I saw a few screenshots of Hotline Miami and expected a quirky Grand Theft Auto clone like the charming Retro City Rampage. What I got was the most violently psychotic experience I've had the pleasure of playing in a while.

The dismantled story was difficult to deconstruct. I was too caught up in kill, kill, kill. I'll do my best to summarize: Countless thugs await around corners for you to mangle in any way you see fit. Who are you? Some dude in a varsity jacket that wears animal masks and takes big-time hit jobs.


Hotline is absolutely filthy from the blood, drugs, and language to the dirty little beats that get your blood pumping and coming back for more, even after having to retry every five seconds. You can only take one blow like your enemies, but quick restarts should encourage the player to mindlessly brawl into rooms with guns blazing at least a few times before having to take a slower, more stealthy approach if need be.

I had some trouble with the targeting system on occasion, but otherwise the control is spot-on and can be explained within seconds, reminiscent of the retro games that share its look and sound.

If I had to say it was like anything else, games like Loaded and Project Overkill for the original Playstation come to mind. But in those games, dying was a major setback and the levels were longer and not nearly as detailed... or fun.

The creators claim to have been inspired by the film Drive, but I was getting more of a schizophrenic serial killer vibe the likes of Killer7 by Suda51. Hotline actually has the 1-up on Killer7 in terms of playability and pace.

The story is perhaps best left unexamined and ambiguous. The undeniable draw to the characters may actually be within the costumes and art style. You really can't beat a good costume.

Foremost, Hotline Miami is a twisted thrill-ride of murder, death, kill. Plain and simple. Grab a weapon and get wet.

Inside is amazing from the get-go and proceeds to get better, climaxing with a mind-blowing series of events that wouldn't be conjured up in your wildest dreams... or nightmares. My girlfriend was so scared that she had to put the controller down and walk away. She had to get Outside.

Playdead has assembled a roller coaster of intense situations and puzzles to boggle the mind for just the right amount of time. No challenge is so difficult as to interfere with the story which unfolds with no outright exposition let alone any dialogue whatsoever.

Don't play another minute of anything else until you've set aside three to four hours for Playdead's Inside. It's guaranteed to immediately mesmerize.

Not only is it one of the greatest video games ever made, but it's also one of the best pieces of science fiction available in any format.

1992: I stayed home sick from school and asked my dad to rent Street Fighter II or Lost Vikings or something else I had already played a million times. He came home with Out of This World. I was not pleased, but was about to learn that I shouldn't have judged this epic masterpiece by its terrible SNES cover art.

I would like to thank my dad for bestowing the experience upon me that day. I would like to thank Eric Chahi for single-handedly raising my critical bar for video games and sci-fi alike for years still to come.