Kill to Collect

Name: Kill to Collect
Item: Kill to Collect
Rating: 3
Author: Michael Lafferty

Game review by

Michael Lafferty, Common Sense Media

Common Sense says

age 13+

(i)

Mild violence, repetitive action best in short sessions.

Windows
$14.99
2016

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A lot or a little?

The parents' guide to what's in this game.

Positive Messages

Combat-centered focus where players track down bad people with bounties on heads; implication is that by taking bounties, hunting undesirables, player's character is benefiting society.

Positive Role Models & Representations

Variety of characters to play, each with a different skill set. Player cast in role of "good guy" who does dirty work to keep society from descending further into chaos, corruption.

Ease of Play

Simple control scheme, but requires fast reflexes to succeed, avoid taking damage.

Violence

Enemies vanish upon being conquered, often dropping rewards. When player character dies, he or she lies on ground while a skull appears on-screen.

Sex

Language

Consumerism

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Bounties taken in a bar. Alcoholic beverages visible, but there's no drinking in static cut scenes.

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Kill to Collect is a downloadable action game that's exactly what the name implies: The player's character is engaged in hunting down and killing undesirables to benefit society, collecting rewards in the forms of loot from the vanquished enemies and monetary rewards for killing the target. The game can be played solo or in cooperative mode, and it's a rogue-like game, meaning that the arenas are randomly generated. There are usually a lot of henchmen between the bounty hunter and the target and traps to negotiate, and if players take too much damage, it's game over. In the multiplayer mode, there are areas where fallen comrades can be resurrected and health can be replenished for a price. The game is combat-driven, takes place in a futuristic cyberpunk-type setting, and is a dungeon crawl reminiscent of games such as Diablo. There are different difficulty settings, but even the easy mode can prove challenging and may be frustrating for younger players.

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What's it about?

KILL TO COLLECT takes place in the last city on Earth and offers two modes of play (solo and cooperative multiplayer) with the same general theme: Hunt down bounties for reward or glory in the name of law and order. As you fight through waves of enemies, the game is, at its core, a quick-paced dungeon crawler where each dungeon is randomly generated, so players face different challenges with each foray into the game's levels. There are the usual array of difficulty levels, but each is challenging. Gamers can play as four characters, encompassing the basic elements of melee, ranged, and engineer classes. The game is designed for short, intense sessions with a changing landscape and challenging play.

Is it any good?

Sometimes, a good dungeon-crawler is a great distraction, if you focus on it in bursts. Kill to Collect has elements of strategy, solo, or multiplayer cooperative play and reaction-driven gameplay that's great in small doses. Played over a prolonged session, the game can be somewhat repetitive, but for those shorter gaming sessions, it has the right attitude and combat pacing to keep players involved. The setting is nice, and the artwork works well to keep the general theme of the story. There's no blood as the enemies or even the player is defeated, although each character flashes when taking damage and the damage meter drops. Adding to the challenge is the fact that health potions don't regenerate a player to full health, and the economic system (players pay to upgrade equipment or to gain more health) drives the gameplay. Additionally, the difficulty settings -- even at the easiest -- can be challenging and may provide some frustration for younger players. Another big issue is that finding others to play multiplayer sessions with can be a bit of a challenge, but this might pick up as more players buy the game. There's nothing unique about the game in terms of the genre or combat style -- if you think a modernized Diablo, you're on the right trail -- but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Overall, Kill to Collect is a reflex-based game that provides lots of entertainment in short sessions.

Talk to your kids about ...

Families can talk about violence in video games. Would the gameplay work any better if you had the option to nonviolently subdue your opponents, or does it only work because of the violence? Why do you think it was designed this way?
Talk about difficult gameplay. Why would players want to challenge themselves with gameplay that's intentionally designed to be difficult? What is the appeal of extreme challenges?