It looks like a PS2 game, is hugely repetitive and has a risible online mode, but Stranglehold is the most mindlessly entertaining game around at the moment. The videogame sequel to John Woo's Hard Boiled flick - you even get to "meet" Woo in the game - Stranglehold is a violent feast of gun ballet. Reminiscent of aging noir-classic Max Payne, your aim is to simply kill your assailants. What makes this endlessly repetitive task so entertaining is the slo-mo Tequila Time effect - aka Bullet Time in Max Payne - and the destructible scenery. The former allows you to dive headfirst into a group of enemies, dodge bullets and generally feel like some sort of hero. The latter allows you to cause havoc by simply shooting at flashing scenery. A clumsy videogame mechanism yes, but hugely effective in creating staged chaos.
There is a plot but you probably won't care, I know I didn't. With today's shooters- Halo 3, Bioshock - increasingly asking you to either think tactically or wallow in a deep storyline, Stranglehold is an anachronism. It doesn't last that long either - crash, bang, and you're done. But while your brain remains most definitely untrained your reflexes will be back on track. It offers nothing new and won't stick long in the memory but Stranglehold already wins my guilty pleasure award of 2007. Any other contenders?
