The Best John Woo Game

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Stranglehold is a third-person shooter developed by Midway Games' Chicago studio, released in late 2007 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It is Midway's first game to use Unreal Engine 3, and was developed in collaboration with John Woo.
Stranglehold is the sequel to Woo's 1992 Hong Kong action film, Hard Boiled, and stars Chow Yun-fat in a reprisal of his role as hard-boiled cop Inspector "Tequila" Yuen. Stranglehold is the first project on which Woo and Chow have collaborated since Hard Boiled.
A sequel to Stranglehold, entitled Gun Runner, was in the works prior to Midway's financial demise but was ultimately cancelled.
During play, jumping in any direction or interacting with any object while aiming at an opponent (or pressing a certain button) will slow time, creating a short window during which Tequila can shoot at targets.[10] This technique-called Tequila Time-generates a cinematic effect that mimics Woo's. Tequila Time is managed through a meter which drains with use and regenerates with time. Tequila can also make use of his environment, moving up and down railings, swinging from chandeliers, and sliding across tabletops and riding on carts while shooting at enemies.
Another form of gameplay comes from the style and grace associated with Woo's balletic firefights. By taking out enemies the player earns stars. The more stylish the kills performed, the more stars received. Taking out enemies in quick succession, or interacting with the environment when taking down opponents, will earn the player the optimum amount of stars. As an incentive to interact with the environment, Tequila receives a bonus to his attack power and defense during interactions.
Tequila also employs several iconic techniques from Woo's movies, referred to as Tequila Bombs. Tequila Bombs require energy to perform. The player gains energy by defeating enemies (equal to the Stars obtained) and by collecting paper cranes hidden about each level.

[@Aruges01]

Glad you enjoyed it. I was one of many people who worked on it and it's gratifying to see people still playing it. A note about the use of English voices, it was proposed to use an all Cantonese script with subtitles but John Woo's production company (Tiger Hill) insisted on an English speaking cast (even to the point of having Chow speak English phonetically).

[@tachankarostovchanka6440]

Thanks for the work, man. The game was one of my favourites back in the days. We need to bring back this brainless violence with raining bullets and dead bodies flying around. I mean like when having a shotgun in your hands is enough motivation to kill every living motherfucker on your way.

[@Rob_Kankerboef]

Still play this game on occasion and i love all the john woo movies from the 80's and 90's. We need more games like this

[@Twinklesparks]

one of my personal favs

[@titmaus7732]

You help make a hidden gem. It deserved awards and every praise it got.

[@zoltanz288]

Aruges01 amazing game man! You guys have to get together again and make new ones. I so miss good fun shooters these days.

[@Silenthunter287]

So Tequila,Wei-Shen,and Kiryū Kazuma walk into a bar...

[@hot-bloodedmartialartist3900]

World implodes.

[@zoltanz288]

John Doe the barman looks at em and says : is this some kind of joke, gtfo.

[@patricpelto]

And the Bar man is majima xD

[@Elozero250]

The crossover we dont deserve

[@berry11756]

As max payne sits outside and cries

[@josephspann991]

"Not so fast the password John Who? Ohh come on! Ok John Woo.... it's a trap it's Payne!".

[@danielbold6167]

"Gun 'em down."

[@Larry]

Literally just bought this on PS3 yesterday, great game, shame Warner Bros havn't wanted to release an updated version of the game now, it looks like all it could really do with is some shadows and lighting improvements.

[@AgsmaJustAgsma]

Apparently the game is riddled with adverts for real-world products. It's either that or waiting for John Woo's blessing that it prevents Warner Bros. from re-releasing the game.

[@joaquizzletwizzle]

Larry Bundy Jr man i haven't seen one of your videos in yeaaars and I just ran into one of your comments yesterday on a Chris Chan video. Stay classy Guru.

[@SuxumskiMaxo]

I actually have the collector's edition of this game which came with Hard Boiled movie as a bonus

[@nivedmg2948]

Hello you .

[@Doomreb]

Suxumski Maxo Same. I gotta get back into it. I couldn't get used to the controls.

[@jp3813]

0:15 John Woo made a ton of impact in Hollywood when you consider that Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez, the Wachowskis, etc... often try to imitate his style. And Face/Off is part of that Nick Cage 90s action trilogy (The Rock & Con Air) as well as Travolta's 2nd film in the genre (after Broken Arrow also by Woo).

[@ahmadmalaki8364]

He said it as a joke But all jokes aside Jon woo is a legend

[@jp3813]

@@ahmadmalaki8364 Didn't sound like a joke.

[@ahmadmalaki8364]

@@jp3813 huh

[@JayDee284]

John Woo is everything Michel Bay wished he could be ;).

[@kingvegeta7301]

JayDee284+ Legend says still today Bay is trying to be him.

[@MisterBones2910]

The Wachowskis as well.

[@Sharki33]

Pleaee release it on steam also

[@MisterBones2910]

@crazy knight teleported from medieval times It's a good movie, but it's basically stitched together from a dozen different sources with a whole lot of hamfisted biblical allegories sprinkled on. Kinda like OG Star Wars being heavily lifted from Dune and to a lesser degree other sci-fi books. The fight choreography and whatnot for the Matrix is very obviously intended to mimic Hong Kong action films; and that's not really a bad thing. I'm just saying that it's not quite the same as the genuine article.

[@MisterBones2910]

@crazy knight teleported from medieval times There's a lot more to it than bullet time.

[@Indigo_Gaming]

I remember this game! The multiplayer reminded me of this old Max Payne 1 mod which had a multiplayer mode with localized bullet time which would slow people down around you, but not players in other parts of the map. Was pretty cool for the time.

[@mr.skarkasm7755]

Name? got videos about that?

[@Samarai-hf9si]

Max Payne 3 had localized bullet time in its (woefully underrated) multiplayer too!

[@flippedoutkyrii]

I don't recall there being a MP1 Multiplayer mod (in fact, I'm very certain it's impossible given the framework of the MaxED engine), I believe you are thinking of "The Specialists" for Half-Life 1, I played that for whole weekends back in the day. It had a HUGE roaster of guns and maps on it's final release and while it didn't have a lot of skins at the time, within a year there were hundreds of them to choose from. I remember I always went with this one skin, a lady in full tactical gear and a beret, Switching to third-person as I rebounded off walls, karate-kicking pricks off rooftops or going full rambo diving around a corner with the M60 and seeing how that beret never once fell off her head always made me laugh for some reason.

[@ShapeyFiend]

I used to play The Specialists a ton. It was such a wonderful mod. They created a spiritual sequel of sorts called Double Action: Boogaloo which wasn't bad but didn't quite recapture the spirit of the original.

[@PHIplaytesting]

You may be thinking of Double Action: Boogaloo

[@SpecShadow]

A man who never eats pork bun is NEVER a whole man!

[@HellGamingPlus]

Fucking Goddammit Raymond!

[@matandcat2506]

Wasn't that sleeping dogs??

[@SpecShadow]

yep

[@BaraTheVeggie]

Why dont you have a pork bun in your hand!!??

[@seb24789]

Strong like BEAR! Not limp like NOODLE!

[@Zergosmuahaha]

I love your tendency to start a video with something remotely related to the game. It makes it surprisingly fresh. When I first heard the intro music to this review I was like, how in the hell is this related to this game, and then the first video portion kicked in and I remembered that gggman has long gone past the days of dry "only focus on the game" mentality. Nice versatility you've got going in there

[@CheapHitman94]

The total opposite of what a normie reviewer would do.

[@mukulnag1578]

@Gōdon Gurando what's the name of the song plz and that music name plz

[@mukulnag1578]

@@icantreadyourmind1395 yup no problem .... Love that theme song

[@Raycevick]

I honestly despised my time with this game on 360 recently. Its sluggish performance didn't mesh with the feather weight movement, painfully low FOV, and weak weapons. However, watching this video is making me consider grabbing a PC copy, as its improved framerate and control definitely makes it more appealing and shows the game's impressive destruction and carnage.

[@MrDpPd]

Raycevick Cool. While you're here I wanted to say I enjoy you're essay style videos.

[@Gggmanlives]

PC port is the way to go.

[@philswift1252]

Gggmanlives where can I buy this game from it’s not on steam

[@fakenews6133]

Phil Swift Real cheap on amazon last I checked. Shipping cost more than the game

[@philswift1252]

Fa Kenews I live in Alaska so I don’t know if its even possible to ship it to me. I guess I’ll just pirate it.

[@andersdenkend]

Kudos for mentioning Hard Boiled and A Better Tomorrow. HK cinema at its best!

[@leathery420]

Yeah they are awesome. I like how John Wick is bringing back gunfu with all the cool western wisbang gunfighting moves. Also Keanu can actually shoot like in the movie too. Another lesser know western gunfu movie is Way of the Gun. It has some awesome gunfight, with a cheesy plot, and dark comedy. It's also one of the only movie that shows how rifles, can be used to shoot through concealment like walls hitting your target without having direct line of sight. Really a must see if you like The Killer, john wick, ect.

[@DeltaCressida]

@@leathery420 wow didn't know about the killer or the way of the gun good to know tho!

[@Stanleykubrick2]

@Conrad Kujur I'd rather watch John Woo's masterpiece: The Killer

[@beegdonkey5750]

Honestly you're not only my favorite reviewer but one of my favorite KZbinr's in general. You deserve millions of subs.

[@ahmadmalaki8364]

He is close

[@ICARUSLIV3S]

I think the one thing that used to really bug me about this was the piss filter every time there was some slo-mo. Got to love the utter carnage you can unleash in an area though. Now where did I put that Hard Boiled DVD... and that copy of The Killer... and A Better Tomorrow...

[@megadan429]

Omgg wow.. What a suprise to see you here! I have been a big fan of yours for years. And i have watched every single doom mod madness.. I cant wait for the next one, cheers!

[@JnEricsonx]

Back when I first heard about this game I flipped. Hard Boiled and the Killer are in my top 10 action films. The fact that Chow Yun-Fat was reprising his role and that John Woo was involved in making the game-just FUN.

[@LukeT390]

It’s now on GOG everyone! 😁

[@awkwardverse]

Wonder if this game is Mod(able)?

[@grimes558]

wish it was on steam

[@devonjames7999]

Man if you take the mechanics from this game, max payne, WET, and the matrix games with a protagonist like this guy or John wick...on next Gen?.. a godamn masterpiece

[@firewolfa4904]

Hard Boiled is amazing

[@AyyMatto]

6:55 That's a Stranglehold alright

[@edskt_]

LOL

[@TheSuperAnarchy]

I’ve literally binged every video of yours over the past week to help me sleep or to distract me. Thank you for your content, it’s lovely and you’ve helped me through a hard time.

[@TheSuperAnarchy]

You should do a video on WET, vid related

[@AHOY_MATEY]

I will never play most of the games you review. But I love to watch this shiiiiiit regardless. Dont stop doing what you do!

[@richardmartinez3342]

please try some of them:]

[@MaitreMechant]

That single sequence shot in the hospital in Hard Boiled is one of the best action scene ever made

[@Nico-rr5co]

My mates and I got really pissed on cheap beer and played this game on the 360 when it first came out. We just all talked with not PC Chinese accents cracking up and had a good time until some Sonny Jim got too into Tequila Time and snapped the right control stick off the controller. It was a fucking glorious time.

[@davidelle6702]

One of my favorite underrated games

[@alexgremlin3680]

I loved Hard Boiled and the chance to play a John Woo video game is like being asked to take an adrenaline rush before a karate duel. I just can't refuse.

[@xPLDxPunisher]

This is my favorite new channel. I swear, you review literally every game I was ever somewhat interested in.

[@sourabhmoon]

finger on the trigger from the start to the end fast pace balls to the walls stylish entertaining game...huge respect for the gaming studio that created it.

[@MR.SKANDAL0121]

This still looks good all these years later I had hours of fun playing this as a teenager

[@monsterhunter66]

Same

[@MR.SKANDAL0121]

@@monsterhunter66 Shame it didn't get the love it deserved imagine a remake or part 2 with today's graphics

[@MrNachoChannel]

About that Jazz bit you mentioned: If I remember correctly if one of the band members dies during the fight the instrument he is playing is absent after that which was a nice little touch. I played the Demo for this game so many times when I got it through a magazine

[@Gggmanlives]

Yeah, when I was playing it for the review, it was actually the firs time ever I had all 4 survive.

[@leevaughngraves1069]

Thanks for making this video. When I was like 15 or so I wanted to buy this game but was too broke. It was great to see footage and know I was justified in wanting it. Great video.

[@beashnpull]

a better tomorrow 2 end shootout was so ridiculously awesome love how the blood splashes

[@DinnyForst]

This game fulfills my experience and time when I watched 90' Hong Kong action films with grandfather. It's not perfect with repetitive gameplay and technical issues on PC. But back to time when the game doesnt take everything seriously. It still gave fun experience and being badass from start to finish.

[@gwardojones]

I had a great time playing through this game some years back. I still can't believe how panned it was at launch -- and seemingly for years after. It's a stupid, thrilling, entertaining action game and I enjoyed every minute of it.

[@juderobson3564]

This game looks freaking fun!

[@twitchy_pixel]

I remember replaying the demo on my 360 over and over again because the physics/destructable environments were so cool!

[@josedieck6592]

Some of the developers taught at my college during the games development. I remember them talking about the challenges of developing for the Unreal 3 engine.

[@salokin3087]

Alright, now you got me watching his films again!

[@raeltarantino]

Max Payne 2 is a classic game in every way; the narration alone while the story unfolds makes you feel like Max Payne. I never played Stranglehold, but it looks decent enough.

[@GameplayandTalk]

Nice to hear a positive review of this. I heard the common opinion back in the day that it was simply, "Meh." Looks fun to me though. I'll probably check it out sometime, thanks.

[@petesandwich3246]

It was fun, like Red Faction Guerrilla it was a fantastically fun game that did not have AAA graphics at the time this 8/10 reviews

[@Texy88]

Mind you, when it first came out it was about £40. Its price has substantially dropped since then, and even before the current-gen consoles came out it became very cheap. It’s fun to play in short bursts despite its flaws, and it’s interesting just seeing how much of a string of stylish kills you can pull off and having a bit of a grin on your face should you manage to get that meter reading seriously high.

[@randystarkweather9416]

Amazing review like always gg. Your a high quality KZbin. Much love man.

[@dylhas1]

I’ve really wanted to replay this game recently. This and Max Payne 3 are some of my favorite games to chill out and relax

[@MerlautJones]

Loved Stranglehold, one of my fav 3rd-person shooters

[@djassassinuk]

For me the best "John Woo Simulator" is playing through Kane & Lynch 2 Dog Days with a 2nd player on local coop. I love it!!

[@HappyAutopsy]

Nice vid, keep it up. Do you know The Club? Its an underrated shooter.

[@SpecShadow]

One of the best x360 TPP games back then. Pity it's not available on Steam/GoG. Wonder why. Wonder if El Matador is still decent game to play...

[@ijslandernl]

I absolutely loved Max Payne and Far Cry. El Matador was described as mix between these two games. I immediately bought it when it was first released and I remember really liking it. For as far as I remember it really was like the gameplay of Max Payne in an environment like Far Cry. I have to replay this game.

[@SuxumskiMaxo]

el matador was garbage

[@Dongulator]

I really didn't like El Matador because it was so unforgiving.

[@BE3R-LF94]

El Matador can only really be played on Easy. Even then, it's still only good enough. Personally, I'd recommend trying to find a boxed copy of Stranglehold, if possible. (Then again, I was lucky enough to find a new copy for 5$ ages ago so YMMV)

[@davidsantiagoalonso]

good on ya mate... love you did this John Woo Game.... "Hard Boiled" for life!!! Love this game!

[@cloudtx]

Oh man.. Starting the review with A Better Tomorrow's 2 theme is just pure class. You have fine taste Gggman!.

[@tylertheguy3160]

Great vid. You did so well with the intro talking about John Woo himself that I forgot I was watching a review. Again, great work.

[@DeadYorick]

Stranglehold apparently was designed by the same team as Psy Ops. There's some development footage in the bonus content section where they show a bunch of beta footage with Psy Ops characters in place of Tequila. John Woo actually admitted to the reloading thing in the behind the scenes footage. Specifically he said when he was filming people would tell him about continuity like "why didn't the character reload?" and he said that it didn't matter in a video game.

[@SuperCookiemonser]

Man, you really teased me with that history part. Too bad I can't a uncut version of Hard Boiled here.

[@EndZiiel]

Every video I watched it just brings back memories . Played pretty much everything you uploaded. Manhunt was definitely one of my favourites

[@d.c.stranded7134]

Got to say the idea of movies having sequels or remakes in video game form like the Warriors game from Rockstar is so intriguing that I kind of want to see it happen more often.

[@1cancadrilo1]

I remember played it when it launched. Graphics and physics were awesome for 2008 standards (despite crysis)

[@KoiBoiRoi]

Forgot about this gem. I think I played a demo of it once, but never the full game. One of these days...

[@bungustwitttlebottom2457]

This video was just pure fan service since you mention John Woo films in your reviews all the time.

[@TequilaToothpick]

John Woo is my favourite director. Hard Boiled is the best action movie is all time.

[@BanjoKazooie0]

Great to see this game get wider attention I've been on the look out for a digital download for awhile

[@carljackson1831]

I'd love to see your thoughts now on Sleeping Dogs! Especially since you reviewed this!

[@hunterlord101]

It's a good day when I learn of another action flick like Commando where magazine logic gets tossed out the window for more emphasis on shooting and over the top violence. Much love and hope the Australian wilderness doesn't kill you on your daily commute.

[@BasedProletarianJacob420]

Glad ur giving this game some love, definetly not perfect by any means and it doesnt have enough content if u ask me but is a ton of fun at its peak, I got the limited edition of this game for 4$ which is a steal

[@jemster38]

Those random doves that fly out when he activates his special move...hehe...

[@kpjlflsknflksnflknsa]

You've rekindled my interest in so many old games.

[@kaz687]

I love that you always review these hidden gems and it makes me so happy

[@deustitties3589]

I started searching for this game right after your review, I found it and I've tried it already. So far only finished first mission, yet already I'm loving every second of it. If only PC version let you change FOV, this game would be perfect.

[@Crabm38]

Fucking John Woo man, his movies were so top notch and amazing. That hospital take in Hard Boiled. Dude is literally the definition of block buster.

[@ectofrost]

I've had this sitting on a shelf unplayed for years. I'm gonna give it a spin now.

[@boomdaddycool4328]

This was literally the 1st game I bought on my PS3 and I still go bacc to it atleast once a year with a full playthrough one of my favs of all time

[@kazy8029]

I remember replaying the demo of this game for hours. I wasn't old enough to buy it on my own but I bought it on my 17th birthday.

[@augustvalek]

this game is amazing, I mean, the shooting feels so satisfying

[@jessehayes8052]

Stranglehold and Jet Li's Rise to honor are such underappreciated gems and John Woo's gun foo movie style lends itself perfectly to Video Games and I wish more modern games would combine Kung Fu and Gunplay the closest modern counterpart would be Sleeping Dogs and thats still only a single game and it was based on the OG True Crime series that also seamlessly blended Kung Fu and Gunplay

[@DngrDan]

I played this game when it came out and thought it was a pretty solid shooter. I really liked the fact you could use the environment so much to kill your enemies. They made it so you could do that consistently throughout every level in very creative ways.

[@bradybbbq]

Wtf bro every game i ever played when I was little or wanted to play. Love this channel

[@BobyTechno]

I remember picking up this game in a bargain bin for a single dollar, knowing absolutely nothing about it. Discovering an awesome game like this one by yourself is really satisfying.

[@misticbear]

Just bought it, will update once it arrives with ny thoughts on it, thanks Gmanlives 😊

[@kimbob5]

Such an underated gem I'm glad you covered it.

[@mattwillerton6775]

GMan: "and contains what is possibly the best nut shots in all of gaming" Sniper Elite: "Am I a joke to you?"

[@WarlordRising]

Predator, Hard Boiled, Rambo, and Die Hard are quintessential action cinema classics.

[@BlondeManNoName]

This was a really fun shooter a decade ago! It looked amazing too.

[@FutureBoyWonder]

I don't understand why that kind of destruction isn't used more..

[@terminatorxp2007]

It’d be cool if you did a Q&A. Love your reviews and I think other fellow Sonny-Jim’s would like to know you a little better.

[@9ALiTY]

Bought a 360 for a Great Price to play the Exclusives that didn't come to PC and it came with this game. It is Amazing.

[@chimrichalds81]

Found this game CIB for $5 today at a rural pawn shop. Collector's edition too👌🏽

[@JmanRising]

I remember asking you about this game a few years ago gman, didn't expect to see you cover it. This was a cool game. I dig Max Payne 3 but Stranglehold had some great mechanics 3 could have learned from. Looking forward to more TPS reviews gman.

[@nepu47]

I reallly liked this game. This game and Vanquish are my favorite bullet-time shooting games.

[@Balc0ra]

Bought it on 360 when it was a year or two old. By far one of the hardest difficulty achievements on there. You can take 1 or 2 hits and that's it on the highest difficulty. So you use slow mo even more then needed. But still a fun ride.

[@octaviogonzalez8794]

Balc0ra's Gaming The last 2 levels were hell too

[@LukeT390]

might have to pick this game up again for the PC, had a great time on the XBOX 360 version years ago. Great review as always!

[@warz3bra245]

I loved this game and got every single achievement. The max difficulty was hard as balls and collecting all of those paper cranes was a pain in the ass as well

[@filmfrosk]

Excellent review! You got me wanting to play this again, I have it on 360, but haven't played it in years. Shooting up shit has never been so much fun, the action side of Stranglehold is masterpiece-material I'd say. I used to run around the casino level just blasting every single slot machine. A shame that we so rarely see the same level of destruction in games. Most often we don't even see it in movies. Always just a lot of god damn sparks. I wanna see shit get shot up! I really enjoy your style of reviewing, so keep 'em coming!

[@milkymooyt]

You brought back a suppressed memory, hell yeah

[@runwei_1999]

Protagonist goes berserk, pigeons fly, and you know it’s John Woo’s work

[@Dorumon281]

Oh wow I'd never heard of this! Thanks for alerting me to this gem!

[@NEZLeader]

Ironically enough yesterday I just watched the funhaus demo disk episode where they were playing this game, looks really slick.

[@albertomartinez714]

As much time has passed since this game came out as the time that passed from the film's release to the game's release. Let that sink in.

[@papaonta]

indonesia always have these hongkong movies broadcasted midnight and sometimes primetime in the 90s national tv channels. so yeah a better tomorrow lays deep inside my mind

[@bogdananicescu6051]

I bought this for 3 dollars on GOG for the holidays and I had a BLAST! It's a lot of fun and over the top in all the right ways!

[@dabluntz19]

Great game, really enjoyed playing it back in the day. You should do a review of Pay Ops: the Mind Gate conspiracy next! One of my favourite games ever that is criminally overlooked and underrated.

[@elwray470]

This was the final thing in legendary John Woo -Chow yun fat combo till date.

[@Iggsy81]

Man this was a fun game. Enjoyed playing it on 360 a lot, even the multiplayer!

[@johannlabertaler6095]

Got the uncut version in the netherlands during a school exchange along with Hitman Blood Money. Easily two of my best acquisitions ever, had fun for years with these games, really helped (and kinda forced) me to expand my vocabulary.

[@EndaRochford]

Hard-boiled is on of my favorite movies. You can't be an action movie aficionado unless you have seen it

[@beafraidhorror]

Can you review Psi ops the mindgate conspiracy. Also Dead to rights

[@theplatformerreviewer6905]

Second Sight would be another good one to review. Made by the Timesplitter guys.