The visuals, which are filled with pixelated savagery, show that Hotline Miami is a simplistic, senseless, and unthinking massacre in which only talent counts. Nothing like it! Dennaton Games’ game, supported by a quirky, independent creator – Cactus – is a thoroughbred representation of the “stealth” genre, in which forethought and prudence are the simplest ways to triumph. Furthermore, the title attempts to provoke serious thought. What’s more, Hotline Miami is so amazing that you won’t be able to pull yourself away from it. 1989, Miami, Florida. A wave of heinous killings sweeps over the city, with criminals taking the brunt of the victims. Mafia colonies are suspected by the police. Individuals hidden behind rubber masks representing animals, according to witnesses, perpetrate the violent excesses. We know that all of the atrocities are the work of the same guy. What evidence do we have? Because we have influence over their actions in the game.
The game’s premise boils down to viciously slaughtering the Mafioso. In each of the dozen or so missions, we “cleanse” the building from goons sent by unidentified principals. We break skulls and cut with lead hail floor by floor, room by room, until all of our opponents are bloody mush. It is pretty difficult from the very first mission. The criminals are outnumbered, well armed, swift, deadly, and ready to exploit our slightest blunder. Combat is frantic, and you die frequently. We see that the finger instinctively travels to the key responsible for resuming the level. Each location can be repeated indefinitely until the result is reached with no penalties. In general, the ninja strategy works really well. Baseball bats, machetes, knives, and gas tubes that occasionally fall into our hands enable for relatively stealthy annihilation of opponents. The “Rambo” approach might be more challenging. Using firearms is dangerous because thugs who hear gunfire would rush towards us from all sides. However, the game gives you entire control over the murder method, rewarding both subtlety and stealth as well as brutal boldness. Speaking of awards, Hotline Miami attentively tracks our actions and offers thorough data after each level enumerating the tactics and efficiency with which we dealt with the horrific slaughter of foes. He’ll even give us a mark based on an average of characteristics like our brutality, quickness of action, and capacity to improvise. A high score is something worth attempting. Beating the record unlocks additional weapons that may be discovered strewn across the locations, as well as adding a new mask to our collection. Each of these gives our character an intriguing, more or less helpful talent. Masks are another distinctive feature that contributes to Hotline Miami’s distinct, stuffy, dismal, and interesting atmosphere. Intermissions between duties raise more questions in our minds. Why does the hero dress up in such a bizarre and caricatured manner before the mission? Why does he blindly go where mysterious contractors instruct him, even if they never explicitly tell him to murder gangsters? What is the chronological order of the events presented? What’s real and what’s a dream? Lynch or Cronenberg would be proud of this engaging and thought-provoking tale.
The neon-pixel visuals scream retro, yet the developers took every attempt to give it a unique flair. They varied the graphics by using numerous filters and effects, giving it a psychedelic touch. Simple backdrops, objects, and characters appear to be drawn casually, but they may produce so much information in a few pixels that the represented situations appear genuine. The game not only looks wonderful, but it also sounds great. The music accompanying our hardships is a work of art. The game’s narcotic vibe is enhanced by sophisticated techno, making Hotline Miami a really captivating experience. The developers also used the music to carry out an unusual technique. Once we’ve defeated the last opponent, the game will notify us that we’ve completed the board and instruct us to return to the automobile. Murdering bandits looked like a lot of fun as long as there was lively music playing. But its noises are now mute. We pass between the dead bodies in total stillness, quickly moving on the blood-slick scarlet floor. The latest victims’ perfect immobility and accusing, deathly quiet make the pixelated death more vivid and send shivers down your spine.
Despite its distinct appeal, excellent gameplay concept, and profound message, the game has significant flaws. The images are occasionally disturbingly awful, which appears to be the consequence of laziness rather than an aesthetic judgment. The adversaries’ and our hero’s movement models are quite unnatural, reminiscent of an ice show. The game’s message is likely to be more naïve and superficial than the developers intend. However, in the face of a coherent vision, wonderful soundtrack, and enormous gameplay delight, they are small faults that do not obscure the remarkable – and horrifying – overall image. Hotline Miami is a game that we will not soon forget.