The John Wick franchise has become the most popular action series in the past decade, and for good reason. All three films have only gotten better in quality, bringing Keanu Reeves back into the action movie spotlight with a unique world, interesting lore, and some of the best action sequences ever put on film. It's no surprise, then, that the game is finally receiving a video game tie-in, and John Wick Hex is turning out to be a great experience. Set during the years when John Wick is in his prime as an assassin, John Wick Hex has the titular hero on a mission to rescue his long-time friends and allies, Winston, voiced by Ian McShane, and Charon, voiced by Lance Reddick. The pair have been kidnapped by a mysterious villain called Hex, voiced by Troy Baker. Of course, this is a really bad idea, because when John Wick gets involved, people get hurt. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z35Exu4TP28 Rather than take the typical approach to an action game by making it a shooter, developers Bithell Games has opted for a more strategy-oriented approach in order to capture the feeling of the incredible choreography seen in the films. The game is being described as "XCOM meets Superhot," and honestly, it's a very accurate description of how the game's mechanics work. Though you move around using point n' click mechanics on a hexagonal grid, choosing actions to take against your enemies, every move you make requires a certain amount of time to complete. Along the top of the screen, you'll see a timeline of your actions, and the enemy's actions, and planning is extremely important to survival. Not only do you have to plan out your attacks and movements according to how much time they take, you'll also need to keep an eye on your focus meter, which determines the probability of completing certain actions. If your focus is running low, for instance, you may suffer a penalty to your accuracy, which is a huge risk in a game where every shot counts. There is also a line-of-sight mechanic that makes each level even more intense. Once you finish a level, you can then watch the replay of your actions, which plays out like an awesome action sequence that serves as a nice reward for a successful mission. John Wick Hex is definitely a unique experience in the strategy genre, and proof that license video games can be amazing when they are handled with care by fans who understand the source material. The game is now available on PC, exclusively through the Epic Games Store.
The John Wick franchise has become the most popular action series in the past decade, and for good reason. All three films have only gotten better in quality, bringing Keanu Reeves back into the action movie spotlight with a unique world, interesting lore, and some of the best action sequences ever put on film. It's no surprise, then, that the game is finally receiving a video game tie-in, and John Wick Hex is turning out to be a great experience. Set during the years when John Wick is in his prime as an assassin, John Wick Hex has the titular hero on a mission to rescue his long-time friends and allies, Winston, voiced by Ian McShane, and Charon, voiced by Lance Reddick. The pair have been kidnapped by a mysterious villain called Hex, voiced by Troy Baker. Of course, this is a really bad idea, because when John Wick gets involved, people get hurt. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z35Exu4TP28 Rather than take the typical approach to an action game by making it a shooter, developers Bithell Games has opted for a more strategy-oriented approach in order to capture the feeling of the incredible choreography seen in the films. The game is being described as "XCOM meets Superhot," and honestly, it's a very accurate description of how the game's mechanics work. Though you move around using point n' click mechanics on a hexagonal grid, choosing actions to take against your enemies, every move you make requires a certain amount of time to complete. Along the top of the screen, you'll see a timeline of your actions, and the enemy's actions, and planning is extremely important to survival. Not only do you have to plan out your attacks and movements according to how much time they take, you'll also need to keep an eye on your focus meter, which determines the probability of completing certain actions. If your focus is running low, for instance, you may suffer a penalty to your accuracy, which is a huge risk in a game where every shot counts. There is also a line-of-sight mechanic that makes each level even more intense. Once you finish a level, you can then watch the replay of your actions, which plays out like an awesome action sequence that serves as a nice reward for a successful mission. John Wick Hex is definitely a unique experience in the strategy genre, and proof that license video games can be amazing when they are handled with care by fans who understand the source material. The game is now available on PC, exclusively through the Epic Games Store.
