Killer is Dead’s strong swordplay almost redeems its problems (review)

For the uninitiated, the names Garcia Hotspur, Juliet Starling, and Travis Touchdown might sound like members of the latest pop group … or they might just be porn stars. Either way, they all have one person in common: Goichi Suda, a.k.a. “Suda 51.” The inventive game designer has a knack for coming up with great main characters, and Killer is Dead (out now for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3) is no exception.

Co-developed by Kadokawa Games and Suda’s Grasshopper Manufacture, Killer is Dead borrows almost everything that Suda 51 games are known for — slick presentation, bloody combat, bizarre humor — and packages it in a third-person action game that has you hacking and slashing your way to the moon and back. You play as Mondo Zappa, a suave hero who wears a skinny tie and fights with a katana and an arm that can transform into different guns.