Filip Novotny If you don't like violence and watch with horror news stories in which computer games kill people and not people themselves, we recommend that you quickly switch to one of the domestic tabloid servers. Otherwise, reach for the nearest weapon, tune into the thick electronic beat and welcome to the world of Hotline Miami.
This dramatic introduction is not just a figurehead to painlessly open the article, Hotline Miami is really an extremely violent game. The creators themselves put it in a special pseudo-category of fuck-'em-up, and I really can't think of a label that fits it better. I can guarantee you that you will kill hundreds and thousands of dicey enemies before you finish this game. And you will die hundreds, even thousands of times.
Hotline Miami takes us back to the days of arcade machines - firstly with its breathtaking retro graphics, secondly with its uncompromising difficulty. Similar to the old crates, a single hit is enough to kill. You can then merrily walk through the entire location again. At a time when most shooting games "punish" the player's clumsiness with a splash of ketchup on the screen and everything is OK again after hiding behind the nearest rock, Hotline Miami's approach is a bit of a revelation.
Nevertheless, his unusual principles are surprisingly not boring at all. Death isn't just a frustrating halt to level progression, quite the opposite. Each death forces you to reassess your previous tactics and improve your passage through hordes of enemies more and more. And one more nice difference from the old arcades: we don't have to face the INSERT COIN screen after death. Instead, you'll spend most of your time staring at the colorful and sarcastically flashing YOU'RE DEAD.
Interestingly, Hotline Miami is a very durable title. At first, it fascinates with its violence, then draws in with its wide game options, and finally surprises with an interesting story component. Even after the end of the main story line, however, it is not the end - several more levels follow, plus the possibility to finish the previous levels with a better time or different tactics. You can also look for hidden pieces of the puzzle that reveal another interesting aspect of the story.
Even after several playthroughs, the excellent soundtrack is a great catalyst for the gaming experience. Frantic electronic beats perfectly enhance the fast tempo and open the door to new ideas. In your next attempt, will you smash the skulls of your opponents with a fire axe, throw knives at them, or pick them off one by one with a shotgun? Will you try to take out the enemies silently, or with the biggest weapon you can get your hands on? Whatever you choose, the game and your tactical ideas still flow beautifully. In the end, the person doesn't mind at all that he is dying at a rate for which I can't even think of any adequate comparison.
The wonderful processing of artificial intelligence also contributes to this. It oscillates between pure predictability and incomprehensible foresight, when you just shake your head, how could they snatch you like this again. Enemies can sometimes drive you to the point of frustration, but never to the point where you have to shut down the game in a rage. The same cannot be said about several battles with bosses, which the authors unfortunately did not forgive. You'll die a lot in these fights, but not just because of your incompetence like the rest of the game. Bosses can only be matured by finally uncovering their behavior after dozens of deaths. There is very little gamer's skill in it.
However, that is about the only thing that can be criticized about Hotline Miami. Otherwise, it would be hard to find weak points in the game, and it is a really good title. Compared to other games with retro visuals, which often also receive high ratings, Hotline Miami is fundamentally different in one respect. She doesn't have her lo-fi design just because she wants to ride the current trend that appreciates anything retro or vintage. This simple visual style allows the subject of extreme violence to be more accessible and ultimately enjoyable. If we weren't amused by the insanely bloody slaughter, it would be difficult for the authors to illustrate in the storyline how perverted this activity actually is. In other respects, therefore, the game is not simplified - such a trivialization would not fulfill any function. The gameplay is really polished, there are a lot of options, the soundtrack is simply breathtaking. On top of all that, you can currently find the game on Steam at a discount - nothing to worry about.
[button color=”red” link=”http://store.steampowered.com/app/219150/“ target=”_blank”]Hotline Miami - €4,24[/button]
thanks for the recommendation, I'll try it, but I don't know if it's an overrated game rating, .. For so many stars, I'd expect something else.
The game was also released on PC a few months back, so there are plenty of reviews available. Mostly very positive too :)
http://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/hotline-miami
Oh man, awesome review :) It totally blows my mind!