WeView: Hotline Miami

While I’ve not played the PS3 or Vita version of the game, I’ve really enjoyed what I’ve played of the PC version of Hotline Miami. It’s a frantic, fun and brilliantly executed videogame, and doesn’t try to be much more than that.

And that’s why Hotline Miami is so brilliant – it’s game-y, arcade-y goodness, reminiscent of retro games but at the same time something entirely more up to date. It’s brutal, too – there’s no second chances and it’s up to you whether you sneak through or go in guns-blazing, with just one hit leading to your untimely demise, before you try again.

So, it’s a bit like a puzzle game as well as this fast-paced top-down twin-stick shooter, and it’s just brilliant for that. With a Drive-esque tone straight from the ’80s achieved thanks to a brilliant soundtrack.

In fact, the PS Vita version is so good that it led to Alex writing an article on just why it was his new favourite Vita game, praising the style as well as the solid frame rate and perfect porting for Sony’s indie machine.

I have to admit, I adore this game. It’s punchy, deliberate, rapid and damned difficult. Each level takes multiple attempts – that’s just part of the game – but it never feels like you’re being cheated, the game is always tough but fair. But it’s the blend of old-school graphics, the VHS-esque filters and the sublime backing music that really ties everything together. Really smart stuff, and it’s great to see such a solid port on the Vita.

What did you think? I can imagine that this might split opinion. It’s not just the tone that people may have issues with, but how fast-paced and unrelenting the gameplay is at times.

So, leave a comment below with your thoughts on the game, and if you get it in before Sunday afternoon, then you’ll have a chance at being included in the Verdict round-up next Monday, where we take the best comments and mash them up into a big blob of opinion.

Since this is a downloadable game, the rating system is a bit different: Buy It if you think it’s worth the full price, Sale It if you think it’s worth it at a 50% discount, Plus It if it’s not worth paying for but you’d gladly take it for free on PlayStation Plus and Avoid It if you don’t think anyone should buy it.