John Wick Chronicles
- February 9, 2017
- Big Red Button
- 4h median play time
John Wick Chronicles feels like the start of something great that didn’t quite button up all of the intended elements before it launched. More maps would do wonders to expand the gameplay, as would inclusion of some of the cooler elements like weapon jams and hostage situations. Highlights like the sniper rifle make it worth a nod, but I’d recommend catching this on a sale due to the short runtime of just three levels. It’s a solid wave-based shooter, but expect more arcade action than gritty hard-boiled realism.
Get on Steam"John Wick Chronicles" is a VR shooter game that lets players step into the shoes of the legendary assassin, John Wick. Experience intense action and gunplay as you fight your way through various levels, using a variety of weapons and tactics. The game features a unique locomotion system that allows for smooth movement and immersion in the game world.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game offers a fun and intense wave shooter experience, making good use of room-scale mechanics.
- Graphics and sound design are well-executed, providing an immersive atmosphere that captures the essence of the John Wick universe.
- The training mode is engaging and allows players to practice with various weapons, adding replay value.
- The game is very short, with only three levels and a training mode, leading to a lack of content for the price.
- Performance issues, including lag and crashes, detract from the overall experience, making it frustrating for some players.
- Gameplay can feel repetitive and lacks the dynamic movement and impact expected from a John Wick title, often resulting in a generic wave shooter experience.
- story80 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 83 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally considered weak and basic, with many players expressing disappointment over its brevity and lack of depth. While there are missions and some narrative elements, the overall experience feels limited, with only three missions and a training area, leading to a desire for more content and a more engaging plot. Despite these shortcomings, some players still find enjoyment in the gameplay mechanics and replayability at higher difficulties.
“I can't help but wanting more, with a proper story (there is a story in this game, but it's pretty basic) and more levels, but even as is, I totally don't regret buying this game.”
“There is a slight story in the game with missions and even a helicopter boss at the end of the 2nd level.”
“Each level is linked with a little intermission of sorts, but the story is nothing to write home about.”
“The story is disappointing; you have to kill a guy who might've been in one of the movies, who even knows.”
“Story is near non-existent, absolutely no moving in the game, and hardly any weapons to use.”
“My biggest letdown was how short it was; I cleared the story within an hour.”
- gameplay73 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
Gameplay is generally described as solid and enjoyable, featuring good mechanics and graphics, but it suffers from a lack of depth and content, with only three levels and limited enemy variety. While some players appreciate the wave-based action and realistic reload mechanics, many feel it doesn't capture the essence of the John Wick films and is reminiscent of older arcade shooters. Overall, the game offers quick fun but is criticized for its short playtime and lack of variety, leading to mixed recommendations.
“The gameplay is surprisingly complicated (in a good way), while the fact that the game doesn't go easy on you only adds to the process.”
“Great mechanics, good graphics, and loads of action.”
“Weapon handling and models are nice, performance is great, gameplay is intense.”
“But providing that much content for several hours of gameplay is not possible for a VR-only game at a reasonable price.”
“Gameplay feels absolutely nothing like the action in the John Wick films - it feels very much like Time Crisis, if you spent an entire Time Crisis level rooted to the same spot.”
“This game doesn't have a locomotion mechanic, and because of this you're entrenched in each level.”
- graphics70 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 49 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the visuals as "great" and well-polished, particularly in VR contexts, while others criticize them for being subpar, poorly optimized, and inconsistent across different settings. Many users report performance issues, especially on mid-range hardware, leading to frustration despite the potential for good graphics. Overall, while there are standout moments and appealing elements, the optimization and graphical fidelity seem to fall short compared to competitors.
“The graphics are great.”
“The graphics are the best of all standing wave shooters.”
“The graphics are well done and run fine with just a 290x.”
“Even though the graphics are far behind some competitors such as Raw Data, it runs horribly on my GTX 1070/i7 6700 setup.”
“The graphics are disappointing, especially when the game gives you the ability to change the graphics settings.”
“Graphics are subpar and pixelated. I'm going to blame Unreal Engine here though; Raw Data has the same issue.”
- optimization28 mentions
- 11 % positive mentions
- 39 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization has received significant criticism, with many players reporting poor performance across various hardware setups, even on high-end rigs. Users have noted that graphics settings do not seem to impact performance, leading to a frustrating experience that feels unrefined and heavy. While some players found temporary improvements through SteamVR beta, the consensus is that the game requires substantial optimization to meet expectations.
“For me, SteamVR beta helped with the optimization and missing frames.”
“Good duck and cover system level layout, but please improve the optimization issues.”
“Weapon handling and models are nice, performance is great, gameplay is intense.”
“Performance is awful, had to turn all settings to low to even be playable (GTX 980 Ti).”
“Performance is unbelievably bad in the first level, even with all the graphics settings on low on a GTX 1070.”
“I have a high-end rig, so it seems that the game's graphics are poorly optimized.”
- music12 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, enhancing the action and creating an immersive atmosphere that makes players feel empowered. While the soundtrack features recycled tracks from Payday 2, which some find jarring in implementation, it still effectively complements the polished shooting mechanics and engaging graphics. Overall, the background music and voice acting contribute positively to the game's experience.
“The shooting is very polished, has great graphics, there is a story, and the soundtrack is good.”
“I enjoyed the voice acting and the background music did a good job at setting the stage for action.”
“Honestly with the enemies and the music it felt more like a VR version of Payday minus all the theft.”
“Music is recycled from Payday 2, which isn't really a problem so much, but how they implemented it is jarring in some places.”
“Honestly, with the enemies and the music, it felt more like a VR version of Payday minus all the theft.”
- monetization8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization of the game is criticized as a cash grab tied to the John Wick movie, with many feeling that the $20 price tag is excessive for a product that serves primarily as an advertisement. While some players appreciate the quality of the game, they note its short length and the intrusive trailer advertisements detract from the overall experience.
“The game is too short for the asking price; it is basically an advertisement for the movie (the game even makes you watch a bit of the trailer), but there is no real connection to the movies at all.”
“The big issues I had with the game were the trailer advertisement in the middle of the game.”
“Just a cash grab on the movie John Wick, that's it, nothing else.”
- stability8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant stability issues, with frequent glitches, particularly involving the sniper rifle's scope sensitivity, which can lead to a frustrating barrel view. Players report that using the in-game menu often results in game freezes, highlighting the overall buggy experience.
“The sniper rifle often glitches to a barrel view because of how sensitive the scope distance is.”
“So I use the in-game menu to 'return to menu,' which allows me to select to start a new game, in which case the game freezes.”
“This game is so buggy.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game offers some replayability primarily through higher difficulty levels and a real reload mechanic, but many players feel that the overall experience is too short, with only three missions available. While replay value exists, particularly for those seeking a challenge, the lack of additional content leaves some players wanting more.
“Replay value is present at higher difficulties, but I still wish it was a bit longer or had one or two more missions to play.”
“The initial playthrough is less than an hour; however, playing at higher difficulties and with a real reload mechanic should provide a bit of replayability.”
“Very very short, with little replayability unless you want to keep playing the same 3 missions.”
“The initial play-through is less than an hour; however, playing at higher difficulties and with a real reload mechanic should provide a bit of replayability.”
“Replay value is there at higher difficulties, but I still wish that it was a bit longer or had 1 or 2 more missions to play.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its impressive setting and well-crafted atmosphere, contributing to an overall positive technical execution.
“This game has a very nice setting and atmosphere and is technically very well made.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players enjoy the grinding aspect of improving their skills and competing for leaderboard positions, particularly in the training level. However, many feel that the overall content does not justify the time and effort spent on grinding.
“Admittedly, the pistol play has me going back to the fun training level, grinding for #1 on the leaderboards, but this just wasn't enough content for that money.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the humor in the game particularly noteworthy, highlighting the hilarity of certain achievements that add a comedic touch to the overall experience.
“One thing I have not seen mentioned is how hilarious some of the achievements are!”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game resonates well with players, who express a strong engagement and enjoyment. However, some users note that limited play space can occasionally disrupt their immersive experience, requiring adjustments to interact with the game effectively.
