What do indie games mean to you?? Art house where you try to find unusual but interesting thoughts of lonely game designers? Miniature versions of big hits, where you hope to get similar sensations with less expenditure of resources? Well it doesn’t matter. Every point of view has the right to life. If you are interested in mine, then here is the answer: for me, indie for the most part is a kind of outlet, or, more accurately, a good way to relax and get simple pleasure between batches of truly complex and multi-layered projects. And our guest today turned out to be just the perfect example of my view. However, he is also interesting because he may be destined for a much higher place on your list.
After looking at the screenshots https://casinomax.uk/login/ and gameplay videos, you will say that our patient today is a top-down shooter. And you’ll be right. However, I must say that the game reminded me not of some Crimsonland or Alien Shooter, but of the platformer Super Meat Boy. And if you ask what Hotline Miami has in common with the delicate overcoming of many obstacles that do not forgive a single mistake, you are asking a rhetorical question. The thing is, each mission is a level filled with enemies, equipped with both firearms and mind-blowing weapons, which the player himself can take on, unless, of course, he decides to solve the problem with his own fists and spectacular finishing moves (heads on the floor. Well, or against the wall). Our opponents are fast and accurate, but they are killed with almost one blow. This would greatly ease the situation, if not for the fact that we are fighting with them almost completely on equal terms. Our alter ego also dies from any poke, and it is on his vulnerability that a considerable share of the local gameplay is built. And it was at this stage that the first analogies with hardcore platformers arose for me. In Super Meat Boy, we used the dexterity of the controlled character to dodge spikes, blades, salt and other dangerous tinsel. It’s the same in Hotline Miami. It’s just that there, using various improvised means like bats or machine guns, we have to clear locations from local dissidents. And, as a rule, it doesn’t work out the first time. High speeds, accompanied by easy planning, and frequent impulses of improvisation – this is what the player will have to deal with. Of course, the difficulty threshold can be greatly reduced if you use the simplicity of local artificial intelligence, but Hotline Miami is the kind of game where you have to go to the trouble, because just walking a bloody tornado across the entire room in less than a few seconds will make you feel like an action hero with powerful choreography and staging, especially when it has an unusual visual style and a powerful soundtrack.
The project was undoubtedly lucky with the music. Although it seems a little long on its own, the gameplay without it seems impossible. At times you just play to a disco beat and even by pressing the keys you start to get into the beat. And you can safely thank the soundtrack for a considerable share of the atmosphere of surreal and bloody America of the eighties that reigns in the game.
The story matches the mood of the setting, where the authors tried to weave a non-linear narrative, psychedelia, lengthy monologues and intrigue. Yes, we worked a lot on the presentation. Clearly more than the script. Unfortunately, hidden behind all these tricks is a stupidly banal and unsophisticated plot, which also suffers from an overly fast and choppy pacing. Fortunately, this does not diminish the merits of the artists’ work. Although it looks cheap and specific, it is worth recognizing that only certain individuals will not be able to enjoy its advantages. For example, epileptics, who clearly will not be pleased by the prospect of a bright, varied and cruel color scheme.
Bottom line. Hotline Miami, of course, does not reach the excellent Super Meat Boy in terms of performance. The mechanics and controls here are not so polished, some aspects either hardly work (masks) or work strangely and risk causing a considerable amount of irritation. And I understand perfectly well that a short duration is a necessary measure, necessary so as not to reveal flaws in the game design. But “Hotline” is nice because it maintains the bar throughout almost the entire game (however, this coin also has a downside: if you didn’t like the process at first, then you can safely leave everything until better times). Shuffles elements or uses new ones, which is especially evident in rare boss battles and stealth episodes, which, although resolved by fairly simple manipulations, introduce the necessary variety and thereby prevent fading interest from appearing and create some kind of replayability that can interest those who like to complete levels flawlessly and spectacularly and, perhaps, do not even know it. As for me, this is an excellent proof of the quality of the project itself, which can kill or intentionally steal your time. And it’s rare where constant defeats do not hold back, but only encourage the player to new achievements.