My feelings regarding Hotline Miami are rather ambivalent; take this rating as a thumbs in the middle leading down. I enjoyed much of the gameplay itself but it just turns into so much of a slog clearing one room after the next. There's little variation in methods, no introduction of new mechanics, the objective (killing everybody) is always the same, your rewards don't really add much to the way you handle a stage.... Overall, the drug-hazed murderous rampage get's old pretty darn fast.

Also, I realize I've played a lot of NOT A HERO so I could be accused of bloodbath burnout but NOT A HERO at least had extra challenges. And playable rewards that changed how you looked at a level. And the violence-enabling side characters were A LOT funnier. Anywho...

It's not like there's nothing to like. Enemies that appear to only move in preset patterns display some rather dynamic behavior when provoked; just knowing the stage layout and having a plan does not ensure victory. Similarly, the game acknowledges that much of your deaths will come from unfair circumstances and won't unduly punish you for it. Save points are frequent and as often as you die, you never spend any time waiting; although it does feel at times like you're just save-scumming through random enemy patterns until you find the one that allows you to progress.

I think my biggest problem with Hotline Miami is that, in a way, there's only one button that does anything of value. Just left click (or right trigger) to punch, swing your weapon, shoot... There's no alternate attacks, no way to do environmental deaths (my favorite deaths!) and the closest thing to a physics engine would be manipulating the weird double-hinged doors into knocking out bad guys. The game is mostly about planning your method of approach but without any extras, it's pretty cut and dried. For a game based on prolific drug use, there's little thinking outside the box.

I might be missing the point entirely. Atmosphere seems to be the game's main selling point, and Hotline Miami has atmosphere to spare within its retro packaging. You're a nameless, faceless, silent protagonist who only interacts with his environment through murder. A surreal "trippy" narrative downplays the constant violence in which you are immersed but reinforces the central theme of neon-hued nihilism. The experience succeeds in being offsetting in its brutality and made it difficult for me to play for any extended length of time. Overall, I recommend watching the game being played rather than playing the game personally.

My feelings regarding [b]Hotline Miami[/b] are rather ambivalent; take this rating as a thumbs in the middle leading down. I enjoyed much of the gameplay itself but it just turns into so much of a slog clearing one room after the next. There's little variation in methods, no introduction of new mechanics, the objective (killing everybody) is always the same, your rewards don't really add much to the way you handle a stage.... Overall, the drug-hazed murderous rampage get's old pretty darn fast. Also, I realize I've played a lot of [b]NOT A HERO[/b] so I could be accused of bloodbath burnout but [b]NOT A HERO[/b] at least had [i]extra challenges[/i]. And playable rewards that changed how you looked at a level. And the violence-enabling side characters were A LOT funnier. Anywho... It's not like there's nothing to like. Enemies that [i]appear[/i] to only move in preset patterns display some rather dynamic behavior when provoked; just knowing the stage layout and having a plan does not ensure victory. Similarly, the game acknowledges that much of your deaths will come from unfair circumstances and won't unduly punish you for it. Save points are frequent and as often as you die, you never spend any time [i]waiting[/i]; although it does feel at times like you're just save-scumming through random enemy patterns until you find the one that allows you to progress. I think my biggest problem with [b]Hotline Miami[/b] is that, in a way, there's only one button that does anything of value. Just left click (or right trigger) to punch, swing your weapon, shoot... There's no alternate attacks, no way to do environmental deaths (my favorite deaths!) and the closest thing to a physics engine would be manipulating the weird double-hinged doors into knocking out bad guys. The game is mostly about planning your method of approach but without any extras, it's pretty cut and dried. For a game based on prolific drug use, there's little thinking outside the box. I might be missing the point entirely. [i]Atmosphere[/i] seems to be the game's main selling point, and [b]Hotline Miami[/b] has atmosphere to spare within its retro packaging. You're a nameless, faceless, silent protagonist who only interacts with his environment through murder. A surreal "trippy" narrative downplays the constant violence in which you are immersed but reinforces the central theme of neon-hued nihilism. The experience succeeds in being offsetting in its brutality and made it difficult for me to play for any extended length of time. Overall, I recommend watching the game being played rather than playing the game personally.