Once
again, whilst waiting for the sequel to an indie game I really like, I’ve
decided to discuss the original so we all get a bit of context. Except SuperHOT is different to Hotline Miami because it’s barely long
enough to qualify as a game, and rather than a sequel we’re actually awaiting a
version that has an actual plot.
Despite
the name producing some…interesting Google searches, SuperHOT is a game that has huge potential to be the next great
thing in the action game market. It’s a first-person shooter set in the opening
credits to Mad Men where, in the
games words, time only moves when you do. If you stand perfectly still then
time will grind to almost a dead-stop. Slowly look around and you can see
bullets hypnotically rushing past you. Move like you would in, say, Quake and time will move at the same
speed as it does in the boring real world. Except you don’t want to do that
because you can die in one hit and you run out of bullets very quickly. Run out
of bullets and you’re forced to dodge across the map to find another gun.
I
don’t actually like The Matrix that much (which is odd considering how much I love Deus Ex)
but this game truly feels like you’re some sort of master-manipulator of time.
The best part is the second-to-last level as you’re placed in an arena with ten
guys randomly spawning at various intervals. Glass shatters in glorious slow
motion all around you as you narrowly avoid bullets and time your shot
carefully. In a stroke of genius, red furniture is placed all around the room so
enemies can camouflage themselves.
 |
| Whooooaaaahhhhhhhh!! |
SuperHOT demands
a meticulous approach, which might lose the typical FPS crowd but will delight
those looking for something new. You need to time your shots carefully because
even firing a gun cause’s time to speed up slightly due to the pistol’s recoil,
as does taking down enemies, jumping, and picking up/throwing your gun.
There
needs to be a ‘walk’ button, as it can get quite fiddly dodging bullets when
you can only run. You’re forced to tap the movement keys like an early-3D
platforming game from the 90’s and it just feels awkward. It takes away from my
feeling of utter coolness as I sweep past bullets and cap an enemy right in the
head because he had the misfortune of not being Spiderman. I actually managed
to shoot a bullet out of the air with my own bullet – and for five seconds I
felt like a god…before another bullet sailed through my intestine.
 |
| Dodging bullets and glass shattering in slow-motion. SOLD. |
Sadly,
this game isn’t long at all. Precisely, it’s only five levels long – one of
which barely counts as a level. It’s merely a test, but already it feels like
the demo to a complete game. The aesthetics are there, the gameplay is there,
there is already a sense of personality. Rumour has it that the full-version
will let you chop bullets out of the air with a katana, and that sounds
perfect. That sounds exactly like the sort of thing this game would have, and I
cannot wait to see that in action.
Just
play it. It’s not long. You might need to download a plugin for your browser to
run it, but aside from that you don’t have to do anything. Just click the link,
wait for it to load, and see why I can’t wait for June when a full-version will
come out. This is the sort of excellent gameplay mechanic that could lead to an
outstanding game with a wonderful plot – like Portal. But even if there is no plot, or the plot sucks, it’ll
still be an incredible romp.
Screenshots by me.
Header can be found here.
