Hotline Miami - Quick Thoughts

After seeing the duo of Dennaton on an episode of Sup Holmes and playing Keyboard Drumset Fucking Werewolf I was very interested in checking out Hotline Miami. It wasn’t until the game was on sale this weekend that I decided I should finally play it. Besides some time playing a few other games with friends my weekend consisted of Hotline Miami. I couldn't stop until it was completely over.



Hotline Miami started out rough for me. Even after the initial tutorial the controls felt weird and I wasn't even sure I was playing the game correctly. Mind you I was playing with a controller (PS3 emulating that of a wired 360 controller). After some time I started to get the hang of things. It wasn't even until the fourth chapter that I even realized how to lock on to an enemy to shoot without aiming. I was playing the game with solely melee weapons up to that point trying to sneak around as though I was a Solid Snake with a stronger lust for blood.



With each following chapter I started getting better and better. It reminded me of Super Meat Boy in that respect. Every death was teaching me something until I got to the point where I could clear the level without too much trouble. Also like Meat Boy I never got annoyed at how I was constantly dying. How could I when was being treated to awesome visuals backed by some amazing music? The animation, especially the executions which differ based on what weapon you have, are brutal and satisfying. Once I got to the point where I could start stringing together combos I felt like a complete badass. That is until the music stopped and I felt like a monster.



Part of what kept me going was the story. I don’t want to delve too deep into it but everything about it compelled to me play more. Who was leaving the messages on the answering machine? Who exactly was I killing? Why was I even murdering in the first place? The game asks us these questions and does get around to answering them in a very interesting way. It felt fresh, especially the ways the game messes with the player as things continue. I was satisfied once everything was over but I also still had some questions.



Hotline Miami was a pleasant surprise for me. This was a game I knew next to nothing about until its release which made it even more enjoyable for me. I’m already looking forward to the sequel. The game was sufficiently long but I just want more of it because I’m a greedy bastard who wants to sneak around killing some fools with awesome tunes playing.