Both of the Hotline Miami games are very important titles to me. They introduced me to entire genres of music, film, and other video games that have come to be major cornerstones of my taste in art and media. While the dark 80s aesthetic is far more commonplace nowadays, to the point where you could even call it played out, at the time there weren’t really many games with the look and feel that Hotline Miami has. There’s a serene, dreamy feel to the game that’s complemented by the rush of its immersive and addicting trance-like gameplay. The gameplay does have some quirks that can bring it down a bit, but once you get used to those quirks, then it becomes a truly memorable experience that’s hard to put down and really sticks with you.
The game is a top down arcade-like shooter that involves raiding the hideouts of Russian gangsters and murdering every single one of them, clearing them out room by room. Weapons are found on-site. Sometimes you can just find them laying around, but most of the time you’ll be acquiring them from knocked down or killed enemies. Once you’ve taken out everyone in a room, you move onto the next and continue the process until everyone in the building is dead. Enemies all die in one hit, however the same goes for you as well. If you die, you can press ‘R’ to restart from the beginning of the room. There’s no loading times, so pressing R allows you to instantly respawn. This plays a big part in what makes the gameplay so addicting. The adrenaline rush of slaughtering your way through a room with a dozen armed guys that can all take you out in a single hit is intoxicating, and if you screw up and die, all you need is one quick key press and you’re immediately back in the fray. The game’s hypnotic electronic soundtrack and hazy neon visuals really play a huge role in making the gameplay as addicting as it is. The droning, bass heavy beats of M.O.O.N’s tracks not only add to the adrenaline, but also put you in a sort of zen-like trance as you play.
While the game generally rewards a fast, guns blazing approach to clearing out rooms, it is possible to play slow and steady. There’s also a way you can exploit enemy behavior: they’re attracted to the sound of gunshots, which you can use to lure them to specific locations and line them up for easy ambush kills. While I do think that this is a really cool aspect of combat, the consistency in which it works has mixed results. There will almost always be enemies that react to the sound of gunfire, but whether or not it’s the enemies that you expect is a toss up. Sometimes an enemy allllll the way on the other side of the map will react to a gunshot, but the enemies in the room right next to you will just ignore it and continue their patrol route. The AI in general behaves in a really finicky and kind of stupid fashion at times. Enemies on the other side of the map will react to the sound of gunfire, but enemies generally won’t react if someone gets shot right in front of them. I wish there were more ways to influence the behavior of enemies. Maybe frighten them by continuously murdering people out of their line of sight and forcing them to go on a different patrol route. I just feel like they could use some small touches that make them feel a bit more like actual people and less like dumb video game enemies. It would really drive home one of the core themes of the game, which is the desensitization to violence that video games can cause (more on that later).
As you play through the game, you can unlock additional animal masks you can wear which can modify your gameplay. These modifiers vary in terms of their usefulness. They can range from minor gameplay changes, like allowing you to view secrets or increasing the amount of gore to major ones like allowing you to instantly kill enemies with your default melee attacks or muting your gunshots so that enemies don’t react to them. The devs have gone on record saying that the masks weren’t originally supposed to provide any gameplay modifiers, and it definitely seems like this system is kind of undercooked. I honestly find little reason to use any mask other than Tony for the instant kill melee attacks, and the devs have also gone on record to say that they felt like Tony in particular wasn’t balanced well. For my most recent playthrough, I decided to only use the default mask Richard to get what I feel was the intended experience with the game. This is a system that would later be expanded into the different playstyles that we’d later see with Biker as well as the cast of Hotline Miami 2.
There’s a pretty steep learning curve to Hotline Miami. Initially, the game can feel really hard and unfair. However, once you get used to it, it’s really easy to blaze through this game in a little over an hour, assuming you skip the cutscenes. Still, like I mentioned before, the gameplay has little quirks that can play a role in making that initial learning curve in the game a bit unnecessarily steep.The game has a cursor that you can use to help you aim, but the cursor is extremely thin and really hard to see. Eventually I got a feel for where the cursor generally is at all times, and I also frequently lock onto enemies to ensure that my shots hit their targets. There’s also the infamous problem of trying to pick up a specific weapon on the ground when there are multiple weapons in close proximity to it. Unfortunately this is an issue that can continue to screw you over no matter how used to the game you get, and is my personal biggest issue with both Hotline Miami games. Still, once you get over that initial learning curve, being able to blaze through this game so quickly is extremely satisfying, even if that weapon issue never stops rearing its ugly head.
I briefly touched on the game’s soundtrack during combat, but I also really want to highlight the tracks that are used outside of it as well. The track Crush by El Huervo, which plays once you’ve finished a level hits really hard during your initial playthrough. The haunting noise really snaps you out of the hypnotic trance that the gameplay and fast-paced, more upbeat music can put you in. It really forces you to stop and take notice of your surroundings and the horrific violence you’ve committed before you leave a level. Eventually though, you become numb to it and you start tuning it out, immediately heading for your car to exit the level without a second thought. Then on the results screen, you’re treated to the beautiful track Miami by Jasper Byrne, a song that truly feels euphoric to listen to and never gets old. Not only does this song perfectly encapsulate that 80s aesthetic the game is going for, but it evokes feelings of nostalgic comfort. The transition from Crush to Miami feels like you’re going from being sober to inebriated. You forget all about the consequences of what you’ve just done once the pretty lights and music of the results screen comes into view. Even though the vast majority of music in the game wasn’t made for it, the way the developers utilize it to evoke specific feelings from the player is extremely well done.
The game’s story, when taken purely at face value, may not seem like much to most people. It’s not a particularly detailed story, in fact, there are many aspects to the game’s plot that aren’t really elaborated on until the sequel. The protagonist, Jacket, is silent, so you have to infer much of what’s going on based on the actions he takes. However, there are some little details that really add to the story that I feel go overlooked if you’re not paying attention and just rushing to get to the next level. In particular, the subtle changes to Jacket’s apartment as you advance through the game do a great job framing the gradual changes to his life and his mindset. It’s very solid and effective environmental storytelling. I will say that I feel like this game’s story hits a lot harder after playing the sequel, though. Hotline Miami 2 adds a lot of context that Hotline Miami 1’s story is really lacking. 2 also really helps to drive home 1’s themes as well, since it’s a bit more direct with them.
It’s no secret that Hotline Miami was meant to be a critique on the desensitization of violence through video games, as well as using violence and violent fantasies as a way to cope with our emotions. There are a lot of mixed views and responses regarding how effective the game actually is as a critique. This review is already getting pretty long, and I don’t think that there’s room for an in-depth discussion of it here, but as far as my personal opinion goes, I don’t think that the fact that it is critiquing anything becomes explicitly clear until you play the second game. The ways it goes about critiquing violence, namely through the initial feelings the music at the end of each level evokes, as well as very short but notable moments in the story such as Jacket vomiting after he murders the homeless man at the start of the game do clue you in, but they’re a bit too lowkey for their own good, and fail to really drive the point home. I think this makes the violence critique very easy to go over people’s heads as a result. I certainly didn’t realize it myself until I started hyper fixating on the games and reading about the developers and what they intended with them years ago when I first played them.
I think that it might be hard to sell Hotline Miami to new players nowadays. Its influence has been widespread throughout the indie scene, which can make the game and its aesthetic seem far less unique as a result. As someone that was there close to when both of these games were making their impact on the gaming landscape, my initial experience with them really stuck with me, and I’m still able to come back and thoroughly enjoy Hotline Miami today. If you’re not completely burnt out on the oversaturation of 80s throwback media, and if you have the patience to stick with a game with a high learning curve, then I can’t recommend Hotline Miami enough. The gameplay is exhilarating and the vibes are immaculate.
The game is a top down arcade-like shooter that involves raiding the hideouts of Russian gangsters and murdering every single one of them, clearing them out room by room. Weapons are found on-site. Sometimes you can just find them laying around, but most of the time you’ll be acquiring them from knocked down or killed enemies. Once you’ve taken out everyone in a room, you move onto the next and continue the process until everyone in the building is dead. Enemies all die in one hit, however the same goes for you as well. If you die, you can press ‘R’ to restart from the beginning of the room. There’s no loading times, so pressing R allows you to instantly respawn. This plays a big part in what makes the gameplay so addicting. The adrenaline rush of slaughtering your way through a room with a dozen armed guys that can all take you out in a single hit is intoxicating, and if you screw up and die, all you need is one quick key press and you’re immediately back in the fray. The game’s hypnotic electronic soundtrack and hazy neon visuals really play a huge role in making the gameplay as addicting as it is. The droning, bass heavy beats of M.O.O.N’s tracks not only add to the adrenaline, but also put you in a sort of zen-like trance as you play.
While the game generally rewards a fast, guns blazing approach to clearing out rooms, it is possible to play slow and steady. There’s also a way you can exploit enemy behavior: they’re attracted to the sound of gunshots, which you can use to lure them to specific locations and line them up for easy ambush kills. While I do think that this is a really cool aspect of combat, the consistency in which it works has mixed results. There will almost always be enemies that react to the sound of gunfire, but whether or not it’s the enemies that you expect is a toss up. Sometimes an enemy allllll the way on the other side of the map will react to a gunshot, but the enemies in the room right next to you will just ignore it and continue their patrol route. The AI in general behaves in a really finicky and kind of stupid fashion at times. Enemies on the other side of the map will react to the sound of gunfire, but enemies generally won’t react if someone gets shot right in front of them. I wish there were more ways to influence the behavior of enemies. Maybe frighten them by continuously murdering people out of their line of sight and forcing them to go on a different patrol route. I just feel like they could use some small touches that make them feel a bit more like actual people and less like dumb video game enemies. It would really drive home one of the core themes of the game, which is the desensitization to violence that video games can cause (more on that later).
As you play through the game, you can unlock additional animal masks you can wear which can modify your gameplay. These modifiers vary in terms of their usefulness. They can range from minor gameplay changes, like allowing you to view secrets or increasing the amount of gore to major ones like allowing you to instantly kill enemies with your default melee attacks or muting your gunshots so that enemies don’t react to them. The devs have gone on record saying that the masks weren’t originally supposed to provide any gameplay modifiers, and it definitely seems like this system is kind of undercooked. I honestly find little reason to use any mask other than Tony for the instant kill melee attacks, and the devs have also gone on record to say that they felt like Tony in particular wasn’t balanced well. For my most recent playthrough, I decided to only use the default mask Richard to get what I feel was the intended experience with the game. This is a system that would later be expanded into the different playstyles that we’d later see with Biker as well as the cast of Hotline Miami 2.
There’s a pretty steep learning curve to Hotline Miami. Initially, the game can feel really hard and unfair. However, once you get used to it, it’s really easy to blaze through this game in a little over an hour, assuming you skip the cutscenes. Still, like I mentioned before, the gameplay has little quirks that can play a role in making that initial learning curve in the game a bit unnecessarily steep.The game has a cursor that you can use to help you aim, but the cursor is extremely thin and really hard to see. Eventually I got a feel for where the cursor generally is at all times, and I also frequently lock onto enemies to ensure that my shots hit their targets. There’s also the infamous problem of trying to pick up a specific weapon on the ground when there are multiple weapons in close proximity to it. Unfortunately this is an issue that can continue to screw you over no matter how used to the game you get, and is my personal biggest issue with both Hotline Miami games. Still, once you get over that initial learning curve, being able to blaze through this game so quickly is extremely satisfying, even if that weapon issue never stops rearing its ugly head.
I briefly touched on the game’s soundtrack during combat, but I also really want to highlight the tracks that are used outside of it as well. The track Crush by El Huervo, which plays once you’ve finished a level hits really hard during your initial playthrough. The haunting noise really snaps you out of the hypnotic trance that the gameplay and fast-paced, more upbeat music can put you in. It really forces you to stop and take notice of your surroundings and the horrific violence you’ve committed before you leave a level. Eventually though, you become numb to it and you start tuning it out, immediately heading for your car to exit the level without a second thought. Then on the results screen, you’re treated to the beautiful track Miami by Jasper Byrne, a song that truly feels euphoric to listen to and never gets old. Not only does this song perfectly encapsulate that 80s aesthetic the game is going for, but it evokes feelings of nostalgic comfort. The transition from Crush to Miami feels like you’re going from being sober to inebriated. You forget all about the consequences of what you’ve just done once the pretty lights and music of the results screen comes into view. Even though the vast majority of music in the game wasn’t made for it, the way the developers utilize it to evoke specific feelings from the player is extremely well done.
The game’s story, when taken purely at face value, may not seem like much to most people. It’s not a particularly detailed story, in fact, there are many aspects to the game’s plot that aren’t really elaborated on until the sequel. The protagonist, Jacket, is silent, so you have to infer much of what’s going on based on the actions he takes. However, there are some little details that really add to the story that I feel go overlooked if you’re not paying attention and just rushing to get to the next level. In particular, the subtle changes to Jacket’s apartment as you advance through the game do a great job framing the gradual changes to his life and his mindset. It’s very solid and effective environmental storytelling. I will say that I feel like this game’s story hits a lot harder after playing the sequel, though. Hotline Miami 2 adds a lot of context that Hotline Miami 1’s story is really lacking. 2 also really helps to drive home 1’s themes as well, since it’s a bit more direct with them.
It’s no secret that Hotline Miami was meant to be a critique on the desensitization of violence through video games, as well as using violence and violent fantasies as a way to cope with our emotions. There are a lot of mixed views and responses regarding how effective the game actually is as a critique. This review is already getting pretty long, and I don’t think that there’s room for an in-depth discussion of it here, but as far as my personal opinion goes, I don’t think that the fact that it is critiquing anything becomes explicitly clear until you play the second game. The ways it goes about critiquing violence, namely through the initial feelings the music at the end of each level evokes, as well as very short but notable moments in the story such as Jacket vomiting after he murders the homeless man at the start of the game do clue you in, but they’re a bit too lowkey for their own good, and fail to really drive the point home. I think this makes the violence critique very easy to go over people’s heads as a result. I certainly didn’t realize it myself until I started hyper fixating on the games and reading about the developers and what they intended with them years ago when I first played them.
I think that it might be hard to sell Hotline Miami to new players nowadays. Its influence has been widespread throughout the indie scene, which can make the game and its aesthetic seem far less unique as a result. As someone that was there close to when both of these games were making their impact on the gaming landscape, my initial experience with them really stuck with me, and I’m still able to come back and thoroughly enjoy Hotline Miami today. If you’re not completely burnt out on the oversaturation of 80s throwback media, and if you have the patience to stick with a game with a high learning curve, then I can’t recommend Hotline Miami enough. The gameplay is exhilarating and the vibes are immaculate.