Goichi Suda (aka Suda51) is the Robert Rodriguez of the video game industry. The Japanese developer crafts projects noted for their style, edginess, and violence, but once you peep beneath the cool veneer, the work is exposed as a fun, but somewhat empty, experience. Such is Suda51's Killer Is Dead: Nightmare Edition ($19.99), a PC game that stars a cybernetically enhanced assassin named Mondo Zappa who slays vampires, mystics, and other monstrosities for a government agency. Killer Is Dead is dripping with Suda51's trademark humor, character swag, and fast-paced action, but lacks the killer level design and supporting elements that would elevate the game to the top of its genre. I played Killer Is Dead on a gaming PC, but the hack-and-slash action game is also available on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

The Long Sword of the Law

Like Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, Killer Is Dead is a character-action game focused on sword-based combat. This game, however, is simpler and has less-demanding controls. Mondo cannot jump, and the game is less reliant on parries as a defensive option. These limitations require an adjustment period if you've played Revengeance, Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition, or other games in Killer Is Dead's class.

Mondo dispatches goons and bosses with attacks that are both eye-catching and effective, despite its simple three-button attack scheme. Cash earned from completed assassination missions lets you purchase new offensive and defensive combat moves, so Mondo's arsenal of tricks grows as you penetrate the game. That's standard fare for games of this type, but the way you acquire sub-weapons for Mondo's cybernetic arm definitely is not.