Hotline Miami: The Most Dangerous Game of All are Fat Men and Dobermans

Hotline Miami is a game that I truthfully hadn't played much, which is pretty strange seeing as I'm a big fan of the second entry. Comparisons aside, Hotline Miami was something of a first in this sub-genre of top-down arcade-like slaughter-a-thons that seemingly sprang to life after this game's release. However, seven years later, it does show age, despite still being on the whole a difficult but fulfilling (and short) power fantasy that in my opinion is still worth playing.

Even though it's a gimmick mask, Carl is my favorite. Buzz buzz my white-jacketed friend.

The story of Hotline Miami, while somewhat simple, is also somewhat hidden. While there are elements that are clear to the player, you'll have to have an eye for detail and go through some hoops in order to get the whole picture (even if it is still somewhat incomplete). In a nutshell, you are an unnamed guy living in a shitty apartment when you get a voicemail. It's some sort of reminder of an appointment or scheduled job, so you head to the address and kill at least a baker's dozen of people. Now this sounds bad already, but it's ok because they're Russian mafia and were going to try to kill you anyway. Afterward you go to a number of locations to blow off some steam, all of which are run by your friend, who is either really hurting for money or is a robot, then you go home and repeat. The story itself is delivered in a somewhat trippy way, with frequent time skips and blackouts, but most interestingly is what happens after you complete the game. Once you complete the game you go back in time and find yourself as the first boss you faced, some biker-looking guy who's trying to answer the question on everyone's mind, who's leaving those phone calls? But wait, it gets stranger, because now it's the first boss who wins the struggle, and then continues his investigation. It's really not clear which is the canon ending, but it doesn't seem to matter, especially as both characters make cameos in the second game. The story itself, like in Doom, isn't the focus of this game, and I'd say that it works. The characters have little depth to them. Yes, they are more or less unique from each other, but there's little reflection or hinting at their deeper meaning/traits, which is entirely appropriate. They serve their purpose. The only exceptions are two cases, with the first being the main character's girlfriend, from which we only get a single line. We see the progression of their relationship through the changes in your apartment, as once he has something outside of his 'job', he has more reason to stick around. The second case (which is only implied for now) is that of 'Beard', your best friend, and while you're never sure if he's actually real, he does frequently give you positive encouragement, though most of it is giving you free snacks. For the relatively short playtime of Hotline Miami, the story and characters we get is more than enough, and raises questions that offer speculation rather than frustration and bewilderment.

A massacre you say? I'd say it was a Wednesday.

Gameplay is where Hotline Miami really shines (or frustrates is the more accurate word). The game itself can be many things depending on how you play, which can vary across the nineteen levels. You can be a quiet ninja-like character, taking on individual or unsuspecting enemies, or engage your dormant ADHD and run into the fray guns blazing and fists swinging. It doesn't matter how you accomplish your grim work, because for story purposes the only thing that matters is that you clear each stage. However, if you want to unlock cool new abilities (which are tied to masks) and new weapons, you'll have to try to hit good scores, which are done through a multitude of ways, such as hitting big combos, variety of weaponry, or nonlethal/melee kills. The enemies are predictable and easy to recognize, but they still are big threats, as it only takes one bullet or swing to send you back to the beginning of the area. You will die quite a bit in this game, you just need patience, though unfortunately there's a good bit of roughness and wonkiness to how this game and its AI plays. The fucking dogs, the fat men, the occasionally lightning (and I mean it) fast gun-toting gangsters will be frequent sources of frustration for you as you play, but this batch of bullshit is surmountable with that same patience you need to complete any of the levels. There are also several boss fights as well, and these are pretty simple, though by nature very unforgiving. The final fight will put your game knowledge to the test in a three-part battle with each part distinct. It's also a very easy game to jump in and get the hang of too, with a basic control scheme that supports both keyboard/mouse and gamepad well. It runs extremely smooth on whatever machine you play it on, and with the puzzle to solve, attempting to top your scores, and trying to find all the masks, there's a decent replayability to Hotline Miami (though your milage may vary). It's a good fast-paced game that will enhance your reflexes while not asking much of the player, only tenacity and common sense (would you fire off a shotgun a room away from a posse of hooligans?).

It's always incredibly satisfying when you turn a shitty situation around , getting a sick combo in the process.

There's a good bit more to the appeal of Hotline Miami besides just the ballet of death that is its core gameplay, there's also it's unique aesthetic and pulse-pounding soundtrack. The game just looks fantastic, with its neon-soaked pixels and clean, crisp interiors that are just waiting for you to coat with blood. It's somewhat somber walking back through your carnage after completing a level, being both a reminder of the utter badass you are and also Jesus Christ you murdered like thirty people. This strange duality between feelings of manic fury and hollow shock are very much intertwined, because as you're rushing and running through a level, you can be listening to a rapid synth beat, but as soon as you kill the final enemy the exciting music is cut off and replaced by a jarring, quiet, and ominous tune. It basically screams 'What are you doing?! Get out of there!', and I unabashedly love it. Conversations face-to-face with people in this game are few, often short, and usually unpleasant, with the subjects being gross and unpleasant caricatures of people (you're also silent). This is pretty interesting contrasted with the pretty grounded-seeming masks you wear, but maybe I'm reading too much into it. Hotline Miami is a simple game, and this is again reflected in its presentation, which for the relative short length is stellar, and got me really into synthwave with the likes of Mitch Murder and Perturbator.

You can never have too much of a good thing I say...

Hotline Miami is a tough game, yes, and it hasn't aged nearly as gracefully as the second entry, but at its core it remains a good game, and one that's well-worth playing despite its difficulty. It's a game you can easily replay time and time again, and like riding a bike you never really lose your muscle memory from playing this game. It's short, bloody, exciting, and there's nothing I like more to get my heart pounding than trying to take on a room full of baddies with nothing but my wits and two fists.