You know the scene--the protagonist with nothing to lose lays siege to the hideout of a syndicate, facing 'impossible' odds. Relying on his incredible animal cunning and the element of surprise, he can only hope to scrape through every confrontation by the skin of his teeth, brutally executing everyone in his path with whatever's available. Still, miraculously, he succeeds, and we believe it. Why? The enemy's hubris was their downfall. "No one would REALLY be insane and/or suicidal enough to attack this place, would they? The guard detail can take it easy..." The aesthetics of this game are phenomenal. In addition to the indescribable soundtrack, the game uses the time and energy saved on its low-key, retro graphics to flaunt 80s-90s demoscene style pixel effects and modern shaders that really show what cycles can bring to 2D art design. The sound design is also excellent. Nothing sounds canned. The crunching blows of melee weapons and the staccato bangs of firearms all sound satisfyingly real. HOTLINE is also what I like to call a "programmer's game" and is a breath of fresh air in the modern era. The mechanics are lovingly detailed, steel-trap tight, and feel ripped from a time when games were small and the programmer was also the designer and expressed his/her vision through the code. There are all kinds of nifty, appropriate rule effect variations that happen, depending on which weapon you're using. This really boosts immersion through the roof. As for the mechanics, they're nearly faultless, in my mind. Every action has a purpose. Items have value. There is no excess. You will value weapons. You will use every maneuver available to you. You will have limited resources and need to deploy them accordingly. If I have one criticism, it's the AI. A tip says it behaves "consistently," but this isn't the case--it's really pretty spotty, and it's difficult to tell exactly what will happen in certain circumstances. I didn't mind much, as I wasn't going for high scores, but I can see someone becoming frustrated when a nearby mobster doesn't react to a gunshot, or, alternatively, one attacks with lightning speed after catching a glimpse of you. The odds are stacked sky-high. Simple mistakes mean death. But you're facing goons; they're dumb as rocks and don't think, don't pay attention. You're a pro. There are no rules here. You can create your own little game and destroy everyone who doublecrossed you.
