A forgotten Xbox 360 game from 2007 just got a new update that makes it better and is currently available for just $2 until October 7. Both of these are the result of it being added to the GOG Preservation Program, an initiative to not just preserve classics from yesteryear, but make them accessible in the modern era and DRM-free. And right now, this is the only modern platform the game is available on. It’s not available on the Microsoft Store or Steam.
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The game in question is Stranglehold, and the improvements are that an option to freely adjust the FOV using the F5, F6, and F7 keys has been added. FOV, for those who do not know, means field of view. This is a major upgrade. Meanwhile, the default camera settings have been improved, stability has been improved, cloud saves have been added, and it is now fully compatible with Windows 10 and Windows 11.
A Classic That Should Have Received a Sequel
If you are not familiar with Stranglehold, you probably weren’t playing games in 2007. Developed by Midway Studios Chicago and Tiger Hill Entertainment — the former of which would go on to become NetherRealm Studios — and published by Midway Games, Stranglehold is a third-person shooter and a sequel to John Woo’s 1992 film, Hard Boiled.
At release, the game — which boasts a 77 on Metacritic — was an Xbox 360 exclusive, though it did eventually come to PC and PS3. And it sold over a million units, making it a commercial success. To this end, a sequel called Gun Runner was in the works at one point, but ended up getting canned.
Unfortunately, those on Xbox 360 and PS3 have no modern option to play this classic other than via PC and GOG, unless you still own and use one of these nostalgic consoles. If that’s the case, you can find a physical copy of the game on second-hand markets.
Unfortunately, there is zero chance Stranglehold will ever get the sequel it was meant to get. There’s a better chance a remake could be greenlit, but that also seems unlikely at this point, which is a shame. Not only did Stranglehold successfully take John Woo’s signature style and adapt it, but it also had a very unique take on bullet time called Tequila Style that we haven’t seen much of since. It may not be one of the best Xbox games of all time, but it was certainly a gem from a different era of gaming that many miss.
All of that said, and as always, feel free to leave a comment letting us know what you think, or join the conversation over on the ComicBook Forum.
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image courtesy of 20th Century Studios
