John Wick Hex

The opinions of the critics regarding the story of John Wick Hex are quite varied. Some critics, such as Attack of the Fanboy and Hooked Gamers, find the story engaging and believe it adds to the John Wick universe. They appreciate the prequel aspect of the game, exploring John Wick's more active days and featuring fan-favorite characters like Winston and Charon. These positive opinions highlight the game's ability to expand on the existing lore and provide an original narrative within the franchise. On the other hand, several critics express negative views towards the story of John Wick Hex. Critics like Game Informer and PCGamesN criticize the lack of depth in the narrative, stating that it doesn't bring anything new to the table and focuses on a simple kidnapping plot. They feel that the story serves as a backdrop for the gameplay, lacking compelling elements and leaving the main character at a distance. Additionally, critics like GameSpot and Noisy Pixel find the story forgettable, lacking depth and meaningfulness. They mention that skipping the story doesn't affect the gameplay, indicating a lack of engagement with the narrative. Overall, the consensus among the critics leans towards a mixed reception of the story in John Wick Hex. While some critics appreciate the expansion of the John Wick universe and the engagement provided by the prequel aspect, others find the narrative lacking depth and substance. The opinions of critics like TheSixthAxis and Nintendo Life highlight the positive aspects of the story, mentioning its ability to add to the expanding film world and provide authenticity through the voices of the actors from the movies. However, critics like GameSpot and Softpedia express disappointment in the narrative, stating that it fails to live up to the same standard as the gameplay and lacks depth and meaningfulness. The varying opinions suggest that the story in John Wick Hex may not be a standout feature of the game, but it still has its merits for fans of the franchise.

The opinions of the critics regarding the gameplay of John Wick Hex are generally positive. Many critics praise the game for its tactical and strategic elements, with a focus on careful planning and decision-making. Attack of the Fanboy, COGconnected, and GamingTrend all highlight the gameplay as a graceful dance of lead and fists, requiring tense and layered decision-making. The game's turn-based mechanics and time-based movement are also commended by several critics, such as Daily Star, Game Informer, and Pure Nintendo. The gameplay captures the essence of John Wick, with thrilling combat sequences, limited resources, and a sense of momentum, as noted by GameCritics, PC Gamer, and PCGamesN. However, there are some negative opinions regarding the gameplay of John Wick Hex. Daily Star criticizes the focus system for limiting the player's ability to perform cool moves. New Game Network finds the gameplay wearisome and frustrating as the difficulty increases. The lack of an undo feature is mentioned by TheSixthAxis as a frustrating aspect of the game. Noisy Pixel also notes that some levels can be tedious and repetitive. Overall, the consensus among the critics is that the gameplay of John Wick Hex is a unique and engrossing experience that captures the essence of the John Wick films. The tactical and strategic elements, combined with the turn-based mechanics and time-based movement, create a challenging but enjoyable gameplay experience. The game rewards careful planning, efficient execution, and quick reflexes. Positive aspects such as the level design, capturing the feeling of being John Wick, and the sense of flow and action-movie improv are mentioned by several critics, including GamingTrend, Nintendo Life, and Metro GameCentral. While there are some criticisms regarding the limitations of certain mechanics and the increasing difficulty, the overall sentiment is that John Wick Hex offers a satisfying and immersive gameplay experience.

The opinions of the critics regarding the Graphics and Visual Design of John Wick Hex are varied. Many critics praise the game's unique and stylish aesthetic, with several mentioning the cel-shaded art style that captures the signature neo-noir look of the John Wick franchise. Critics such as GamingTrend, Hooked Gamers, and PC Gamer appreciate the sleek and minimal visuals, with GamingTrend specifically mentioning the cel-shaded, neo-noir look. The game's comic book styled cutscenes, as highlighted by Hooked Gamers, enhance the overall presentation. The use of neon colors and pulsing music, as noted by New Game Network and PCGamesN, successfully creates the ambiance of the John Wick movies. The graphic novel-like art style, described as beautiful and fitting well with the John Wick universe by Shacknews, brings the world to life. The top-down view, mentioned by TheSixthAxis, allows for easy navigation of the map. However, there are also several criticisms regarding the Graphics and Visual Design of John Wick Hex. Some critics, such as Daily Star and Nintendo Life, point out issues with the animations, describing them as wonky, stiff, and shoddy. The movements of the characters are criticized for being slow and lacking the frenetic pacing expected from a John Wick game, as mentioned by TheSixthAxis. The lack of variety in characters and animation, along with repetitive choreography, as noted by COGconnected, also detract from the overall visual experience. Metro GameCentral goes as far as describing the graphics and visual design as laughably bad, ugly-looking, and messy visually, which may make the game a difficult sell. Overall, the consensus among the critics is that John Wick Hex has a unique and stylish visual design that successfully captures the neo-noir aesthetic of the franchise. The cel-shaded art style, comic book cutscenes, and use of neon colors are praised for enhancing the overall presentation and ambiance of the game. However, there are concerns regarding the animations, with some critics finding them stiff, wonky, and lacking in variety. The lack of frenetic pacing and repetitive choreography also contribute to the mixed opinions on the game's visual design. While some critics appreciate the visual experience, others find it lacking in comparison to the intense and diverse combat arts seen in the films.

The opinions of the critics regarding the sound design and music of John Wick Hex are generally positive. Critics such as GamingTrend, Hooked Gamers, Softpedia, TheSixthAxis, Xbox Achievements, and Nintendo Life all praise the soundtrack and voice acting in the game. GamingTrend specifically mentions the roaring guitars and slick synths that bring the environments to life, while Hooked Gamers highlights how the energetic soundtrack complements the visuals and adds to the immersive experience. Softpedia describes the soundtrack as amazing and praises the voice acting by Ian McShane and Lance Reddick. TheSixthAxis also mentions the presence of original film actors and talented voice actors, which adds to the immersion. Xbox Achievements appreciates the thumping electronic soundtrack and the solid voice acting. Nintendo Life specifically mentions the score by Austin Wintory, stating that it sets the right mood and adds to the authenticity of the game. However, there are a few negative opinions regarding the sound design and music of John Wick Hex. COGconnected criticizes the lack of polish in the sound design, mentioning severe audio visual desync in cutscenes. New Game Network points out that while the pulsing music used in every level is on point, it starts to grow repetitive. These criticisms highlight areas where the sound design and music could have been improved. Overall, the consensus among the critics is that the sound design and music of John Wick Hex are positive aspects of the game. The presence of original film actors, talented voice acting, and a well-crafted soundtrack contribute to the immersive experience. However, there are some areas that could have been improved, such as the lack of variety in characters and animation affecting the overall sound experience, as mentioned by COGconnected. Despite these minor flaws, the positive opinions of critics like GamingTrend, Hooked Gamers, Softpedia, TheSixthAxis, Xbox Achievements, and Nintendo Life outweigh the negatives, making the sound design and music of John Wick Hex a noteworthy aspect of the game.

The voice acting in John Wick Hex has received mostly positive reviews from the critics. Many reviewers praised the inclusion of the original film actors reprising their roles in the game. Ian McShane and Lance Reddick, who voice Winston and Charon respectively, were specifically mentioned by multiple critics as adding authenticity and depth to the game. Attack of the Fanboy, COGconnected, and Softpedia all commended the voice acting, with Softpedia specifically highlighting the performances of McShane and Reddick as great. The return of these fan-favorite characters voiced by their film actors was appreciated by fans of the John Wick franchise, as mentioned by TheSixthAxis. However, there were a few critics who had some reservations about the voice acting in John Wick Hex. The Digital Fix mentioned that the performances by McShane and Reddick felt "phoned in." This suggests that their delivery may have lacked the passion or energy expected from their characters. While this was a negative point raised by The Digital Fix, it should be noted that their opinion was not shared by the majority of critics who generally praised the voice acting. Overall, the consensus among the critics is that the voice acting in John Wick Hex is well done. The inclusion of Ian McShane and Lance Reddick, reprising their roles as Winston and Charon, was particularly appreciated by reviewers. The performances were described as engaging, adding to the authenticity and depth of the characters. Troy Baker's portrayal of the antagonist Hex was also commended by GameCritics and New Game Network. The majority of critics found the voice acting to be a positive aspect of the game, enhancing the overall experience for players.

In terms of technical performance, John Wick Hex received mixed reviews across different gaming platforms. On PC, there were several criticisms regarding audio-visual desync issues, clunky transitions, and sound bugs. COGconnected, PCGamesN, and TheSixthAxis all highlighted these problems, which negatively impacted the overall experience. However, Shacknews and Stevivor reported no performance issues during gameplay on PC, suggesting that the game ran smoothly for them. On the Nintendo Switch, the game was praised for running smoothly in both docked and handheld modes, comparable to the PC and PS4 versions. Nintendo Life commended the Switch port for its performance, indicating that it was on par with other platforms. This positive feedback suggests that the developers managed to optimize the game well for the Switch. On the PS4, opinions were more varied. Digitally Downloaded did not provide a detailed analysis of technical performance, while Noisy Pixel mentioned that the game ran well overall but experienced four crashes. PlayStation LifeStyle reported performance issues near the end of the game, including lagging and freezing moments, which were attributed to the hardware limitations of the launch PS4. These negative experiences on the PS4 indicate that the game may not have been fully optimized for this platform. Overall, the critics' consensus is that John Wick Hex had technical issues on PC, such as desync problems, clunky transitions, and sound bugs. However, there were mixed opinions on the performance of the game on different platforms. While the Nintendo Switch version was praised for its smooth performance, the PS4 version had some issues, including crashes and performance problems on older hardware. It is worth noting that some critics, like Shacknews and Stevivor, did not encounter any performance issues on PC, suggesting that the technical performance may vary depending on the player's setup. The developers should address the reported issues through patches and updates to ensure a more consistent and enjoyable experience across all platforms.

The opinions of the critics regarding the replay value of John Wick Hex are quite varied. Some critics, such as COGconnected and GameSpot, highlight the strategic gameplay and the ability to experiment with different weapons and approaches as positive aspects that contribute to the game's replay value. Game Informer also mentions the opportunity to purchase upgrades before each mission, which adds a layer of replayability. Additionally, GamingTrend and Pocket Tactics mention the tough challenges and myriad approaches to combat that incentivize extra playthroughs, with Pocket Tactics specifically noting the ability to earn Continental coins for upgrades and new weapons. On the negative side, several critics express concerns about the lack of variety and repetition in the gameplay. Game Informer mentions that the tactics and strategies used at the beginning of the game remain the same throughout, leading to a lack of growth and potential boredom. Nintendo Life and NintendoWorldReport also highlight the lack of variety in maneuvers and enemies, although Nintendo Life does mention that randomized enemy patrol routes help alleviate this repetition. New Game Network points out the frustration of not being able to save mid-level and the inability to retrieve missing items, which leads to repetitive gameplay. Overall, the consensus among the critics is mixed. While some critics, such as GameSpot and Pocket Tactics, praise the game's replay value and the various elements that encourage multiple playthroughs, others, like Game Informer and New Game Network, express concerns about the lack of variety and repetitive gameplay. The ability to experiment with different weapons and approaches, as well as the strategic and challenging nature of the game, are often mentioned as positive aspects. However, the frustration of being killed and the lack of certain features, such as an undo feature or a rewind option, are mentioned as potential drawbacks.