INTRO- I don’t think anyone was expecting this game, just, in general. It was probably one of the most unique games of 2011. I’m not even sure how someone could even think of something so bazaar.
STORY - I mean, this game is about an insane serial killer who wears an animal mask, kills Russian mobsters for an anonymous (well, not so anonymous by the end of the game) hotline company, and all of this takes place in 1989.
The story of this weird little indie game is simple but absolutely awesome. You (an unnamed murderer) get mysterious calls from a “Hotline Miami” which in code tell you to go to a certain location where you will kill… mostly Russians, sometimes policemen, and at one point, a biker dude nick-named “The Prankster” by the hotline.
You slowly discover that you are not the only person involved in these killings besides the people at the hotline. There are many others they are calling, and some want to stop the hotline from going any further with its secretive plans with the Russian mob. Your character, however, obeys the hotline, going so far to kill anyone who they ask. At one point in the game you kill a man who was implied to be the owner of an implied sex slave, a blonde woman who you befriend and let live in your apartment.
Eventually, the hotline gets fed up with you and sends another one of its animal-masked men to kill you and your girl. Surprisingly, you never get revenge on the hotline, but you do get revenge on your assailant. Your character instead still follows the hotline’s orders and goes to end the fight between the mob and the hotline.
After the final boss, you go onto a balcony and smoke a cigarette as the credits roll. But, the story does not end there. The game shifts perspective to The Prankster. You play as him for the rest of the game, you discover his motive to defy the hotline, and you find the truth behind the illusive “Hotline Miami”.
I give the story a great but not perfect 8.5 out of 10.
GRAPHICS/SETTING- Of course, the game doesn’t have as good of graphics as Crysis 3 or Battlefield 4, but it is as good as it gets for a 16 bit-graphical game. There is an insane amount of detail in everything, guns, characters, buildings, etc. down to the smallest of gory pixels (this game is very violent and bloody, and I love it!).Remember when I said this game took place in 1989? Well, it never lets you forget, because there is always a bright neon colored rug or some other 80’s decorating statement staring you right in the face. Saying that, the glowing color pallet of the game and its other effects (like a strobe light-esque effect) can be slightly staining to the eyes.
I give the graphics and setting of this game an 8 out of 10.
I give the graphics and setting of this game an 8 out of 10.
GAMEPLAY-This is possibly one of the most fun games I have ever played gameplay wise, and also one of the most difficult. The gimmick of the game is this: you can die as easily as any other guy. That’s right, no health bar, no regenerating health, just one hit, from anything, and you’re dead. But, thanks to the game’s near perfect checkpoint system, this is not too frustrating and it makes you feel like it’s okay to die. And when you finally beat a difficult section of the game, it feels so satisfying.
Actually, the game makes it feel like when you die, it’s your fault. It never feels cheap… most of the time. See, according to SmoshGames, it never does, but I say “Nay!” Though it rarely does, sometimes the game has glitches that give the enemy AI an automatic win situation. Speaking of glitches, there are VERY little of those. One last complaint about the game is that it is unfair that you can’t return to an old area after going to a new one. Sometimes I brought a gun with only 2 bullets into a room with 2 of the enemies who take a lot more damage than the regular enemies.
Now for the actual mechanics of the game. It is a top-down brawler, shooter, and in a way, stealth game. There are plenty of weapons at your disposal which include a katana for slicing bad guys silently and quickly, a pump-action shotgun for a lot of fire power but not a lot of subtlety, and scissors for a precise throw attack on an unsuspecting foe.
I mentioned about how the game was like a stealth game. That’s because you want to not attract too much attention to yourself or you’ll have an entire building’s worth of gunners, thugs, and dogs on your tail and eventually you will run out of ammo and die.
An interesting aspect of this game is the mask-selecting. At the beginning of each level, you are presented a mask selection screen. Each mask has its own special ability that it grants you. Though, some of these abilities seem completely worthless (like a fish mask that has the description of “French Translation”, seriously, can someone tell me what that mask even does? I don’t even think it translates anything).
I give the gameplay of Hotline Miami a close-to-perfect 9.5 out of 10.
Actually, the game makes it feel like when you die, it’s your fault. It never feels cheap… most of the time. See, according to SmoshGames, it never does, but I say “Nay!” Though it rarely does, sometimes the game has glitches that give the enemy AI an automatic win situation. Speaking of glitches, there are VERY little of those. One last complaint about the game is that it is unfair that you can’t return to an old area after going to a new one. Sometimes I brought a gun with only 2 bullets into a room with 2 of the enemies who take a lot more damage than the regular enemies.
Now for the actual mechanics of the game. It is a top-down brawler, shooter, and in a way, stealth game. There are plenty of weapons at your disposal which include a katana for slicing bad guys silently and quickly, a pump-action shotgun for a lot of fire power but not a lot of subtlety, and scissors for a precise throw attack on an unsuspecting foe.
I mentioned about how the game was like a stealth game. That’s because you want to not attract too much attention to yourself or you’ll have an entire building’s worth of gunners, thugs, and dogs on your tail and eventually you will run out of ammo and die.
An interesting aspect of this game is the mask-selecting. At the beginning of each level, you are presented a mask selection screen. Each mask has its own special ability that it grants you. Though, some of these abilities seem completely worthless (like a fish mask that has the description of “French Translation”, seriously, can someone tell me what that mask even does? I don’t even think it translates anything).
I give the gameplay of Hotline Miami a close-to-perfect 9.5 out of 10.
SOUNDTRACK- The soundtrack of this game is, in my opinion, is the best video game soundtrack I have ever heard. It sounds like the perfect blend of 80’s club music and modern techno.
I give the soundtrack a perfect 10 out of 10.
I give the soundtrack a perfect 10 out of 10.
FINAL SCORE- 9 out of 10 MAGNIFICENT! I highly recommend you buy this game on steam or on PSN as soon as possible, you won’t regret it.
This “Luckyfox Review” was written by Dean Minster
