Crafted with love and talent by a single guy, HROT is a great entry in the ever-growing list of modern throwback shooters. The combat is perfectly serviceable: the fast running speed makes for hectic hostile encounters, most of the weapons are simple, satisfying and find a role to fill... and the numerous enemy types are interesting to fight, each having their own strengths and weaknesses (some are plain annoying though, but used sparsely in the campaign). It’s a fairly challenging game especially in superior difficulties, with even basic mooks being able to ruin your health if you’re not careful… But even at its toughest the game is fair, as the levels usually leave you enough room to dodge projectiles, or at least good spots to take cover.
Speaking of which, the level design is consistently great. Taking cues from Quake, Chasm and Duke Nukem, It’s very non-linear and fairly complex, encouraging you to explore every nook and cranny - but never too esoteric nor complicated enough for you to get lost or stuck on a puzzle. The Eastern European environments that serve as a backdrop are surprisingly full of interactivity, and fairly believable.
Indeed, HROT’s dark, gloomy (and oftentimes frankly wacky) portrayal of a decaying Soviet state filled with strange enemies is a sight to behold, and a good enough reason to play it. Its atmosphere is not hindered by its graphic simplicity: it’s not going to win any beauty contests, but you have to respect its sense of detail, unapologetic use of gray-brown colors, and period-accurate visuals - it has pretty much no fancy modern effects and looks straight out of 1997.
Is HROT one of the best boomer shooters on the market?… Not really: it’s overall quite basic, and a lot of its counterparts have deeper and more satisfying mechanics. But you have to play it anyway: it’s a fun, unique romp with a surprising lot going on. Despite its simplicity, it won’t bore you for a single second and will keep you involved until the very end.
