John Wick Hex

Last updated

John Wick Hex
John wick hex cover.jpg
Developer(s) Bithell Games
Publisher(s) Good Shepherd Entertainment
Director(s) Mike Bithell
Producer(s)
  • Ben Andac
  • Amanda Kruse
Composer(s) Austin Wintory [1]
Series John Wick
Platform(s)
ReleasemacOS, Windows
  • WW: 8 October 2019
PlayStation 4
  • WW: 5 May 2020
Switch, Xbox One
  • WW: 4 December 2020
Genre(s) Tactical role-playing
Mode(s) Single-player

John Wick Hex is a 2019 tactical role-playing game developed by Bithell Games and published by Good Shepherd Entertainment based on the John Wick franchise. It was released on 8 October 2019 for macOS and Windows. The PlayStation 4 port of the game released on 5 May 2020. The Nintendo Switch and Xbox One ports of the game were released on 4 December 2020. The game serves as a narrative prequel to the film series. [2]

Contents

Gameplay

The player being presented with various options for controlling John Wick and what impact they will have on timing John wick hex screencap.jpg
The player being presented with various options for controlling John Wick and what impact they will have on timing

John Wick Hex is a timeline strategy game with elements of resource management where the player maneuvers the titular character through a level on a hex-based grid, using various moves and actions to defeat enemies and avoid being hit by his foes.

To the player, the actions of John Wick and visible enemies are shown on a timeline similar to those used in video editing software, with actions taking different amounts of time. The player loads commands for John Wick to follow into this timeline, and the game will pause if the player has not added further actions into the timeline. [3] These actions may be about gaining a better position to fire from, taking a better stance that improves John Wick's chances to hit, or to take defensive actions and improved cover from foes.

Players must also take into consideration the limited ammo that John Wick has i.e. 15 bullets in his handgun, because once the player reloads their weapon then the player loses any bullets left in the weapon's magazine. Although John Wick is able to grab weapons from enemies, this takes precious time, requiring the player to think through all the possible actions they can take before getting shot by the enemies. An interesting fact is that every time a player chooses to shoot, John Wick fires two rounds at his enemy because John Wick double-taps his enemies in the movies. [4]

Initially the level is covered by a type of fog of war which becomes unveiled as the player moves John Wick further in the level. The game has been described as a combination of tactics games such as X-COM mixed with fast-paced decision making of Superhot . [5] At the completion of a level, the game can play back a replay of the movements, without waiting for any user input, mimicking some of the fluidity of the action scenes from the John Wick films. [6]

Plot

Hex, an international criminal mastermind, abducts Winston and Charon of the New York Continental as an act of rebellion against the High Table and stows them away at an undisclosed location. In response, a contract is put out by the High Table to retrieve them and John Wick is dispatched to ensure that fealty is sworn. The plot follows Wick in his prime as he sets out to dismantle Hex's network of underbosses and enforcers across New York and Switzerland on his way to end Hex's reign and reassert the High Table's dominance.

Development

The game John Wick Hex originated after a casual discussion between game developer Mike Bithell and his friend Ben Andac, who works with Good Shepherd Entertainment. Both had just seen an action film and the conversation turned to how one would make a video game to capture the action and fight scenes from the John Wick films. Bithell suggested the idea of a turn-based tactical game, what he called "John Wick chess", in which the player would have to make new decisions as the situation changes. [2]

Andac was later part of discussions between Lionsgate Entertainment and Good Shepherd Entertainment; the film production company was looking for novel concepts for video games that could be used to expand upon the John Wick film series. According to Bithell, Lionsgate wanted more than just an unoriginal game as a cash grab, but something that distanced itself from what one would have expected for a John Wick-oriented game, in the same manner that Lionsgate had seen the first film as a novel twist on a typical action movie. [2] Andac recalled Bithell's concept as well as his unique style of game production, and put Bithell's idea out there.

This subsequently led to discussions between Bithell, Lionsgate, and Good Shepherd to give Bithell the green light to start development of Hex in mid-2018. [2] Bithell stated that he felt responsible with the licensed property, that "If you’re making a licensed game and you’re not trying to push the medium forward in my opinion you’re wasting your time." [7]

In addition to reviewing the first two films, Bithell was given access to the script for John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum prior to its production. Bithell had the opportunity to discuss the films' direction with Chad Stahelski, the series' director, during post-production editing, and also was able to work with the various stuntmen on the film to develop the animations to be used in the game. [2] Bithell credited Stahelski with the fog of war concept to help create tensions with unknowns on each level. [2]

Bithell wanted to capture the idea that combat in the John Wick universe is more like a conversation with back and forth responses, a factor that the stunt coordinators for the films have kept in mind. [8] One key movie scene that inspired this approach came from the first Wick film, where Wick has run out of bullets, so he takes a moment to stun his enemy to give him time to reload his weapon and fire again before the enemy recovers; Bithell wanted the gameplay to be able to capture that type of flow. [9] Bithell credits the film's stunt coordinator JoJo Eusebio in offering some more potential moves for John Wick that are not shown in the film but make for good strategic elements in a video game, such as John Wick using enemies as moving cover; by grabbing and then pushing a foe a short distance. [4]

Originally, Bithell built the game out as the turn-based tactical game he had originally described, so that the player would direct John Wick during his turn, then wait for the other opponents to complete their moves. When showing this version of the game to Lionsgate executives, they were concerned that this made it appear that John Wick just stood there, taking the shots fired by his opponents. Bithell took this advice to heart and reworked the core game to use the timeline approach instead of the turn-based approach, so that John Wick's movements and enemy actions were happening simultaneously. [3] Bithell regularly traveled to Los Angeles to keep Lionsgate abreast of the game's status and for additional feedback. [8]

Actors Ian McShane and Lance Reddick reprise their roles from the films, [10] while Troy Baker voices the character of Hex. [11]

The game was first revealed in May 2019, just prior to the release of John Wick 3, with further details revealed at E3 2019. The game was released on 8 October 2019 for macOS and Windows. [12] A PlayStation 4 port of the game was released on 5 May 2020, [13] and for Nintendo Switch and Xbox One on 4 December 2020. [14]

Reception

John Wick Hex received average reviews. Aggregating review website Metacritic gave the game 74/100 based on 53 reviews. [15]

Accolades

YearAwardCategoryResultRef
2019 Game Critics Awards Best Original GameNominated [29]
Best Strategy GameWon
Best Independent GameNominated
2020NAVGTR AwardsGameplay Design, FranchiseNominated [30]
Game, StrategyNominated
MCV/Develop AwardsVisual Innovation of the YearNominated [31]
Gameplay Innovation of the YearNominated

Related Research Articles

<i>Super Mario Bros. 3</i> 1988 video game

Super Mario Bros. 3 is a 1988 platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). It was released for home consoles in Japan on October 23, 1988, in North America on February 12, 1990, and in Europe on August 29, 1991. It was developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development, led by Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Bithell</span> British video game designer and developer

Michael Bithell is a British video game designer, developer, and podcaster best known for his work on Thomas Was Alone and Volume. He is a regular host of the Play, Watch, Listen podcast, along with Alanah Pearce, Troy Baker, and Austin Wintory. He also co-hosts an evolving pop culture podcast with long time friend, British YouTuber and comedic author Daniel Hardcastle, talking about shows and movies like Star Trek, Fast and Furious, Mission Impossible and various others.

<i>John Wick</i> (film) 2014 American film directed by Chad Stahelski

John Wick is a 2014 American action thriller film directed by Chad Stahelski and written by Derek Kolstad. Keanu Reeves stars as John Wick, a legendary hitman who comes out of retirement to seek revenge against the men who killed his dog, a final gift from his recently deceased wife. The film also stars Michael Nyqvist, Alfie Allen, Adrianne Palicki, Bridget Moynahan, Dean Winters, Ian McShane, John Leguizamo, and Willem Dafoe.

<i>Lego The Hobbit</i> 2014 video game

Lego The Hobbit is a Lego-themed action-adventure video game developed by Traveller's Tales. The game was released by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment on 8 April 2014 in North America, and 11 April in Europe. The game is a follow-up to Lego The Lord of the Rings based on the first two Hobbit films; An Unexpected Journey and The Desolation of Smaug. It was released on PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii U, Nintendo 3DS, OS X and Microsoft Windows.

John Wick is an American neo-noir action film series and media franchise created by Derek Kolstad. It centers on the titular character portrayed by actor Keanu Reeves. Wick is a legendary hitman who is reluctantly drawn back into the criminal underworld after retiring. The franchise began with the release of John Wick in 2014, followed by three sequels: Chapter 2 in 2017, Chapter 3 – Parabellum in 2019, and Chapter 4 in 2023.

<i>Dead Cells</i> 2018 video game

Dead Cells is a 2018 roguelike-Metroidvania game developed by Motion Twin and Evil Empire, and published by Motion Twin. The player takes the role of an amorphous creature called the Prisoner. As the Prisoner, the player must fight their way out of a diseased island in order to slay the island's King. The player gains weapons, treasure and other tools through exploration of the procedurally-generated levels. Dead Cells features a permadeath system, causing the player to lose all items and other abilities upon dying. A currency called Cells can be collected from defeated enemies, allowing the player to purchase permanent upgrades.

<i>Tropico 6</i> 2019 video game

Tropico 6 is a construction, management and political simulation game in the Tropico series, developed by Limbic Entertainment, published by Kalypso Media, and announced at E3 2017. Originally intended for a 2018 release, Tropico 6 was released on Microsoft Windows, macOS and Linux in March 2019, and for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in September 2019. It was released for the Nintendo Switch in November 2020, and on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S in March 2022.

<i>Katana Zero</i> 2019 video game

Katana Zero is a 2019 platform game created by the indie developer Justin Stander. Set in a dystopian metropolis, the neo-noir storyline follows Subject Zero, a katana-wielding assassin with amnesia who can slow down time and predict the future. Zero unravels his past while completing assassination contracts. Katana Zero features side-scrolling hack-and-slash gameplay in which the player attempts to kill all enemies in a level without being hit, using Zero's abilities to manipulate time, dodge attacks, and take advantage of environmental hazards. In between levels, the story is told in sequences where the player converses with non-player characters through dialogue trees.

<i>John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum</i> 2019 American film directed by Chad Stahelski

John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum is a 2019 American neo-noir action thriller film directed by Chad Stahelski from a screenplay by Derek Kolstad, Shay Hatten, Chris Collins, and Marc Abrams, based on a story by Kolstad. The film is the sequel to John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017) and the third installment in the John Wick franchise. It stars Keanu Reeves as the title character, alongside an ensemble supporting cast including Halle Berry, Laurence Fishburne, Mark Dacascos, Asia Kate Dillon, Lance Reddick, Anjelica Huston, and Ian McShane. The film centers on John Wick going on the run from a legion of hitmen after a bounty is placed for his murder.

<i>A Plague Tale: Innocence</i> 2019 video game

A Plague Tale: Innocence is an action-adventure stealth game developed by Asobo Studio and published by Focus Home Interactive. The game was released for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One in May 2019. It was made available on the cloud-based service Amazon Luna in November 2020. The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S versions of the game were released in July 2021, alongside a cloud version for the Nintendo Switch.

<i>Phantom Doctrine</i> 2018 strategy video game

Phantom Doctrine is a turn-based strategy video game developed by Polish studio CreativeForge Games and published by Good Shepherd Entertainment in 2018. It is inspired by classic spy films and conspiracy theories.

<i>The Hong Kong Massacre</i> 2019 video game

The Hong Kong Massacre is a top-down shooter video game developed and published by Vreski for Microsoft Windows and PlayStation 4 in January 2019, and for Nintendo Switch in December 2020. It is the first game to be developed by the studio. Set in 1990s Hong Kong, the game follows a former police detective as he sets out to exact revenge against the Triad for the death of his partner.

<i>John Wick: Chapter 4</i> 2023 film directed by Chad Stahelski

John Wick: Chapter 4 is a 2023 American neo-noir action thriller film directed and co-produced by Chad Stahelski and written by Shay Hatten and Michael Finch. It is the sequel to John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019) and the fourth installment in the John Wick franchise, the film stars Keanu Reeves as the title character, alongside Donnie Yen, Bill Skarsgård, Laurence Fishburne, Hiroyuki Sanada, Shamier Anderson, Lance Reddick, Rina Sawayama, Scott Adkins, Clancy Brown, and Ian McShane. In the film, John Wick sets out for revenge on the High Table and those who left him for dead.

From the World of John Wick: Ballerina is an upcoming American neo-noir action thriller film directed by Len Wiseman and written by Shay Hatten. It is the fifth film in the John Wick franchise, serving as a spin-off set between the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum and John Wick: Chapter 4. It stars Ana de Armas in the lead role, alongside Gabriel Byrne, Catalina Sandino Moreno and Norman Reedus in supporting roles. Anjelica Huston, Lance Reddick, Ian McShane, and Keanu Reeves reprise their roles from the previous films.

<i>Vampire: The Masquerade – Swansong</i> 2022 role-playing video game

Vampire: The Masquerade – Swansong is a role-playing video game developed by Big Bad Wolf and published by Nacon. It was released in May 2022 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S and in September 2023 for Nintendo Switch. It is based on White Wolf Publishing's tabletop role-playing game Vampire: The Masquerade, and is a part of the larger World of Darkness series.

<i>Chronos</i> (2016 video game) 2016 video game

Chronos is a 2016 action role-playing game developed and published by Gunfire Games for the Oculus Rift virtual reality (VR) headset. The game received generally positive reviews upon release. An overhauled version of the game, titled Chronos: Before the Ashes was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and Stadia on December 1, 2020.

<i>Octogeddon</i> 2018 video game

Octogeddon is an action-strategy video game with elements of roguelike games developed by All Yes Good. It was released for Microsoft Windows in February 2018 and Nintendo Switch in 2019. The player controls an octopus who is seeking vengeance against humanity. It fights using tentacles that can be upgraded between each stage.

<i>Fights in Tight Spaces</i> 2021 video game

Fights in Tight Spaces is a roguelike deck-building tactical game developed by British studio Ground Shatter and published by Mode 7 Games. The game was released in December 2021 for Microsoft Windows, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S after an Early Access period that started in February 2021. Ports for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 were released in May 2023.

<i>Valfaris</i> 2019 video game

Valfaris is a 2D action platforming game developed by Steel Mantis and published by Big Sugar. The game was released for Windows and Nintendo Switch on October 10, 2019, and later for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in November. Merge Games distributed the physical copies of the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch versions in November 2019. Amazon Luna version arrived in December 2020. The game's soundtrack was composed by former Celtic Frost guitarist Curt Victor Bryant.

References

  1. ↑ Juba, Joe (4 October 2019). "Austin Wintory Is The Composer Behind John Wick Hex". Game Informer . Archived from the original on 11 October 2019. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Foreman, Alison (13 June 2019). "Mike Bithell can't believe he's making the 'John Wick' prequel game either". Mashable . Archived from the original on 2 June 2021. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  3. 1 2 Knoop, Joseph (12 June 2019). "John Wick Hex Was Almost a Turn-Based Tactics Game". IGN . Archived from the original on 7 November 2022. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  4. 1 2 Conditt, Jessica (14 June 2019). "In 'John Wick Hex,' time is the most precious commodity". Engadget . Archived from the original on 14 June 2019. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  5. ↑ Gimmelle, Allie (12 June 2019). "'John Wick Hex' Release Date and Trailer for the Intriguing New Video Game". Inverse . Archived from the original on 7 November 2022. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  6. ↑ Bailey, Dustin (14 June 2019). "John Wick Hex will let you watch your murder ballets in replay". PCGamesN . Archived from the original on 7 November 2022. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  7. ↑ Shepherd, Harry (13 June 2019). "John Wick Hex has a responsibility to "push the medium forward"". PCGamesN . Archived from the original on 7 November 2022. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  8. 1 2 McCarthy, Caty (14 June 2019). "How John Wick Hex's Action is Designed With the Help of the Film's Fight Choreographers". USGamer . Archived from the original on 17 June 2019. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  9. ↑ Judge, Alysia (24 July 2019). ""I Didn't Want to Make a Bad John Wick Game" Says John Wick Hex Director Mike Bithell". IGN . Archived from the original on 7 November 2022. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
  10. ↑ Capel, Chris (8 May 2019). "John Wick Hex is an official strategy game heading to the Epic store". PCGamesN . Archived from the original on 8 May 2019. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
  11. ↑ Rachel Weber (19 September 2019). "John Wick Hex gets a release date and Troy Baker". gamesradar. Archived from the original on 7 November 2022. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  12. ↑ Kim, Matt (19 September 2019). "John Wick Hex Release Date Revealed For October". IGN . Archived from the original on 7 November 2022. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
  13. ↑ "John Wick Hex coming to PS4 on May 5". Gematsu. 2 April 2020. Archived from the original on 2 April 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  14. ↑ "John Wick Hex Hits Nintendo Switch and Xbox One on December 4". DualShockers. 7 October 2020. Archived from the original on 7 November 2022. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  15. 1 2 "John Wick Hex for PC Reviews". Metacritic . Archived from the original on 7 November 2022. Retrieved 21 July 2020.
  16. ↑ "John Wick Hex for PS4 Reviews". Metacritic . Archived from the original on 7 November 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
  17. ↑ "John Wick Hex for Nintendo Switch Reviews". Metacritic . Archived from the original on 7 November 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
  18. ↑ "John Wick Hex for Xbox One Reviews". Metacritic . Archived from the original on 7 November 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
  19. ↑ Glagowski, Peter. "Review: John Wick Hex". Destructoid . Archived from the original on 7 November 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
  20. ↑ Reeves, Ben (8 October 2019). "John Wick Hex Review – A Slow-Motion Ballet Of Blood". Game Informer . Archived from the original on 10 October 2019. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
  21. ↑ Barbosa, Alessandro (11 October 2019). "John Wick Hex Review - Tick Tock Wick". GameSpot . Archived from the original on 7 November 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
  22. ↑ Stapleton, Dan (8 October 2019). "John Wick Hex Review". IGN . Archived from the original on 7 November 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
  23. ↑ L'avis de Logan (10 October 2019). "Test John Wick Hex : Quand le tueur à gages devient fin tacticien". Jeuxvideo.com . Archived from the original on 26 May 2023. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
  24. ↑ Peel, Jeremy (4 December 2020). "John Wick Hex Review (Switch eShop)". Nintendo Life . Archived from the original on 7 November 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
  25. ↑ DeWitte, Joel (4 December 2020). "John Wick Hex (Switch) Review". Nintendo World Report. Archived from the original on 7 November 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
  26. ↑ Zak, Robert (8 October 2019). "JOHN WICK HEX REVIEW". PC Gamer . Archived from the original on 18 September 2020. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
  27. ↑ Peel, Jeremy (11 October 2019). "John Wick Hex review – animalistic strategy". PCGamesN . Retrieved 15 June 2021.
  28. ↑ Bailey, Kat (8 October 2019). "John Wick Hex Review: Excommunicado". USgamer . Archived from the original on 18 May 2021. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
  29. ↑ Nunneley, Stephany (27 June 2019). "E3 2019 Game Critics Awards – Final Fantasy 7 Remake wins Best of Show". VG247 . Archived from the original on 28 August 2019. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
  30. ↑ "2019 Nominees". National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers. 13 January 2020. Archived from the original on 27 January 2020. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
  31. ↑ Wallace, Chris (14 February 2020). "It's your last chance to vote for the MCV/DEVELOP Awards winners 2020". MCV/Develop . Retrieved 26 May 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.