John Wick Hex is a isometric real time strategy game where you control the infamous assassin as he shoots and fights his way across multiple stages. It’s incredibly unforgiving, punishing you for the slightest mistakes, but really well thought out and well worth playing.

Story
Set before the movie series, Hex kidnaps both Winston and Charon, and the high table send John to kill Hex and recover them. The background is explained in between and during missions (comic book style), and as you finish missions Hex slowly explains his motives and how John threw a wrench into them, and why it’s personal. John has to proceed through different underbosses that are aligned with Hex, chasing clues as he hones in on his location.

Gameplay
Gameplay is all about resource management (focus, ammo and bandages), and the fog of war (line of sight) the enemies have to you. It’s very unforgiving and punishes you for mistakes that could have been made in the planning stage (where you can drop additional resources into missions), or from failing to dodge or managing fights better. Since everything carries over between missions (until you finish an area) starting a new stage on low health, focus or an empty gun can be fatal. It takes a little while to get used to it, but once it clicks together you realise they have done a masterful job of setting up an action sequence (with you as the director), the replays can be fun watch (depending on your ability).

As John you have a wide range of actions you can take, with everything displayed as how long it will take in a timeline (your quicker than most enemies). You move via a hex grid pattern, and can perform actions or chance stance to increase your aim or roll out of danger. You can melee enemies when close enough, striking them, or at the cost of focus either push them out of the way, or performing a takedown (which is usually fatal to everyone except the toughest enemies). If timed right you can parry enemies (which stuns them), which can give you the required time to escape, take an emery down or engage someone else. You start each area with your trusty custom gun, but usually end up having to switch to any of the cast off weapons by dispatched enemies fairly quickly. Each weapon has a different damage output and firing times, and i found it handier to have the quick firing weapons rather than the stronger guns that take ages to fire (and leave you open to getting shot). You do tend to get mobbed frequently, and being careless ends up being a death sentence. The underbosses throw a challenge into the game, as they usually have underlings with them, and recover their focus if you wear them down. It can make those missions a cat and mouse, as you take out the chaff, then go for the kill.

Graphics
The games stage design is quite good, and built around line of sight and testing your ability to manage Wick and the enemies. There are plenty of pillars and areas you can duck or hide behind or bottleneck your next victim, and enemies seem to be keyed to spawn at set points (though the enemy that spawns seems to be randomised). Using the stages layout is the only way you can progress. There are plenty of different locals, from inside buildings, warehouses, tunnels, parks, and large outsides to progress through. Enemies are carbon copies of each other (every “type” of enemy will be the same), but it easily helps with threat detection and you don’t need to click on every enemy to see their stats. Usually the melee enemies can be left until last, as its also more prudent to take out the gun welding enemies first (if you aren’t going to hide and make them come to you) in most cases.

Music
The voice acting uses the same actors from the movie (excellent), and Troy Baker (Hex) never seems to do a bad job. The game has a really decent soundtrack, which to me seems like a mix of something western (duelling pistol vibe with the guitars), with a heavy mix of techno and bass. Some of the guns don’t sound as grunty as I think they should, but that could be because of the pumping soundtrack.

Achievements
Getting 100% Achievements will require a fairly good understanding of enemies and how the game mechanics work (and a hefty dose of luck), as you need to complete each stage with the best rating and on the hardest difficulty. Finishing the game on the normal setting was difficult enough.

For more reviews please visit https://gtm.you1.cn/storesteam/curator/31327216/

John Wick Hex is a isometric real time strategy game where you control the infamous assassin as he shoots and fights his way across multiple stages. It’s incredibly unforgiving, punishing you for the slightest mistakes, but really well thought out and well worth playing. [b]Story[/b] Set before the movie series, Hex kidnaps both Winston and Charon, and the high table send John to kill Hex and recover them. The background is explained in between and during missions (comic book style), and as you finish missions Hex slowly explains his motives and how John threw a wrench into them, and why it’s personal. John has to proceed through different underbosses that are aligned with Hex, chasing clues as he hones in on his location. [b]Gameplay[/b] Gameplay is all about resource management (focus, ammo and bandages), and the fog of war (line of sight) the enemies have to you. It’s very unforgiving and punishes you for mistakes that could have been made in the planning stage (where you can drop additional resources into missions), or from failing to dodge or managing fights better. Since everything carries over between missions (until you finish an area) starting a new stage on low health, focus or an empty gun can be fatal. It takes a little while to get used to it, but once it clicks together you realise they have done a masterful job of setting up an action sequence (with you as the director), the replays can be fun watch (depending on your ability). As John you have a wide range of actions you can take, with everything displayed as how long it will take in a timeline (your quicker than most enemies). You move via a hex grid pattern, and can perform actions or chance stance to increase your aim or roll out of danger. You can melee enemies when close enough, striking them, or at the cost of focus either push them out of the way, or performing a takedown (which is usually fatal to everyone except the toughest enemies). If timed right you can parry enemies (which stuns them), which can give you the required time to escape, take an emery down or engage someone else. You start each area with your trusty custom gun, but usually end up having to switch to any of the cast off weapons by dispatched enemies fairly quickly. Each weapon has a different damage output and firing times, and i found it handier to have the quick firing weapons rather than the stronger guns that take ages to fire (and leave you open to getting shot). You do tend to get mobbed frequently, and being careless ends up being a death sentence. The underbosses throw a challenge into the game, as they usually have underlings with them, and recover their focus if you wear them down. It can make those missions a cat and mouse, as you take out the chaff, then go for the kill. [b]Graphics[/b] The games stage design is quite good, and built around line of sight and testing your ability to manage Wick and the enemies. There are plenty of pillars and areas you can duck or hide behind or bottleneck your next victim, and enemies seem to be keyed to spawn at set points (though the enemy that spawns seems to be randomised). Using the stages layout is the only way you can progress. There are plenty of different locals, from inside buildings, warehouses, tunnels, parks, and large outsides to progress through. Enemies are carbon copies of each other (every “type” of enemy will be the same), but it easily helps with threat detection and you don’t need to click on every enemy to see their stats. Usually the melee enemies can be left until last, as its also more prudent to take out the gun welding enemies first (if you aren’t going to hide and make them come to you) in most cases. [b]Music[/b] The voice acting uses the same actors from the movie (excellent), and Troy Baker (Hex) never seems to do a bad job. The game has a really decent soundtrack, which to me seems like a mix of something western (duelling pistol vibe with the guitars), with a heavy mix of techno and bass. Some of the guns don’t sound as grunty as I think they should, but that could be because of the pumping soundtrack. [b]Achievements[/b] Getting 100% Achievements will require a fairly good understanding of enemies and how the game mechanics work (and a hefty dose of luck), as you need to complete each stage with the best rating and on the hardest difficulty. Finishing the game on the normal setting was difficult enough. For more reviews please visit https://gtm.you1.cn/storesteam/curator/31327216/