SUPERHOT

Sceptics might think that, having come so far, there’s not much new for an FPS to come up with. WRONG! If ever you’ve found yourself crying out for a game to shake up the genre… get ready, because it’s here.

It’s hard to describe SUPERHOT without ruining the magic; nothing you read or watch can sufficiently prepare you for what you will experience.

As with so many other indie success stories, the narrative came about as a result of a jam enabling new developers to float some of their crazy ideas around in a short space of time. That was way back in 2013. The idea was so well received that a browser demo was quickly put together, and it is still accessible today. From there it went to Steam Greenlight, and then to Kickstarter, and received triumphal funding culminating in its release at the end of February 2016.

The magic of this game is that time only advances as you advance yourself – a design that sets it so far apart from any other game in the genre that came before it. Enemy bullets come at you in the form of red lines through the air for you to dodge, and you must make the most of any resource that comes your way in order to have any chance of making it out alive.

If all this intrigues you, I can assure you that it really is one of the most ingenious proposals you could ever imagine. If you’re not convinced, just think about how easy it is to predict attacks and defend yourself effectively when you have all the time in the world at your disposal...

I mean, every step you take, every turn to the camera, every pull of the trigger is a decision you can’t unmake. One simple mistake stops you from progressing. The game is based on classic trial and error mechanics – so when you do manage to complete a level, you feel ecstatic. It’s reminiscent of starting out in Hotline Miami and having to die over and over again on every level to get it just right.

Visually, the game is a statement of intent: predominantly white scenes where the enemies stand out in threatening red, and objects that you can use as weapons (from assault rifles to glasses of wine) are all in black. This helps you to detect almost instinctively what you’re up against and what’s on hand to help you every time you find yourself in the middle of battle.

In fact, practically all the levels start in the middle of battle, with enemies attacking you or situations which put your life in jeopardy. For a game in which you control time, SUPERHOT doesn’t give you a second to stop and breathe.

Another way in which SUPERHOT stands out is its narrative, breaking the fourth wall and making you both protagonist and spectator.  Menus are presented in the form of an operating system of an old computer and feature a lot of detail and design techniques which are also mini games within the great game running from this terminal.

As the adventure unfolds, the boundaries between menus, scenes you play and the story itself become distorted in this intricate set up: a narrative approach just as intelligent and original as its mechanical reinvention of the shooter.

On top of all this, there are the challenges outside of the narrative, such as a series of hidden delights within its intricate menu, which include some simple yet surprisingly fun mini games. But above all, it’s the game experience itself that shines; a game so striking and original, in the running to become a cult game in the near future. Now it’s down to you to go and find out why.