Video game review by ERIK LEIJON

Take a cue from Quentin Tarantino: sometimes it's preferable to choose style over substance. Killer 7 (GC, PS2 - Capcom) may be lacking at times, gameplay-wise, but the over-the-top universe and attention-grabbing visual style makes it of interest to gamers desiring an eclectic experience.

Killer 7 has an excellent, although often completely incoherent, storyline about global politics. The game takes place in an alternate 2003, a few years after world peace is achieved. At the historic signing of the UN World Security Treaty that would ban all nuclear energy, eliminate intercontinental missiles and remove all other such threats, a terrorist attack from the Heaven Smile group throws the world into chaos again. Killer 7, a group of assassins, are hired to eliminate the terrorist group and save the day.

The twist in the storyline is - and this serves as the main gameplay gimmick - that Killer 7 is only one person, the wheelchair-bound schizophrenic Harman Smith, with his seven personalities. Each of these "Smiths" can be interchanged at any time (except for leader Garcian Smith) and each provides a special ability to advance through the levels. For instance, Kaede Smith absorbs blood (used as a power-up) from walls with her slit wrists. This mode works well at adding a strategy element amid the constant violence.

As remarkable as this all sounds, the game's look may well be even more striking. Capcom might not have invented cel-shaded animation, but that technique, combined with intentionally blocky-looking characters (reminiscent of the old PC game Interstate '76) give the game a distinctive look. The effect of killing Heaven Smile's minions is also impressive, as they burst into hundreds of small blood droplets. These blood droplets can actually be used to either improve your gang's abilities or to restore lost health.

The gameplay is also unique, part first-person shooter, part rail shooter and part point-and-click. Screenshots may give the impression this is an FPS; instead, you walk along a set path, only to switch into first-person mode when you hear a Heaven Smile approaching. You don't have the freedom to go everywhere, but you must often select from branching paths. There's a lot of backtracking in this game, and the Heaven Smile characters regenerate, so there is a degree of repetitiveness. There's also the problem of load times, which occur every time you enter a room.

The cut-scenes do a commendable job advancing the story, which takes some not-so-subtle jabs at American foreign policy, the UN, Japan/West relations and especially terrorism. Even the Heaven Smile are referred to in the manual as "walking timebombs," who "self-destruct wherever they can find people around."

Killer 7's unusual gameplay will turn off a lot of gamers, but I found it only detracted slightly from the overall pleasurable experience. In an era where every other game is either about soldiers or gangsters, Killer 7 offers a different kind of politically charged bloodbath.

Got 10 minutes to waste?

With Microsoft promising greater personalization for the upcoming Xbox 360, Microsoft Canada is allowing Canuck gamers the opportunity to add a personal touch to their PCs. The Xbox GiD site (www.xbox.com/gid) is a free service that provides logos to gamers - GiD stands for "gamer identification." You pick characteristics that best describe you from their list, and they come up with a suitable design. You can't use your ID on your Live Account but, for a limited time, MS will send you free stickers and you get a free wallpaper.

Now playing: Killer 7 (GC) Wishlist: Far Cry Instincts (Xbox)