Hotline Miami PC
User Score
8.2 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 389 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 334 out of 389
  2. Mixed: 23 out of 389
  3. Negative: 32 out of 389

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  1. Sexbad
    Oct 23, 2012
    8
    Hotline Miami is just as fun as it is punishing, that is to say that it's a whole lot of both. It's a top-down fmup (think shmup but extremely brutal) with a pretty heavy tactical element to it that keeps you thinking about how to approach every situation more and more efficiently each time you die--and you'll die an awful lot. Any enemy can kill you or knock you out in one hit, so you'll be trying one idea, failing, and then refining that idea a few times until you have that glorious satisfaction of overcoming all the odds against you. The level design is pretty complex and the enemies are varied enough that the trial-and-error gameplay doesn't become stale. There is almost always a genuine challenge (apart from two absolutely ridiculous boss battles and a pretty cheap stealth segment), making the "trial" in "trial-and-error" something really, really compelling. The AI isn't great at picking up on signs that you're in their midst, but if it was, the game would probably be absolutely impossible. The campaign follows a narrative that isn't very strong, but it's definitely something interesting. It complements the stressful gameplay with some really weird hallucinations that actually make you wonder what the hell is actually going on, and then, even though it's not very complex, it ties up loose ends in a pretty fascinating way. The graphics, despite the really ugly face drawings, are stylish and give off an extremely eighties vibe, though there are no options to turn off some features like screen sway, which will probably end up hurting the game's accessibility. The real aesthetic star is the soundtrack, though. For 2012, it's one of the absolute best game soundtracks, right up there with Vessel. Because of its extreme challenge, Hotline Miami is probably not a game for most people, but it's extremely good at what it does, and despite a few caveats it's one of the best games this year.… Expand
  2. mtroni
    Oct 26, 2012
    10
    Excellent game. The tension, the artistry, the speed, the strategy... A commendable and highly artistic rendation and critique of violence in popular media and an immense retro throwback make this game an instant cult hit. Granted, it's not for everyone but if you like vintage, tongue in cheeck humor and the 80's... go play it!
  3. ZazaTR
    Nov 5, 2012
    0
    80s graphics in a 2012 game. I know that hipsters and brain-dead people are gonna eat this up because "hurr-durr, it's indie", but this is pushing it.
  4. killingspree
    Nov 5, 2012
    1
    Don't believe any of the good reviews. The game is bad. Graphics are terrible. This game is for hipsters and people who are blind. Don't waste your money supporting this kind of trash.
  5. UnbiasedOne
    Oct 24, 2012
    1
    I can handle top-down shooters. I can handle terrible eye-straining graphics, I can even handle trial and error gameplay, but one thing I will never understand is when everyone in the game has a life meter but you. For the life of me you will die, no less then 300 times, in ONE-SINGLE-HIT with anything even a door. Yet enemies take two, three, sometimes five hits to die. The screen rotates as you move, it shakes constantly and the controls are completely broken. It would have been a hit in the year it's taking place in (1989) but for 2012, the eye strain, the aggravation and the urge to drive to the developers and beat them within two inches of their lives is not worth it, and $9.99 is defiantly not worth it. Again yet another pile of trash that will go straight to the top of the charts.… Expand
  6. Norskov
    Oct 24, 2012
    9
    1. This game has the best soundtrack I've ever heard.

    2. It plays like Super Meat Boy with GTA graphucs and a Fear and Loathing in Vice City vibe.

    3. It's ultra-violence at it's best.
  7. MagicSnake
    Oct 29, 2012
    6
    It's a decent game. At its best, it feels really good; At it' worst it's a gamer's worst nightmare. I'm still fighting the controls despite many hours of gameplay. Notable issues are line of sight (you'll die from enemies you can't even see more times than you'd like, awkward character rotation (especially noticeable with a melee weapon) means you'll miss your swings like you're some kind of drunk brawler (missing a swing = death 99% of the time). I keep dying because I don't feel comfortable with the controls. I long for a gamepad, and that's really not a good thing when I'm playing on my computer. It really feels like one of those twin-stick shooters on XBLA. It could certainly work great with a mouse, but in this case it's barely functional, never mind reliable or enjoyable in the midst of the action (also, your cross-hair isn't visible enough, which adds insult to injury). The game is also quite full of other really weird oversights (or were they design decisions? I honestly can't tell). For instance: if you occupy the same space as an enemy, that enemy can't hit you (melee or gun), neither can you hit him. That alone could be fine, but when combined with the awkward controls and the lack of enemy friendly fire it's quite a **** pain. Also, the doors keep getting in the way, opening and closing wildly when touched with anything (bullets included), sending enemies in a concussion (i.e. not killing them), but blocking your precious bullets. Also, it's quite a shock when an enemy rises from a pool of blood because he was knocked unconscious by the door and not killed by your bullets, and then he kills you (of course). There's also the most horrible boss in recent history [*spoiler?*] : the one with the motorcycle helmet. He's fully invincible (of course you don't know that until he kills you 3 times as you're standing in disgust) until he trows his **** knife, at which point you can bash him; also, he rotates around you, sort of not attacking you outright even though's he's faster than you and he's **** invincible. It feels so wrong with how the rest of the game plays, I felt cheated. [*/spoiler*] Oh and then there's that "stealth" section, which I don't even feel like describing. However, the game does build up quite an atmosphere. The story is engaging, the music is pretty damn awesome and the graphics work fine, despite inducing confusion in pitched battles (the screen kind of moves about, scorepoints clutter the screen, blood everywhere, flashes of light -oh, you're dead aren't you, I bet you didn't even notice. I sure haven't.) So in the end, pros: cool atmosphere, aesthetics are poignant and engaging. cons: the controls don't do the game justice, some horrible bosses and a god-awful stealth sequence. Still a decent game, though I'm confused by the incredibly high scores.… Expand
  8. ReubenIsAGod
    Dec 10, 2012
    10
    INDIE GAME OF THE YEAR FTW, Great music soundtrack, Brilliantine gritty knife throwing game play, engading and interesting story, AN ORIGINAL CONCEPT DIFFIDENTLY WORTH ALL YOUR MONEYS
  9. yogibbear
    Oct 28, 2012
    10
    It's sadistic fun at its best. Think super meat boy in top-down shmup with awesome 80s disco soundtrack and some weird tripping story interludes. A game that rewards you for perfectly timing smashing through a door, jumping on someone's face, bashing it in, taking their baseball bat, throwing it into the next room at a mobster's head, taking his gun, then shooting his friend in the room that is rushing at you with a crowbar. Then he wakes up from his daze and you pop him in the head, then all hell breaks loose as every single enemy on the map proceeds to enter the room you are in, and you only have 4 bullets remaining in this auto shotgun... so you hold back behind a corner of the doorway as they rush in "CLICK, CLICK, CLICK, CLICK" goes your mouse, and "BAM BAM BAM BAM" goes your shotgun... there's bloody mess EVERYWHERE but there's one guy left and he's running in with an assault rifle.... so instead you right click... and your autoshotgun goes flying across the room in your single last chance of faith in the game.... knocks the bodyguard out and then you storm him and jump on his face and keep bashing away until he stops moving and the last breathe of air escapes his now-limp corpse. Then a voice yells "GO BACK TO THE CAR!" while the smooth 80s disco beat continues to kick in. Oh how sexy you feel. If that sounds like your kind of game. GET ON BOARD… Expand
  10. DragonFax
    Dec 7, 2012
    5
    I'm fine with the 8-bit retro look. But there doesn't seem to be any real gameplay here. Just a very stylized look and increasingly graphic violence.

    You pick up the weapon on the ground, and use it to kill the next guy. Then you repeat those 2 steps ad infinitum. Theres not even much of a puzzle to it. You just have to click faster than the enemy.
  11. moarx
    Oct 23, 2012
    9
    An excellent little indie title that is not without its flaws. Currently (at launch) there are some stability issues though the developers are fixing them as quickly as possible. Also, the stealth mission (mentioned in the Destructoid review) does really suck. Thankfully, the rest of the game makes up for it. It has one of the best soundtracks in any game I've played; I'll definitely be listening to it outside of the game.

    The gameplay is fast paced and quite brutal but it requires you to be strategic or you'll quickly become overwhelmed. You can't zerg through this game, (nearly) everything kills you in a single hit. It isn't a very long game but what it offers is top notch (aside from that damn stealth level).    … Expand
  12. MostlyHarmless
    Oct 27, 2012
    1
    This belongs on Newgrounds, not Steam. This would've been average at best 10 years ago, now it's just sort of pointless, nostalgia will only take a game so far. There's a ton of free game websites full of this stuff.
  13. not_good
    Dec 7, 2012
    5
    It's a top down shooter. You'll get bored of this like you got bored of Smash tv or the old Gauntlet games. Not that this is a bad game, it isn't, just this has all been done before.
  14. Razv
    Feb 9, 2013
    5
    For a small little game that focuses mainly on gameplay you'd think they don't make it repetitive. But they did. You get bored of rooms and rooms of bad guys which you have to kill by positioning yourself well and mashing space or whatever. The story is pretty dull too in my opinion. A pretty disappointing game after what I expected seeing those reviews and ratings.
  15. VinceP
    Feb 3, 2013
    4
    Personally, I didn't enjoy this game at all. I won't begrudge the devs the $2.50 I spent on it given the obvious care and attention that's been put into the music and aesthetic, but the gameplay style just left me cold. It really requires an absurd level of repetition to get through any part of the game in order to just learn the mechanics, and that's just not my cup of tea.

    The in-ga    me brutality is matched only by how brutally the game treats the player. If that sort of gaming masochism is your thing, then have at it.

    For reference sake, I think Super Meat Boys is hard too. But this is harder a LOT harder. I enjoyed SMB up to a point. This, not so much.    … Expand
  16. cloudfinalmix
    Oct 25, 2012
    10
    Fun, fast and hard, what any good gamer wants, their graphics uhm music that matter the graphics **** WHILE the game is good ....! I think many companies would have to learn that the essence of a game is fun
  17. maxtheman
    Oct 27, 2012
    9
    Hotline Miami produces an amazing atmosphere - a cross between a David Lynch movie and 'Drive'. The soundtrack is amazing, and mixed with the great game play, Hotline really gets your adrenaline pumping. A must buy.
  18. HerrJoebob
    Jan 4, 2013
    5
    It's not great, but it seems to do what it intended to... It's a Nintendo hard game in the overdone retro style. The only way it could be more cliche is if the enemies were zombies.
  19. NoAssociation
    Oct 30, 2012
    10
    Full review: http://newgameplus.co/pc/hotline-miami-review/

    Hotline Miami, from indie developer Dennaton Games, is a hard-hitting, visceral experience. It starts in a dark alleyway where a nameless observer instructs you to kill three men. The first two with your fists, the last one with a baseball bat. The violence in Hotline Miami is brutal. It isn
  20. GM_Ninja
    Nov 4, 2012
    10
    A personal favorite and personal indie GOTY, Hotline Miami allows you to relive the days of newgrounds and Xgenstudio's "Stickman Arena" with it's arcade, top-down, style. The gameplay isn't the only thing really mesmerizing about the title, though, the music was flawlessly chosen for the title to portray the feelings of the protagonist. Definitely cathartic and worth a try for anyone who can appreciate a retro style arcade title.… Expand
  21. Limbo9
    Oct 29, 2012
    10
    Ultraviolence, through and through.. just splendid for those who have the stomach. as far as game mechanics go, for me it took a little time to get used to, but the learning curve can be pretty steep, and it will definately sharpen your reflexes. ive beat the game, but i still want to unlock all the secrets and the alternative endings. not to mention the mask.. all in all its a true bargain. you get way more fun out of it, than you put money in. 9/10… Expand
  22. ns0l
    Feb 5, 2013
    8
    Mad game, I really love it, the animals masks, a bloody dangerous and unique idea. The characters are psychos. The dialogues at the start: "I'm here to show you how to kill people". I strongly recommend this game. You can kill your enemies here by different techniques: cutting off, finishing off, blowing minds, breaking necks, even karate. You'll get a lot of Deadly weapons to make a collateral damage. This game is exclusively for psychos.… Expand
  23. Sebastiane
    Oct 26, 2012
    10
    There's been a while since I didn't play anything so addictive as this game. I'd even dare to say it feels far more immersive than nowadays boring and unchallenging AAA titles. If you have any real knowledge about video games and good taste, then you'll enjoy this game. The artistry and music are also awesome. It definitely is a must buy.
  24. loomit
    Oct 29, 2012
    9
    I enjoy the fact that this game kicks my butt. I'm fairly good at games and this thing is tough! I like the fact that it actually takes skill. There are things I don't like about it (lack of options, minor physics issues, and even more minor control issues) but they are mostly blurred in the background while I'm killing people mindlessly. There are different masks to be worn which give you certain advantages and unlockable weapons to use which generate randomly. The replay isn't fueled so much by that though, its more just the release of stress you get from bashing in a whole bunch of sprited heads (they are bad guys though and they deserve such treatment).… Expand
  25. klauskjensen
    Oct 26, 2012
    9
    Hotline Miami is a Indie done right. The combination of stealth and gruesome combat is great! The visual style with neon-colors and the great soundtrack underpin a really surreal and quite interesting plot that connects all of the murder scenes. This is by far the best Indie game I've ever played even surpassing FTL and Meatboy. Don't miss this but be warned that it's an adult theme.
  26. mccow28
    Nov 3, 2012
    10
    This is not a game that everyone will enjoy. It presents a disconcerting, neon-glowing underworld through which the player is propelled by addictive, ultra-violent game mechanics. These actions, and their motivations, are turned on the player by posing them as questions - both outright, and implicitly, when the violence reaches its stomach-turning peaks. Hotline Miami presents one of the strongest explorations of video game violence and player motivations ever put to binary. It is also an important game. It brings to a mass audience what indie games are capable of: tackling issues that mainstream games **** around to avoid offending the press and the public, as well as eschewing the linear criteria of what's considered "quality" presentation in games. The game would be no better with more advanced graphics - in fact, the themes would be diluted by a greater focus on realism. The neon lights coupled with streaking blood and bright pink gore act like a scribbled highlighter on a page. The iconography of the character art works towards setting the player up: each enemy is faceless, their silhouettes only changing to convey what type of threat they are. They are set up to be classified as problems to be solved. This is what makes the questions posed to the player so powerful.

    The game is fun. But it's a strange kind of fun. I would implore you to try it with an open mind, without trying to frame it or categorize it at first. Like a great art-house film, it feels very "complete" in what it sets out to do, which goes above and beyond trivial issues such as "I don't like 2d art" or "why is there no health bar". Those who fail to open up to new experience miss out on a lot in life, this game being no exception...    … Expand
  27. UndeadLobster
    Oct 30, 2012
    8
    The brutal action, intoxicating music, and vibrant pixel-art push the satisfying brutality of tactical murder into a surreal dream-like experience that you simply can't forget. The story and gameplay fit together perfectly, and the small amount of randomization keeps things fresh as you constantly pound the restart button after getting your brains splattered across the floor. The plot is intelligent, vague, and overwhelmingly surreal to the point of simultaneous satisfaction and confusion. In the end you'll be left with your thoughts, and you'll probably have questions. But, after a little brain power, you'll think you have the plot figured out when all of the sudden you realize that you already knew the plot. You WERE the plot. If that sounds weird, it's because this game is weird, as well. While the game has some flaws, they can be overlooked for the most part, and you'll find yourself almost oblivious to the problems during gameplay. For now, I'll give the game an 8. Mostly due to technical problems that the developers are already working on, and because of the severe lack of options. If the game had been in development just a bit longer I think it could have been a perfect 10.… Expand
  28. runaum
    Nov 4, 2012
    10
    Two guys. Old and primitive technology (Game Maker 7.1, 2007). One wonderful game in old-school hardcore style. Fantastic environment and atmosphere: from soundtrack to visual effects. Well designed gameplay / mechanics. It's godlike!
  29. Breadbitten
    Feb 6, 2013
    10
    A hazy, grimy and unapologetically brutal rampage through an 80s tinted world, or a subversive and though-provoking look into the pervasiveness of excess violence in video games and media in general? Decide on whichever you want, as none of these questions really matter when you're actually down playing this wonderfully addictive, and surprisingly tactical, kill-fest.
  30. ronaldonazarinh
    Dec 17, 2012
    10
    Pedro said that hotline miami is very good and he bought overlord to wipe your ass so that did not pay. And his mother took it and put it on the shelf of your home zazaTR your coconut.
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Critic Reviews

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Metascore
85 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 51 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 48 out of 51
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 51
  3. Negative: 1 out of 51
  1. PC Master (Greece)
    Feb 6, 2013
    87
    From the get-go, Miami’s presentation has a unique style, with vivid colors, generous amounts of post-process filtering and a stunning soundtrack (you will just let the game play on, only to hear the tracks). But at the same time, all notions of continuous fast-paced action gameplay disappear. Hotline Miami is essentially a top-down stealth game, that rewards the player with imaginative (and quite violent) kill animations. [January 2013]
  2. Games Master UK
    Dec 18, 2012
    88
    A stylish slice of retro carnage. This is the bloodiest, least forgiving game of the year. [Jan 2013, p.85]
  3. Hyper Magazine
    Dec 17, 2012
    90
    A drug-induced coma of violence, strategy, death and rebirth. [Jan 2013, p.67]
See all critic reviews »