The Solo Vigilante
There is something about us that loves a solo vigilante going on a revenge-fuelled killing spree. We applauded when John Wick came out of retirement and took down most of a Russian crime syndicate because someone killed his puppy. We loved it when the Bride went through her list of crime lords and all their hoodlums in the epic Kill Bill.
In games, it’s a genre that works brilliantly as well, from Mad Max to Hotline Miami. That last game is the closest we have to this top-down shooter, Murder Inc.
Prepare to get bloody – someone has a score to settle.
Conspiracies and Cleaners
Murder Inc starts in the present, and we see our anti-hero relaxing in his flat, all before a life-changing event happens. Then we go back in time and see how the events of the past led to this event. It’s a crime story at heart where you play a sort of assassin operative who is taking down the crime gangs, one at a time. There is some sort of thriller/spy beat kicking around too, with disarms and conspiracies that all feel like old trodden ground, nevertheless is still entertaining. There’s no doubt that the atmosphere of the game is on point.
But the main draw is the gameplay, and the question is, does Murder Inc nail it?
Top-Down Tactics and SUPERHOT Mechanics
So you are presented with a top-down version of, say, a building. You can see all the layouts of all the different rooms, and most importantly, you can see all the bad guys, complete with guns or melee weapons, patrolling their routes. Some are standing still guarding areas, and your task is to take everyone out in that area before you can move on to the next one. The last level of the building will – of course – be a sort of end/boss battle that helpfully moves the story along.
Controls are a little bit of an issue in Murder Inc. You have a shoot button, and you have another that sorts out grenades. You can drop weapons and pick up new ones from dead enemies when the ammo runs out.
And running alongside all that is a mechanic that feels similar to that of SUPERHOT – time moves only when you move. So, if you shoot your gun standing still, then the bullets will move in extra slow-mo, and the same goes for the enemies. But if you move, everything shifts up a gear or two. Be in no doubt, you are going to die if your reflexes aren’t superhuman.
That means careful planning is required throughout the levels of Murder Inc. but even then, it very much boils down to trying over and over again, coming back from death an awful lot.
The Loose Crosshair
The problem is, the controls don’t help matters. You have one directional button for movement and another for moving the crosshair, which is where you are looking and aiming. The problem with the crosshair is that it feels too loose to control, and it even goes outside the perimeter of the building at times if you are not careful, so you can’t see anything going on in the room. It took me a while to get used to this, and even after that, found it to be an absolute pain throughout my playthrough. When the levels get more complicated and harder to navigate, you need a steady crosshair, and at times, it just isn’t that.
You can also hit a button to lock onto an enemy, but switching to multiple enemies in a row is trickier and not as accurate as I would have liked. It’s a shame because there is a good game here in Murder Inc, complete with some addictive gameplay and a sense of tactical mapping that feels engaging within each level. But my, those controls…
Visually, Murder Inc looks fine with its top-down views. It doesn’t feel as dynamic in terms of colour and visual finesse as others in the genre, but does a solid job with some nice little touches, especially in the cutscenes. I liked the different environments, and there’s a great scene at the start when, after killing everyone and anything, you walk back through the building, and the cleaners are there mopping up the blood and putting the victims in body bags.
A Strategic Thriller Held Back by Controls
Murder Inc is a bit of a mixed bag. The story and atmosphere created are both decent enough, and I appreciated the opportunity to take in gameplay that isn’t just focused on going in, all guns blazing. Instead a tactical take is needed, as you work out every move and plan your route, understanding who you need to take out first and who to leave to last. But the controls hold Murder Inc back; they just don’t feel right and the loose crosshair annoys.
Forgive those inaccuracies, and Murder Inc might be the killing spree you are looking for.
Important Links
Buy Murder Inc, Optimised for Xbox Series X|S – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/murder-inc-xbox-series-xs/9P32BMFCJT4Z/0010
