Hotline Miami

Hotline Miami published on PC, PS4 and etc. is created by a talented Swedish author of untypical independent games – Jonatan Söderström, also known as “Cactus” and a musician called Dennis Wedin from a band called Fuckin Warewolf ASSO. Together, as Dennation Games, they created a game which strongly resembles the first Grand Theft Auto.

Gameplay

The action takes place in Miami during the 80s. The plot revolves around mysterious calls recorded on the protagonist’s answering machine which convince him to committing violent murders. You are in control of a muscular thug who goes through over 20 multi-stage levels. His quests usually limits to murdering every opponent in a given location. The player needs to skilfully choose between stealth actions and open combat with large groups of enemies. As there is a huge number of armed opponents, you can choose from 35 types of weapons, like pistols, rifles, shotguns, knives, baseball bats, crossbars, and – as the last resort the protagonist’s fists. The fast pace of action imposes clever altering between firearms and melee weapons. Apart from that, the game features special animal masks – there are 25 of them, each granting unique abilities, which significantly change the nature of the gameplay. Every act of murder earns you points. Combat is extremely difficult, as the hero dies after just one shot. Therefore, the player needs to stay on high-alert all the time and figure out the way of eliminating enemies and not getting hit. Simple retro visuals strongly resemble those of the first GTA. The camera is set high above the head of the hero and the surroundings are seen from top-down perspective.

Technical aspects

The story is told by “talking heads” – a popular element in older productions – which perfectly fits 16-bit graphics. Animations are extremely brutal – the protagonist not only shoots enemies, but also can attack them with a baseball bat or a knife as well as boot them. Bullets tear opponents to pieces and floors, walls, ceilings, and dead bodies are soaked with blood. With its style, Hotline Miami for PC, PS4 and etc. refers to 80s – Miami is bathed in neon lights and sharp colours. The soundtrack, which has already become cult among the fans of the franchise, is also worth mentioning: the songs provided by various artist combine modern electronic music with the classic vibe of the 80s.

Last updated on 09 June 2015