Superhot (PS4) review
Developed and published by Superhot Team, Superhot is an enjoyable first person shooter built around the premise that time only moves when you move.
At first glance, you could be forgiven for thinking Superhot is a traditional first person shooter, but straight from the first mission, you are treated to one of the best mechanics I’ve encountered in a video game. You see with Superhot, enemies and their bullets only move when you move, this idea makes the game a lot more tactical as it gives players time to think through how to approach a situation. Although I will say this just because you don’t see enemies in front of you it doesn’t mean one hasn’t spawned behind you and is slowly firing a bullet into the base of your skull.
The only major issue I noticed with Superhot’s time stop mechanic is that it creates a feeling of tunnel vision, as I found myself spending so much time worrying about what was in front of me I rarely thought to keep an eye on what could be behind me. This lack of focus on what could be behind me led to many untimely deaths because with Superhot it is one shot and you’re dead. With that said levels are relatively small and I personally took my deaths as a learning experience.
Going away from the mechanic, in terms of how the combat works it involves predicting your enemies movements and firing your gun at where they might be, and when you run out of ammo, which you will do very quickly, using the time stoppage to dodge bullets and knocking a weapon out of an enemies hand with a good punch or weapon throw. Later in the game, you unlock hotswitch, an ability that allows you to take control of an enemy.
The combat system in Superhot is amazing, and it is worth playing for that alone, but let’s see what else the game offers.
Well, the game’s story involves you playing a character who is playing a game suggested by a friend. Early on there doesn’t appear to be much of a story, but as you get passed the password protected portion of the game, the story picks up and well it becomes what I can best describe as a trip. As the game breaks the fourth wall, tweaks messages written by your in-game character, and has a main antagonist that talks to you only in red text and threatens to take your mind. If that sounds vague I’m sorry, but I don’t want to spoil the story because honestly it really is a treat.
When you complete the story mode, what else is there to do? Well, you can replay previously completed levels or try your hand at the Endless and challenge modes, both of which are unlocked after you complete the game.
In terms of visual design, Superhot is a white background with red coloured enemies. This minimalist design is perfect for this type of game as it means you can’t be distracted by other objects in the room, also the red on white helps the enemies stand out. When you are out of the game, the menus resemble a DOS screen with the various menus having a command prompt feel to it. While Superhot isn’t a visually stunning game, its visuals have a unique charm that offers a very striking and memorable experience.
When it comes to audio, there are no voiced characters, everything is done via text, which in many games would be a turn-off, but in Superhot is suits the theme. With that said when you complete a level, you are rewarded with the audio “Super Hot” over and over while the level you completed is replayed back to you in real time.
In terms of issues, my main issue is with Superhot involved the static filled loading screens. I bring it up as an issue as the screen flickering caused some minor discomfort and eye strain.
Conclusion
Superhot is an enjoyable game, with its core movement based mechanic elevated it above many traditional first person shooters.
SCORE: 9/10
Pros |
+ Great movement based mechanic |
+ Intriguing story |
+ Minimal colour palette makes it easier to see enemies |
Developer | Publisher | Genre | Rating | Platform | Release date |
Superhot Team | Superhot Team | Action | 12+ | PS4, PC, Xbox One | June 29, 2017 (PS4) |
For more information on Superhot, visit https://superhotgame.com/.
Author: Ash Meehan
Hi, I’m the creator of SG Gaming Info. When I’m not working on my writing or creating content for this site’s YouTube channel, I like to relax and enjoy character driven story games.