SUPERHOT by SUPERHOT Team - Quinn's Curios

First, a word from the publisher: “SUPERHOT is the smash-hit FPS where time moves only when you move. No regenerating health bars. No conveniently placed ammo drops. It’s you, alone, outnumbered and outgunned. Snatch weapons from fallen enemies to shoot, slice and dodge through a truly cinematic hurricane of slow-motion bullets.“

What Worked For Me:

The game has a striking visual art style that sets it apart from other games (and especially other “AAA” games). In a way, it reminded me of another game I reviewed recently: APE OUT. Even the user interface has a distinct style, looking like something out of the DOS-era of computing.
Weaving through bullets to dispatch “red dudes” is really satisfying. It took some time to wrap my head around the game’s core mechanic (that time only moved when I did), but when I did I put Neo to shame.
Though the game can be difficult at times, the re-spawn / iteration time is quite short. As such, getting merc’d by a stray bullet or dying from your own hubris only sets you back a minute or two at most.
The game is short. I was able to beat the main campaign in a few hours. Though this is far from all the content the game has to offer, it was still a great way to spend a weekend.
The game’s content doesn’t end when the main story does. This includes challenge maps where the player is tasked with defeating as many enemies as they can in a set time limit. It even challenge modes like beating the entire game using only a katana.

What Didn’t:

The plot, such that there is one, gestures towards heady topics like mind control, digitization of consciousness, and how ideas germinate and spread in popular culture. This is capped off with the phrase: “the mind is software, the body is disposable, [and] the system will set you free.” These are all fine topics to explore, but the game does little with them in its own narrative. I suppose you could argue that these issues are brought up for the player to consider and thus serve as meta-narrative. In order for me to give the game a pass on that, though, it’d need to have more than a page or two of text to go around.
(Nit-pick) Watching the full-speed playback of a level is often a treat. Seeing my avatar dance between bullets at full speed is a sight to behold. I just wish there was a way to do it without “SUPERHOT” being blared every few seconds. I know this is part of the game’s story (and also its branding), but it meant that I skipped the replays more often than not, no matter how cool they looked.
(Nit-pick) The player’s hitbox was a hair too large in my opinion. It didn’t happen often, but there were times when I felt a bullet should’ve been a near miss (e.g. flown over my shoulder) but counted as a kill instead. I am listing this as a nit-pick instead of a full con because it didn’t happen often. Also, each of the enemies can be killed in a single hit no matter where you hit them, so perhaps I shouldn’t be surprised my character shatters the same way.

Conclusion:

It’s easy to see why this game became a cultural touchstone. From its distinct visual style to is meme-able win screens (“SUPER. HOT. SUPER. HOT.”) I can absolutely see why this game popped up in places as far flung as Tribrand’s “What The Golf?“ Ultimately, what the game lacked in plot was more than made up for by the novel gameplay loop. If you haven’t played this one, I’d definitely recommend checking it out.