In the early 2010s, Hotline Miami’s hazy and digitized violence made a profound impact on the industry. At the time, developers seemed to be wrestling with the inherent violence of combat in games, as well as the necessity of it. A top-down, twin-stick shooter, Hotline Miami places you in the shoes and mask of a killer known simply as Jacket. At night, he talks to the personified masks he wears during his rampages, which represent the fractured segments of his own psyche constantly wrestling with one another. By day, he embodies them, takes anonymous phone calls, and slays his way through gangs, mafiosos, and then some.
All the while, the player has little choice but to complete the missions as they are laid out in front of them. Maybe it felt bad, or maybe it didn’t, but interrogating which of those feelings Hotline Miami elicits is the broader point of the game, which sets this violence against the backdrop of Miami in the late 1980s. Most folks assume that the game, like some of its ilk, tries to guilt you, but I don’t think it ever becomes patronizing. It is aware of the satisfying loop of fast-paced action that it creates, and assumes some level of responsibility and shared blame due to its participation in the cycle of violence endemic to games. If you want a truly unforgettable experience with a seminal game of the 2010s indie boom, pick up Hotline Miami for $2.49.
