John Wick Hex

John Wick Hex's early pretence of fulfilling strategy gives way to a maddening trial and error experience that simply doesn't do the license justice.

60%Game Brain Score

gameplay, story

stability, grinding

59% User Score Based on 414 reviews

Critic Score 62%Based on 5 reviews

Platforms

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About

John Wick Hex is a single player tactical management game with a warfare theme. It was developed by Bithell Games and was released on December 4, 2020. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and neutral reviews from players.

John Wick Hex is the first John Wick PC/console game inspired by Lionsgate’s hit action franchise. From acclaimed Game Director, Mike Bithell (Volume, Thomas Was Alone, Subsurface Circular), John Wick Hex is a fast-paced, action-oriented strategy game that makes you think and strike like the professional hitman. Created in close cooperation with the creative teams behind the films, John Wick Hex …

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59%

Audience ScoreBased on 414 reviews

gameplay47 positive mentions

stability16 negative mentions

The game features a unique timeline-based combat system that allows for strategic planning and decision-making, emulating the tactical nature of John Wick's character.
The voice acting by original actors from the films, including Ian McShane and Lance Reddick, adds authenticity and depth to the game's narrative.
The replay feature that allows players to watch their actions in real-time after completing a level is a fun and engaging addition, enhancing the cinematic feel of the game.

The game suffers from repetitive gameplay and limited combat options, leading to a lack of variety and excitement as players progress through levels.
Animations are often janky and unpolished, detracting from the overall experience and making the replay feature less impressive than intended.
The enemy spawn mechanics can feel unfair, with infinite respawns leading to frustrating encounters that disrupt the flow of gameplay.

gameplay
147 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
58%
10%
The gameplay of "John Wick Hex" is characterized by its unique blend of strategy and action, featuring a timeline-based mechanic that requires careful resource management and tactical decision-making. While the core mechanics are innovative and engaging, many players find the gameplay repetitive and lacking in variety, with clunky animations and limited combat options detracting from the overall experience. Despite its potential, the game often feels unpolished and fails to capture the dynamic intensity of the John Wick films, leading to mixed reviews on its execution.
- “The gameplay is unlike anything else out there, blending strategy and action in a way that feels both thoughtful and intense.”
- “The mechanics are easy to learn, but actual gameplay requires a good level of strategy.”
- “You're never more than a hair's breadth away from disaster, making the gameplay intense and satisfying.”
- “The main problem of the game is that it feels like a prototype: it lacks variety in the gameplay, and its simplistic art style fails to hold up in the long run, especially with the lack of diversity and rigidity of the animation; the 'replay' animations at the end of each level are interesting at first, but end up underlining this lack of diversity and variety, as they all look the same and undercooked.”
- “The gameplay gets boring pretty fast with very little variation and the visuals are stylized but honestly come off more half-assed than anything else.”
- “John Wick Hex is sadly too shallow and repetitive for a strategy game with too few gameplay mechanics.”
story
91 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
79%
10%
The story in "John Wick Hex" serves as a prequel to the films, featuring a straightforward narrative centered on Wick's quest against a character named Hex, but it often feels thin and lacks depth. While the inclusion of original voice actors adds authenticity, many players find the storytelling to be mediocre, with comic-style cutscenes and a plot that doesn't significantly enhance the gameplay experience. Overall, the narrative is seen as a fan service that, despite some interesting elements, fails to deliver a compelling or engaging story.
- “The story is told through comic-esque panels and it's fairly decent - Hex was a fun antagonist.”
- “The title follows an original story that takes place before the John Wick movies, with comic book style cutscenes between each mission.”
- “Having the voice of the original actors (Ian McShane and the late Lance Reddick) narrating the story is a welcome touch.”
- “The story varies from 'meh' to a peppering of more cringe... partly from the voice acting being a case of actors playing their character and reading a script in an empty room... effectively fulfilling a contractual obligation and collecting a paycheck.”
- “The graphical cinematics get depressingly tired quite fast, the story is thin and fills in a random chapter of John's previous life during his time as a younger assassin, and the gameplay is not much to write home about.”
- “Not for the story, mind - Mike Bithell has succeeded in delivering a suitably insubstantial companion narrative to the films - but its approach to modeling the combat of the films has a lot to say for itself.”
graphics
53 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
60%
15%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the unique comic book-inspired art style and vibrant color palette that captures the essence of the John Wick movies. However, criticisms abound regarding the simplistic visuals, lack of polish, and repetitive animations, which detract from the overall experience. While some find the aesthetics appealing, others feel the graphics are underwhelming and reminiscent of outdated designs, leading to a perception of the game as lacking in depth and variety.
- “The game also features a fantastic art style, capturing the look and feel of the John Wick movies perfectly.”
- “I really like the comic book-inspired art style, and the replay feature is a fun touch, even if the action tends to look more hilarious than badass, especially while you're still figuring out your strategy.”
- “I enjoyed the graphics and coloration used because it gave off the gritty neon vibe of a city without resorting to a tired, old color palette.”
- “The graphics are very underwhelming too; I don't mind the style, but it doesn't render well.”
- “Everything about this game looks half-baked: vague/generic story, unpolished graphics, angles are awkward, and despite being a tactical game, you can often go off on random tangents, making it not much of a strategy game.”
- “The graphics and animations are poor and play like a two-dollar mobile game.”
music
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
56%
11%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players praising the soundtrack for its quality and ability to capture the essence of the John Wick films, blending elements of techno and western vibes. However, some critiques highlight issues with sound effects and synchronization, suggesting that while the music enhances the experience, it does not fully compensate for the game's other shortcomings. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as a strong point, contributing positively to the game's atmosphere despite some inconsistencies.
- “The game's soundtrack is a masterpiece, just like Soundwave's tapes.”
- “From the great soundtrack to the movie-accurate art style, this is a game that any fan of John Wick should not miss.”
- “All that said, John Wick Hex was a short and sweet experience, with stylish visuals, music that took me back to the source movies, and a fresh take on turn-based tactical gameplay that felt like a mix of XCOM and Lara Croft/Hitman Go.”
- “Dodging bullets and feeling like a choreographed ballet, except the music is just my panicked breathing.”
- “Repetitive music, imprecise controls.”
- “Music that doesn't sound like it fits the John Wick theme of the game at all.”
stability
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
6%
94%
The stability of the game is widely criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs, choppy animations, and clunky controls that contribute to an overall unpolished experience. Many players experienced game freezes and soft locks, requiring level restarts, while others noted that the core mechanics, though promising, are undermined by these technical issues. While some users encountered only minor glitches, the consensus leans towards the game feeling rushed and unfinished, detracting significantly from the gameplay experience.
- “Buggy and abandoned by devs. This seems to be a theme with Mike Bithell.”
- “The game has an awesome core mechanic but it is unpolished, buggy, and unbalanced to the point that it is sometimes unplayable.”
- “This game is a terribly buggy mess with some of the worst lag I've ever seen on such a simple game.”
grinding
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
10%
70%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, particularly due to the need to restart stages after taking damage, which can lead to resource shortages in later levels. Many reviewers express that the grinding becomes a chore, detracting from the overall enjoyment and making the gameplay feel repetitive and boring. While some acknowledge interesting mechanics, the overwhelming sentiment is that the grinding detracts significantly from the experience.
- “A lot of grinding.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The tedious die-try again-learn nothing play loop has pissed me off so much that I don't recommend this, not even for free.”
- “Once I hit the midway point, the game immediately became a tedious chore.”
- “Beyond that frustrating aspect making the game feel really tedious, the upgrades they offer are really passive abilities.”
replayability
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players find it infinitely replayable due to multiplayer options and varied play styles influenced by perks, others feel it lacks depth for repeated playthroughs. Completionists may enjoy the challenge of achieving 100%, and random enemy placements add some unpredictability, but the game's short length may limit its long-term appeal for others.
- “Other than that, I love it - good music, easy to play, great replay value.”
- “This provides a lot of replayability for the completionist, and I, myself, beat the game three times in order to get 100%.”
- “As for replayability… it’s tough.”
- “You may have to change your play style based on what perks you buy, so this adds an element of replayability.”
- “The game is rather short, but with possible random enemy placement and encounters, it makes it replayable.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
50%
Overall, the game's optimization is mixed; while it runs well on lower-end systems with only minor glitches, some users report that it requires improvements in menu navigation, performance, and animations, particularly on PC.
- “Performance-wise, the game runs fine on my potato, and I encountered only a few minor glitches.”
- “The short individual level length lends itself to replays and improving on personal performances.”
- “The game is in need of some improvements to the menu, performance, and possibly even animations.”
- “It's in need of some improvements to the menu, performance, and maybe even animations.”
- “Poorly optimized for PC?”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
Character development in "John Wick Hex" is criticized for its limited progression and subpar character designs, which detract from the overall immersive experience. While the game's color palette and environmental details effectively convey the high-stakes world of John Wick, the choppy animations further hinder the portrayal of its characters.
- “The color palette, character designs, and environmental details capture the grim, high-stakes world of John Wick, contributing to an immersive gaming experience.”
- “Limited character progression: John Wick Hex falls short in character development.”
- “The character designs are a miss and the animations are choppy in a bad way.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a strong emotional connection to the game, particularly highlighting moments that evoke tears, such as the fate of a dog. However, the absence of voice acting is noted as a significant drawback, limiting the narrative's emotional impact.
- “I cried a little for the dog.”
- “The absence of voice acting hinders the narrative's emotional depth.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is praised for its inventive design and strong homage to its source material, with each mission offering a unique and beautiful ambiance that enhances the overall experience.
- “Despite its flaws, it showcases an inventive approach to the strategy genre and pays homage to its source material through its atmospheric design and storyline.”
- “Mission design is perfect; every mission has its own atmosphere, and it's beautiful.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game is criticized as a cash grab, with minimal effort evident in its design, including frustrating ad mechanics that disrupt gameplay. Players are advised to avoid it due to its exploitative practices.
- “Pretty safe to just stay away from it; it's another cash grab movie tie-in game with minimal effort put in.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is largely derived from its comic book-inspired art style and the amusing nature of the action, which often appears more comical than intense, particularly during the learning phase of gameplay. The inclusion of a replay feature adds to the fun, enhancing the overall lighthearted experience.
- “I really like the comic book-inspired art style, and the replay feature is a fun touch, even if the action tends to look more hilarious than badass, especially while you're still figuring out your strategy.”