Love." We'll find out what all that means as the 2013 release approaches for PS3 and Xbox 360.
