(just copy-paste of my Steam review lmao, played on Steam Deck, works well)
I know this gets said a lot, but games like this make me wish there was a 'mixed' review option on Steam. The gameplay is fun at first, borrowing the frantic, top-down, one-hit-kill gameplay from Hotline Miami slow-mo and weapon behaviours from My Friend Pedro. The fundamental gameplay mechanics are very good, and the first few levels are enjoyable. The earlier levels are concise and fun, but the levels become longer and more frustrating later on. The main difficulty spike comes from longer levels resulting in more repetition rather than new enemy types or intelligent level design. It becomes infuriating and I was keen for the game to end. However, the visuals are gorgeous, even being the inspiration for a sequence in John Wick: Chapter 4. It never gets old and it carries the game in the later sections. The story is, well, there. It isn't special and it doesn't need to be.

The most insulting part of this game are the boss fights. All of the five bosses are exactly the same, consisting of two separated corridors, one with you and some enemies and the other with the boss. The boss is just a normal enemy with a bigger healthbar who constantly moves forward while shooting you. This is copy-pasted in all the encounters, with only differences being different location and a longer length, with the exception of the last one adding a new enemy variety.

Those boss encounters are a perfect example of my issues with The Hong Kong Massacre, repetitive and uninspired design leading to unnecessary tedium and frustration. That being said, the core gameplay is great and the visuals are stunning. It is with regret that I do not recommend this game as it is, to me, a quintessential mixed bag.