If a talking chicken has ever asked you if you enjoy hurting people, then Hotline Miami is going to resonate on an immensely coincidental level. If not, well, you probably still want to pay attention to the latest Devolver Digital project. It’s looking like quite the head-turner.
With its top-down view, focus on violence, and Miami aesthetic, the comparisons to Grand Theft Auto will be difficult to avoid. However, the similarities may only be superficial, as Hotline serves an altogether more unsettling premise. It’s a game in which mysterious answerphone messages order you to commit acts of violence, urging you to don a creepy mask and sow havoc on the streets.
“Hotline Miami overflows with raw brutality and skull crushing close combat as you find yourself outgunned and using your wits to choreograph your way through impossible situations,” claims the spiel. “An unmistakable visual style, a driving soundtrack, and a surreal plot that will have you question your own thirst for blood. Bash and blast through over 20 multiscreen levels with 35 unique weapons and collect 25 game-altering masks in one of the darkest and most unusual independent games on the scene.”
The game’s due for PC and Mac, with console versions planned. Oh, and you can leave your own message with the hotline at +1 786 519 3708 or @HotlineMiami. Weird!
