Hotline Miami is an achievement in fast, frenetic action - the game will make you feel like god through it's high difficulty, fast movement, and of course: brutal violence: you will feel every shot, every knife, every kick to the face in this game. It's not a simple 'run 'n gunner'; you really need to think both off your toes, and be ready to react fast on your toes. This alone would be enough to hail the game as fantastic, but it is also imbued with a hot, GTA: Vice City-esque, 16-Bit style that is both atmospheric and appropriate the story, along with an amazing, distorted electronic soundtrack. The story it's self is a surprise; both thought provoking and in some ways surreal. HLM is simply glorious and must be played by everyone that has a little bit of blood lust in them. Well done Dennaton Games, you should be proud of your work and I hope to see more from you.
Although the HD version of Butcher Bay is fantastic, I highly recommend you get the original PC version from 2004 instead. It includes the developer commentary mode (the first game to ever do so, by the way. Screw you Half-Life: Lost Coast!) that for some stupid reason is not included in the HD version (unless you count the 360 version that you have to pay-bloody-extra for). The HD remake only spruces up the graphics so really both versions are basically the same so you wont be missing out on much if you get the original instead. Also, Dark Athena is pretty 'eh' anyway You can acquire a physical box version of the game for a pretty cheap price on Amazon so please get that. *note I'm only giving this 5 stars because Butcher Bay is just bloody fantastic.
