You are correct. Spoiler about what they unlock inbound.
You can then access the computer. When you go downstairs Instead of the dialogue options, motorbike guy can confront them about their "true plans"
I can't wait for a few more people to complete this and have a decent discussion about the plot. It's certainly open for interpretation. Possibly a little bit too much so.
Got to chapter 5 and found one secret so far, I find myself throwing weapons and not using guns. Think I must be sick or something... also whats the sub title to the thread about? kind of nonsensical to me. Should be GTA meets Drive meets Manhunt.
Guns give you less points per kill, so I've been ignoring guns as well. The most valuable kills seem to be if you can punch someone aware of your presence and then take them down when they're sitting up against a wall. For some reason the takedown against the wall gives way more points than when they're just lying down. I haven't figured out how to use human shields correctly yet, though, so that may be more valuable.
I can't wait for a few more people to complete this and have a decent discussion about the plot. It's certainly open for interpretation. Possibly a little bit too much so.
Definitely too much so. I'm all for crazy games with ridiculous plots, and that's what I expected out of this game given the pedigree. But then they seem to be trying to have an actual plot... but then they don't go far enough and they do enough weird narrative stuff that you're just left wondering what the hell any of it meant at all. I've pretty much given up trying to figure out
how much of the game was a coma-dream, whether the dude in glasses was ever real or not and who he was supposed to represent, who the masked guys were, whether or not the stuff past the first set of credits is supposed to be, like, an alternate timeline, or if it's all somehow connected
. The final secret ending thing really doesn't offer any insight at all, and pretty much just tells you stuff that you already guessed anyways.
EDIT: Actually, this guy raises some ideas that make sense (spoilers, obviez).
Definitely too much so. I'm all for crazy games with ridiculous plots, and that's what I expected out of this game given the pedigree. But then they seem to be trying to have an actual plot... but then they don't go far enough and they do enough weird narrative stuff that you're just left wondering what the hell any of it meant at all. I've pretty much given up trying to figure out
how much of the game was a coma-dream, whether the dude in glasses was ever real or not and who he was supposed to represent, who the masked guys were, whether or not the stuff past the first set of credits is supposed to be, like, an alternate timeline, or if it's all somehow connected
. The final secret ending thing really doesn't offer any insight at all, and pretty much just tells you stuff that you already guessed anyways.
EDIT: Actually, this guy raises some ideas that make sense (spoilers, obviez).
I took the rewind in time in the credits to mean that when you fight the biker dude, what really happens is that he puts the main character into a coma, and the events post-coma (like in May/June/July) are not really happening, but merely a part of his coma induced state. I don't know exactly when in the timeline, but this is around the time those hallucinations start coming out in full force in the 'real world,' like the disembodied heads and bloodied people. Interestingly, the game also takes a big spike in difficulty around that point, so maybe the main character is hallucinating even stronger enemies, since he's so good at killing (and by extension, so are you) at that point in the game.
Also, about some other characters:
Is it just me, or were the two janitors at the end meant to represent the developers, Denneton? Cause they basically say since it's a game, the plot doesn't really matter, you just kill everything, and that it's really fun to do so and just enjoy the killing that you've gotten so good at.
I love that they make you walk back to your car and make you see everyone you killed, with blood everywhere. Makes me feel messed up having fun just minutes before.
Finally got to play a few levels of this game. This is the most disturbing game I've ever played and I've played quiet a few games that have been billed as being disturbing. There are games out there with more detail in regards to the violence, but all elements in HM combine to form something very dreadful, dark, depressing and disturbing.
The intensity, music, sound effects, neon colors and game play combined creates a ball of negativity. The game requires split second decision making that gets your heart pumping, especially when you bum rush a room that has more than one guy in it. Having to manually aim is perfect for the game play. There were a few times in the slice that I played where I was scrambling like a little bitch after blowing a guy's brains out all over the wall to line up a second shot on another enemy that was in the room.
I think one of the key reasons this game causes people who play it to feel negative emotions is that the graphics are simple. It causes your imagination to run wild. When you get sucked in your imagination adds more detail to what you're actually seeing. When I was watching the vids I never got this feeling, but because I'm playing the game and being sucked in by the intensity of the game play it causes my brain to run wild. This is a discussion that's been had a thousand times on GAF alone. Its one of the reasons why things like the FF6 opera scene really stuck with people.
I don't know if I would let kids or unstable people play this. This is the rare game that can really fuck with a person's emotions. And rarer still in that it taps into mainly the negative ones because the only positive emotion I've felt was of achievement when I beat a level. Other than that its been mostly negative. I feel like I could trek a couple blocks to the nearest drug house and step on someone's neck until the stop moving. That's why I didn't play this game too long.
Game tells me I'm on the last chapter. Interesting.
Anyway, game is pretty fucked up. But this is precisely the sort of game I want to play, so I dunno what that says about me. Dunno, it's just a very unique, oppressive vibe. In any case, it's a lot of fun.
And man. This game knows how to build up some anxiety. It's a relief to stop playing, but uh... in a good way.
Finally got to play a few levels of this game. This is the most disturbing game I've ever played and I've played quiet a few games that have been billed as being disturbing. There are games out there with more detail in regards to the violence, but all elements in HM combine to form something very dreadful, dark, depressing and disturbing.
The intensity, music, sound effects, neon colors and game play combined creates a ball of negativity. The game requires split second decision making that gets your heart pumping, especially when you bum rush a room that has more than one guy in it. Having to manually aim is perfect for the game play. There were a few times in the slice that I played where I was scrambling like a little bitch after blowing a guy's brains out all over the wall to line up a second shot on another enemy that was in the room.
I think one of the key reasons this game causes people who play it to feel negative emotions is that the graphics are simple. It causes your imagination to run wild. When you get sucked in your imagination adds more detail to what you're actually seeing. When I was watching the vids I never got this feeling, but because I'm playing the game and being sucked in by the intensity of the game play it causes my brain to run wild. This is a discussion that's been had a thousand times on GAF alone. Its one of the reasons why things like the FF6 opera scene really stuck with people.
I don't know if I would let kids or unstable people play this. This is the rare game that can really fuck with a person's emotions. And rarer still in that it taps into mainly the negative ones because the only positive emotion I've was of achievement when I beat a level. Other than that its been mostly negative. I feel like I could trek a couple blocks to the nearest drug house and step on someone's neck until the stop moving. That's why I didn't play this game too long.
I hope the game gets "fixed" soon; I'm not playing until then. Quite amazed that it got released with so many problems attached to it really, but it's a good game, so I can wait.
I hope the game gets "fixed" soon; I'm not playing until then. Quite amazed that it got released with so many problems attached to it really, but it's a good game, so I can wait.
'Finished'. Still need to go through the levels and
collect all the letters so I can access the computer at the end
. And get all the masks. Which I will be doing.
Long and short of it: bit of jank here and there, and not the tightest gaming experience I've had, but very unique, stylish and manages to capture the mood and feel it's going for both on a presentation and interactive level.
My ComplaintsTM would be some AI and collision detection bullshit. Get right up close to an enemy and they'll often bug out and not respond, both your and their weapons failing to detect collision unless you back up. Some AI responsiveness oddities made it tough to guage just when an enemy will and wont spot you, but it wasn't too troublesome for most part. The trial-and-error approach probably works in the game's favour, as instant restarts and fairly forgiving check pointing made the jank tolerable.
Stealth level was junk. Didn't like it at all.
To say I hated the controls would be an understatement. I don't chalk that up as a criticism of the game though, so much as myself. My brain struggled throughout to adapt to the continually shifting relativity of turning speed and aiming as the mouse drifts away from the character, and it was so damn easy for the crosshair to get lost that I lost count of the amount of times I tried to turn fast, only to realise the mouse was way across the screen. I really would have loved solid, functional pad support from the get go, but the fact I still went through it without even though I intended to wait should be a testament to how much I enjoyed it.
The brutality and violence needs about as much exposition as the music. They're both incredible, unique and pack a hell of a punch. The game reminded me a lot of Manhunt in some ways. It's just totally fucked up in the worst possible way with the violence, to the point where it shakes you on a cognitive level. Very brutal and extremely hostile.
As a game, I think it needs work in some areas, such as those noted above. But as a game it's also very functional and quite original. The little touches, style aside, capture a sense of brutality and intensity unlike many other games. The package as a whole, that being the music and presentation, takes the game to another level. It's basically exactly what a small indy game should be like, leaving you with an experience that feels fresh and memorable.
'Finished'. Still need to go through the levels and
collect all the letters so I can access the computer at the end
. And get all the masks. Which I will be doing.
Long and short of it: bit of jank here and there, and not the tightest gaming experience I've had, but very unique, stylish and manages to capture the mood and feel it's going for both on a presentation and interactive level.
My ComplaintsTM would be some AI and collision detection bullshit. Get right up close to an enemy and they'll often bug out and not respond, both your and their weapons failing to detect collision unless you back up. Some AI responsiveness oddities made it tough to guage just when an enemy will and wont spot you, but it wasn't too troublesome for most part. The trial-and-error approach probably works in the game's favour, as instant restarts and fairly forgiving check pointing made the jank tolerable.
Stealth level was junk. Didn't like it at all.
To say I hated the controls would be an understatement. I don't chalk that up as a criticism of the game though, so much as myself. My brain struggled throughout to adapt to the continually shifting relativity of turning speed and aiming as the mouse drifts away from the character, and it was so damn easy for the crosshair to get lost that I lost count of the amount of times I tried to turn fast, only to realise the mouse was way across the screen. I really would have loved solid, functional pad support from the get go, but the fact I still went through it without even though I intended to wait should be a testament to how much I enjoyed it.
The brutality and violence needs about as much exposition as the music. They're both incredible, unique and pack a hell of a punch. The game reminded me a lot of Manhunt in some ways. It's just totally fucked up in the worst possible way with the violence, to the point where it shakes you on a cognitive level. Very brutal and extremely hostile.
As a game, I think it needs work in some areas, such as those noted above. But as a game it's also very functional and quite original. The little touches, style aside, capture a sense of brutality and intensity unlike many other games. The package as a whole, that being the music and presentation, takes the game to another level. It's basically exactly what a small indy game should be like, leaving you with an experience that feels fresh and memorable.
This. It's taken me to chapter 4 to adapt to it. Getting through the fist couple of chapters was a ball ache but it managed to keep me hooked long enough to feel OK with it. The one-shot-one-kill gameplay lends itself to mouse input. I don't think a pad would do this game justice. It's too knee-jerky in places.
There's a fair amount of trial and error but it's great to clear a floor and actually remember how you took out the enemies. Shooting through walls is a great touch.
Soundtrack is amazing, literally amazing. Suits the game perfectly. I'll that pick up separately.
I definitely intend to finish it (after I've shaken this migraine it's given me!). The best £7 I've ever spent.
'Finished'. Still need to go through the levels and
collect all the letters so I can access the computer at the end
. And get all the masks. Which I will be doing.
Long and short of it: bit of jank here and there, and not the tightest gaming experience I've had, but very unique, stylish and manages to capture the mood and feel it's going for both on a presentation and interactive level.
My ComplaintsTM would be some AI and collision detection bullshit. Get right up close to an enemy and they'll often bug out and not respond, both your and their weapons failing to detect collision unless you back up. Some AI responsiveness oddities made it tough to guage just when an enemy will and wont spot you, but it wasn't too troublesome for most part. The trial-and-error approach probably works in the game's favour, as instant restarts and fairly forgiving check pointing made the jank tolerable.
Stealth level was junk. Didn't like it at all.
To say I hated the controls would be an understatement. I don't chalk that up as a criticism of the game though, so much as myself. My brain struggled throughout to adapt to the continually shifting relativity of turning speed and aiming as the mouse drifts away from the character, and it was so damn easy for the crosshair to get lost that I lost count of the amount of times I tried to turn fast, only to realise the mouse was way across the screen. I really would have loved solid, functional pad support from the get go, but the fact I still went through it without even though I intended to wait should be a testament to how much I enjoyed it.
The brutality and violence needs about as much exposition as the music. They're both incredible, unique and pack a hell of a punch. The game reminded me a lot of Manhunt in some ways. It's just totally fucked up in the worst possible way with the violence, to the point where it shakes you on a cognitive level. Very brutal and extremely hostile.
As a game, I think it needs work in some areas, such as those noted above. But as a game it's also very functional and quite original. The little touches, style aside, capture a sense of brutality and intensity unlike many other games. The package as a whole, that being the music and presentation, takes the game to another level. It's basically exactly what a small indy game should be like, leaving you with an experience that feels fresh and memorable.
I agree with this 100% aside from the controls bit. I got used to them for the most part except for a few accuracy mishaps here and there. The stealth level was pretty bad, but at least it was only one short level.
Okay, seriously... did this game's creator test it even once in an environment other than his own PC? How could the game have been released in such a bugged-out state?
Let's recap:
Visual Basic error for everyone who had an up-to-date installation of VB on launch (fixed by patch)
Broken controller support at launch (unfixed)
Pop-up error messages that force you to exit out of the game and lose progress (unfixed)
The "Prelude" level is called "Prerlude." (unfixed)
Stages unlock beyond where they should (i.e. You've only beaten four stages, and stages 5, 6, and 7 unlock) (unfixed)
Don't get me wrong, the core gameplay is fantastic and I love the premise and vibe. That being said, I can't help but feel disappointed at what could have been if this game had been given a little more polish. I've had so many crashes and little glitches getting in the way of me simply playing the game that it has definitely hampered the experience.
Played this a bunch last night and the old-schoolness of it just sucked 2 hours of my life into a vacuum. That's a compliment, btw.
Anyway, nothing in a game feels cooler than in this game when you bust through a door knocking down a roving guard, and while he's on the ground you take out the dude standing with his back to you with whatever melee weapon you just picked up in the other room, then jump on top of the guy that you knocked down with the door and bash his head in.
It's one of those games that shouldn't be as much fun as it is, but it is.
The game seems good so far. It crashed a couple times on ch 7 right before the boss fight, then ran into the bug where the next chapters started unlocking despite not finishing the previous levels.
Whoever said this game was like Drive was 100% right. The story seems to be going somewhere as well, I hope it doesn't disappoint in that regard.
Finally with WoW servers having problems, I had some time to play this game, but then I encountered a problem at the game's startup which causes it to have no music. Still played a little bit and it's pretty fun (with music it would have been better though!), yet it's a bit hard for me to get over the fact I don't actually move in the direction I'm facing.
My play time has been 10 minutes (because I don't wanna play more without the awesome music) but the level of violence is both sick and satisfying... which sounds so weird.
I think I've finished it outside secret stuff it may have.
I got the biker dude's ending, killing those janitors or whatever they are, finding out it's all stupid etc.
I only encountered minor bugs, a few crashes. Overall, it's a great little game.
I think the only other issue I had was certain bosses could do with being less trial and error style and tougher within the normal game play parameters. The game was too easy overall, though I did die quite a few times. But if it was too easy for me I imagine for others it's a cakewalk as I'm not that great of a gamer in such twitch games, I think I haven't finished any Mega Man except 2.
I hope they make an expansion. A sequel would be great, but I want more soon! Maybe launch an editor then do a sequel.
I loved the game as it is but a sequel will hopefully be a little more polished, with a little more involving AI, gameplay, options and what not. It would perhaps change the pace and style a bit too much (or maybe optionally do so, for example people taking a stealthier approach would make for a far slower game but you could still mix it up or go all out with skills suited to that style and still own) but hey, we'll have the first game's expansion/custom levels for the original feel, why shouldn't a sequel offer a similar yet very different experience? It could even be called something else, not HOTLINE MIAMI 2.
Suda51 should play this, I got a No More Heroes vibe from it. Great stuff. Maybe he'd play it if they sent him a nice boxed copy.
I've seen other people mention the stealth level was bad and what not but I guess I don't even remember it. Which chapter was it in so I can try it again and remind myself of this bad spot among the goodness?
Unless you mean the 15 seconds of escape run.
Edit: oh, I remember, it now. The
hospital
. I guess that was meh for sure, but so forgettable once you get back in. And short. But yeah, the game's at its best when you're in full control, not when in trial and error mode, which thankfully doesn't happen too much.
Finally with WoW servers having problems, I had some time to play this game, but then I encountered a problem at the game's startup which causes it to have no music. Still played a little bit and it's pretty fun (with music it would have been better though!), yet it's a bit hard for me to get over the fact I don't actually move in the direction I'm facing.
My play time has been 10 minutes (because I don't wanna play more without the awesome music) but the level of violence is both sick and satisfying... which sounds so weird.
The day of release I had no issues but yesterday I had this "no music" issue when I would allow Steam. Some error would come up, I would click "abort" and no music.
Anyway, I'm currently on
Showdown
. Anyone know
how to take down this blonde bitch after taking on those what I think are some form of cats
She has two attacks: If you're close to her, she'll throw knives at you. If you're far away -- enough that she's off-screen should be good -- she'll run in with her sword. Get far enough away so she runs, then throw the weapon you used to kill the cats.
Really like the game but I'm surprised that people find it so brutal. I mean, yeah, you kill a lot of people, there is a lot of blood but it is all so... abstract. Somehow it never really felt brutal to me because of its fever dream vibe and old school graphics. And the number of deaths probably isn't higher than in an average playthrough of Uncharted. I don't know, I guess I find it more brutal (or cold) to "mask" the deaths like some other games do than actually show what you've done. If that makes any sense.
Really like the game but I'm surprised that people find it so brutal. I mean, yeah, you kill a lot of people, there is a lot of blood but it is all so... abstract. Somehow it never really felt brutal to me because of its fever dream vibe and old school graphics.
I agree with this. It's obviously incredibly violent but it doesn't feel nearly as awful as Manhunt. Maybe that's the point? Feels like a dream. And god I love the soundtrack.
