Developer: SUPERHOT Team
Publisher: SUPERHOT Team
Platform: PC
Tested on: PC
SUPERHOT – Review
While ‘SUPERHOT’ might for some be the indication of how they want their soup, tea or holiday destination, instead it actually is the most innovative shooter we’ve played in years. Even though at first glance one might think it’s yet another shooter with gimmicky time mechanics and graphics that are reminiscent of the good old polygon filled days, there’s a lot more to it than meets the eye. Be warned, this quirky shooter might actually chill you to the bone.
Story
After receiving an incoming chat notice from someone you know, he points out he can send you a cracked game named SUPERHOT. According to the guy this game is now one of the things one should play to retain their coolness status, but other than that, you receive no more information as to why the game is actually any good. Nonetheless, you use the file that was sent to you and you start a game, that is seemingly not more than a game which revolves around stopping time and shooting people, making sure you’re the last man standing. But Something that seemed harmless at first, soon becomes a nightmare that runs a lot deeper than one would expect.
Even though at first it feels as if this game has no thick underlying plot, things take a turn towards a rather eerie direction as you progress. Truth be told, if you like to be surprised in an original fashion, where digital entities are a part of such a story, this one will certainly take you to a dark place. Very surprising to say the least, thus we won’t spoil the party for you.
Graphics
Graphically SUPERHOT is quite unique in both the styles of its menus as well as the actual gameplay. The menus are reminiscent of the often considered ancient MS DOS operating system, which is actually still being used, be it in the CMD form in windows. That aside, the old school vibe this gives, in combination with the fact you actually receive online messages via it, makes it quite tacky yet appealing in a strange way, especially when everything starts to glitch ever so slightly.
The gameplay itself takes a turn to a more modern and sterile approach, as you’ll be running around levels that are completely white, making it seem like you’re in a sterile nuthouse instead of a game world. Your enemies are completely in red, with very choppy polygons visible, making them undistinguishable compared to one another, while the guns have a certain shade of black to them. The environment with hardly any details, oddly feels quite vivid and completely draws you in the moment you start playing.
Sound
While the game does have a few catchy tunes, as well as sound effects, it certainly does not drive the game like the graphical prowess, the story and the mechanics of the game. That being said, you’ll be able to enjoy the music properly, even with a sometimes dark tone to it.
Gameplay
SUPERHOT finds itself in the genre of first person shooter, albeit with one very specific gimmick that makes it stand out in the field. Seeing the game revolves around the fact that time stops (almost) completely when you stop moving, it allows you (the chance) to plan your upcoming moves, such as dodging bullets, switch bodies or perhaps even toss your gun in the face of your foe and steal his weapon instead.
Truth be told, the gameplay in itself is very minimalistic, simple, but it proves to be rather hard to truly master the ‘time freeze’ mechanic. As mentioned above, time will stop almost completely when you stop moving, thus you can look around properly, plan your next move and go for it. You’ll often start out with your bare hands or a pistol close to you, making sure you’ll be in a pickle right from the beginning of each level. From here on out, you can simply toss items against your opponents, stunning them, making it easier for you to punch them or steal their weapons which slip from their grip, allowing you to nab them away midair. As the game progresses, you’ll also have a body switch mechanic, that allows you (after a cool down period) to take over the body of your enemy, while leaving yours to wither and waste away. All these items combined, even with the very limited arsenal of weapons, quickly make up for a very interesting gameplay.
Sadly, the story of the game only lasts around two hours, which will probably make you finish the game in one session. Whilst this might not be long, especially given its retail price, the game does add some extra replay value by unlocking the endless mode, where you’ll have to try and kill as many enemies as you can in different locations and the challenge mode, which runs through the normal levels again, albeit with rather strict conditions you’ll have to follow if you wish to finish the selected level.
There is some extra content to explore, including a silly mini-game, old school artwork and other gimmicks, but you’ll find yourself sticking with either the story mode or plowing through the endless and challenge modes.
Conclusion
Even though SUPERHOT will soon be considered a one trick pony by many, it’s arguably a game that will stay afloat in the minds of those who played it for many years to come. We have to say it once more, this game is the most innovative shooter we’ve played in years and you’ll simply have to try it yourself.
Run superhot.exe
SUPER HOT SUPER HOT SUPER HOT SUPER …
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Best shooter I’ve played in years