Hotline Miami

[Gormongous]

What counts as not being seen? What level did you do it on? I've found all the puzzle pieces up to level thirteen myself. They aren't hard once you know what to look for.

[youmeyou]

So is your main guy supposed to be dreaming the whole thing? That's the only way I can explain the coma and the forking storylines where he gets killed by ninja knife dude instead of killing him. Also all the hallucinations. What a cool game. I'm still reeling.

[Kraznor]

I've found this game disturbingly compelling, played through it twice so far, as well as replaying levels for puzzle pieces and points.

As a fan of cinema, it kind of reminds me of every extremely violent movie scene I've ever seen. Nic Cage smashing that assassin's head in Wild at Heart, the fire extinguisher scene from Irreversible, the hallway battle in Kick Ass, the police station battle from The Terminator and yes, the head stomping scene in Drive. That last comparison really seems to be what the devs were going for, same 80s hyper-cool soundtrack and look. Ah, also a certain Patrick Bateman vibe to everything, you are an insane serial killer and you aren't really sure why you are doing what you're doing other than its deviously satisfying.

If anyone remembers it, there was a flash game some years ago called Madness Interactive that this is really reminding me of. Had some similar mechanics as well, most specifically throwing weapons to stun enemies, as well as the whole ultra-violent thing. This has much more going on stylistically, and that soundtrack is worth special mention as well.

It IS kind of disgusting in terms of how gratuitous it is with its violence, but I kind of admire its honesty, if that makes sense. Rock Paper Shotgun described it as a murder simulator that doesn't pretend it isn't trying to be, which sums up what works about it quite well.

So yeah, really like it. If anything, wish it had a map editor, and maybe some difficulty options (one life per level maybe?).

Oh, one question. How does the Flexibility score work? Is it just bugged or just really demanding?

[Geremy Tibbles]

As far as the violence goes, there's a number of reasons they probably chose it. The most obvious is that it fits with the theme of "ultra violent, late 80s neon blood bath" that is on the tin, the sorts of movies that still used squibs and gallons of fake blood. The other reason could be to fit with the theme of the gameplay, when the character dies it's swift and brutal, almost instant. There's very little room for error and the way both you and the NPCs die expresses that in a more visceral and visual fashion.

In regards to youmeyou

I'm pretty sure he's recalling what happened up to the events that put him in the coma (being shot in the head by the man you later kill at the police station). The ninja knife dude is also clearly apart of the same "game" as your character, as revealed by playing his levels. Once you get out of the hospital all the hallucinations stop, so that's my guess.

Also I'm pretty sure Flexibility is bugged, because I left someone alive on a level and I still got zero. Speaking of that, how many of the non-boss guys who cap off a level can you just let live? Looking back I almost just instinctively pounce on them... eerie.

[youmeyou]

I kind of got a Spec Ops vibe from the narrative. Lots of cues that seem designed to bring about self-reflection. The fact that the violence spills into the "break" sections of the game, the bars and restaurants, little by little, as your life comes apart. It also works on a purely visual level to have so much blood: as you backtrack through a stage to escape you wander through piles of the corpses you've made and I often think to myself "did I kill this many people?"

[Geremy Tibbles]

Totally. In retrospect I was thinking that with all the NPCs that are in combat levels that you are presented with. Having let one live, I wonder how many I could have and if it would've changed things at all.

[Gormongous]

Just beat the game. Strangely enough, I really liked

the motorcycle guy segments, for being purer combat puzzles, though I'm sure I'd have hated them if they were the full game.

The freedom of being able to grab whatever weapon and purpose it towards your task is just too compelling.

I got almost all the masks, too.

I'm just missing what look like a hippo, gorilla, and llama, maybe?

I have no clue where to look, I've scrubbed all the levels pretty well.

[coaxmetal]

so, I have barely played this game at all yet (I did buy it though) but I have fallen in love with the sound track. On Giant Bomb's TNT today, Ryan Davis stated that the hotline miami OST is the soundtrack of the year and... well, I can't think of any other game this year with a soundtrack that can dispute that claim, but I'm also bad at remembering stuff. What other games this year have had really amazing soundtracks?

[Orv]

Awesomenauts, NS2 and maybe Sleeping Dogs.

[coaxmetal]

haven't (and tbh probably won't) play awesomnauts or NS2, but I did buy sleepy dawgz on sale, so ill play that at some point.

[Twig]

Awesomenauts actually does have a surprisingly good soundtrack. The music is just so fun.

[Orv]

S'quite good.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLaopGJ7sbA

[TurboPubx-16]

The update is here! Flexibility is fixed. Steam achievements are also working for me too, so now it looks like I've beaten the game and only died 22 times .

Just collected all of the puzzles pieces and got what I assume is the final ending. It sucked. I honestly wish I never saw it.

An exposition dump of this nature, at the end of a game like this, only does harm to the experience as a whole. I was expecting some more trippy stuff, not Metal Gear-style conspiracy theory nonsense. I was under the impression that it was a plot by the mob boss to commit suicide. The epilogue adds nothing to that story or the story of our hero in a baseball jacket.

I am never the person to say something like this, but I would really like an expansion pack with more levels. A few people have suggested that the developers add a random level generator; if they could pull that off I would play this game forever.

[Twig]

AAAWESOMENAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUTS

[Gormongous]

The update is here! Flexibility is fixed. Steam achievements are also working for me too, so now it looks like I've beaten the game and only died 22 times .

Just collected all of the puzzles pieces and got what I assume is the final ending. It sucked. I honestly wish I never saw it.

An exposition dump of this nature, at the end of a game like this, only does harm to the experience as a whole. I was expecting some more trippy stuff, not Metal Gear-style conspiracy theory nonsense. I was under the impression that it was a plot by the mob boss to commit suicide. The epilogue adds nothing to that story or the story of our hero in a baseball jacket.

I am never the person to say something like this, but I would really like an expansion pack with more levels. A few people have suggested that the developers add a random level generator; if they could pull that off I would play this game forever.

That's an awesome ending. I wish the real one was like that.

Is anyone going to unlock more masks? Like I said, I've got three left and I have no idea how to go about getting them.

Edit: Also, holy shit the Cheetah/Tiger mask lets you punch dogs. Instantly my favorite. I can feel my fear of those silent killers dying off as I type.

[TurboPubx-16]

I'm also missing three-or-so masks but I think I'll just wait for a video guide to find them. Looking for the puzzles pieces already had me spamming right-click so at this point I just want to start attacking the ranking system.

The aggression in this game must be rubbing off on me because I am seriously considering getting banned from this forum to tell people how I feel about the music in Awesomenauts and its presence in this thread.

Hidden for the easily offended:

I feel like a seventeen-year-old who's showing some new friends his vinyl collection, only to be humiliated when my little sister jumps in the room and starts playing LMFAO through the speaker on her Blackberry.

[youmeyou]

I love getting into a standoff with a dog when you realize your gun is empty or you're not carrying a weapon. It's just a matter of waiting for death at that point.

A word of caution: don't play this game late at night. I had really bad insomnia last night thanks to Hotline Miami. Way too much adrenaline pumping in my system for hours after.

As for soundtracks of the year, the only one that I think can compare is Dust Force's.

[Gormongous]

The aggression in this game must be rubbing off on me because I am seriously considering getting banned from this forum to tell people how I feel about the music in Awesomenauts and its presence in this thread.

A word of caution: don't play this game late at night. I had really bad insomnia last night thanks to Hotline Miami. Way too much adrenaline pumping in my system for hours after.

I feel you guys. I have been more on edge the past few days than for a long time. This game is a direct threat to my personal goal of inner peace but I just can't stop playing it.

This game is doing so many interesting things with ultra-violence and the lo-fi 80s motif, but I'm at a loss to explain it to my friends, except to have them play, which makes me part of the problem.

[Orv]

My 100% success "Buy this game spiel" has been.

Q: Have you played Super Meat Boy?

Q: Have you seen Drive?

"Alright, so imagine a top-down ultraviolent combat puzzle game. You and everyone else dies in one hit from any weapon but your fists, and you can see every guy on the level. So you bust down a door, which stuns the guy standing behind it, pick up his bat and throw it at the guy with the gun, then punch the guy coming at you with a knife, kick his head in, grab the gun and shoot the two other guys. Room clear, but there are five to go. This all takes three seconds max. If you fuck up you just hit R and seamlessly respawn at the checkpoint."

And it sounds really horrible when you just lay out your average room in Hotline Miami, but I've sold four people on it so far.

[Geremy Tibbles]

Hm... the puzzle is stumping me

I have _ w a _ b o _ n i n t _ e u _ _ so far, and I can't find the missing letters even while wearing Rasmus. I'm missing letters on Crackdown, Push It and Hot n Heavy, and Push It is the only one that I can actually scour for the letters are my leisure. Also, I'm pretty sure if you complete the puzzle you can access that computer at the end of motorcycle dude's levels. Any help?

And a tip to Turbo: After you figure out how to clear a level, just go back through as Ramsus, they stand out a lot more.

[Twig]

A word of caution: don't play this game late at night. I had really bad insomnia last night thanks to Hotline Miami. Way too much adrenaline pumping in my system for hours after.

I had a major freakout moment last night like I haven't had for many, many years (i.e., since I was a small child, and still actually had/remembered my nightmares). I woke up in the middle of the night, as one does on occasion. My blinds were open. I glanced out the window at the street lamp (level with my window - I'm on the third floor). Suddenly, this floating mass of writhing thread-thin tentacles flew at my fucking face. I freaked out, literally shouted "What the fuck?", threw my pillow at it, jumped out of my bed, snapped the light on, and started digging through my sheets looking for whatever it was I saw. After... calmly thinking about it, I realized that it was just the street lamp and drowsy-eyes creating a weird illusion in my brain. I warily crawled back into bed, but couldn't sleep for another half hour because of this itchy feeling all over my body.

Anyway, I have no idea if it was Hotline Miami that caused this, but it was the last thing I did before going to sleep.

The game is pretty rad. Fuck that Russian mob boss with the panthers! ):

[Vegas]

Hidden for the easily offended:

I feel like a seventeen-year-old who's showing some new friends his vinyl collection, only to be humiliated when my little sister jumps in the room and starts playing LMFAO through the speaker on her Blackberry.

how is that offensive in the slightest

I just bought this game today. Hotline Miami rules. Killing mother fuckers. die, die, die.

This game blows Drive out of the water. That movie sucks. I wish there was a level where you could slit ryan reynolds' throat. Also ryan gosling's.

[toblix]

I've never been this offended!

[TurboPubx-16]

That wasn't the thing I was going to say to get me banned. That was me trying to express how much I disliked that music but also at the same time express how silly it was to be upset about it. But seriously guys, if you think Hotline Miami's filthy beats and pyschedelic synths should be put in the same category as that then I don't know what to say. Unless someone happens to post some more of it after I've played more Hotline Miami. Then I might have a lot really fucking terrible things to say about you cunts.

[Twig]

I don't know what to say other than quit being a baby? Dunno how you got through life up to this point if you can't tolerate people finding joy in things you dislike.

But then, I enjoy literally every genre of music. So I'm allowed to lord my smugness all over your hating behind.