S&S; Indie Review: Hotline Miami

Title: Hotline Miami
Format: PC
Release Date: October 23, 2012
Publisher: Devolver Digital
Developer: Dennaton Games
Price: $9.99
ESRB Rating: M

Hotline Miami comes to us from Dennaton Games and Devolver Digital, a couple of companies that you've probably never heard of, but they're sure to earn some new fans with their new downloadable title.  Hotline Miami pushes the limit of style and violence, making it one of the more special, yet grotesque games out there.  
Story and Presentation:
Hotline Miami features an eccentric presentation, to say the least, and it was the main reason the game caught my eye. Seeing how the game focuses on gameplay, rather than story, this adds to the game rather than take away from it. You don't know who you are, because before each mission, you put on a mask, further concealing your identity.  The fact that the mask you wear is an animal mask, it creates an eerie atmosphere.  Its reminiscent of so many classes games and movies, but the biggest influences that everyone says inspired this game, has to be the old Grand Theft Auto games.  Seeing how the game features a top-down perspective, you can easily see the similarities too GTA 1 and 2. GTA Vice City comes to mind, when you get a gander at the games bright purple and pink color palettes.  The pixelated art gets amplified courtesy of the game's overuse of violence, so much red gets blended in to the game's color, and it turns out to be a bright and winning formula.  This game pushes the limits, not only in its ultra-violent nature, just the fact that the game's over-stylized visuals pushes this new title to new heights.  This game defines the word retro in every way, even making me feel nostalgic for a time period and culture that I hardly remember.  The music in the game fits perfectly with what the game wants to make you feel, its definitely the synth-filled and electro beats that propel this game to a level not seen in an indie game before.  This is one of the main reasons I love new and fresh games, even if they draw inspirations from older titles.  
Core Gameplay:
Like I previously said, before each mission you put on a meat mask, and a set of instructions that purposely mislead you into a house or building with intent to kill everyone inside.  Throughout my campaign, I felt like I was reenacting scenes from No Country For Old Men, and just murdering people as the mysterious Anton Chigurh.  The overhead angle allows you to strategically scan the playing field, you'll see enemies behind breakable doors and windows.  Taking the time to scan the building and the many rooms that will be filled with enemies with guns is imperative to completing the mission.  This game is definitely brutal, seeing how you can die in one shot or hit, you will be restarting frequently if you're too impatient.  When you execute your strategy perfectly, you'll be stunning the henchman and proceeding to bashing their skulls in for the final kill with elegance and grace.  This is where the violence is at center stage, the blood just pools out of the guys neck, and it creates a slight sense of realism to the game.  You're basically scored on everything you do, get those speedy kills down, and the combo points will rack up exponentially.  Once you get the hang of the game's simple mechanics and pile on the points, more masks and weapons will become available for use.  There is definite stealth mechanic in the game, even if this wasn't it's intentions.  If you kill someone in one room, they won't hear you.  Unless you use a gun, then the nearby grunts will become alert and storm in the room, and you won't likely last much longer.  Resetting the level won't be a nuisance, in fact it will become a necessary tool in completing a level the best way possible.  Since you will be improvising most of your kills, even later in the game, you'll be hitting reset quite often.  Even though the presentation is what made me drop the $10 bucks on it, the gameplay is why I keep coming back to it.  From mission to mission, the addictive gameplay will cause you to yearn for more kills and higher points, and there's nothing wrong with that.
Final Thoughts:
There is a reason that this game has received this amount of praise in such a short period of time, its a fantastically dark game.  The neon filled pixelated presentation mixed in with some intense and brutal combat, makes this game a stud in my book.
S&S Rating: 9/10 @whatsPlay