The Case

The basic idea of SUPERHOT is simple – time moves only when you move. This allows you to plan your actions and deal with the overwhelming enemies in an awesome manner. Initially, this game was made for 2013 “7 Day FPS Challenge” with an online demo released the same year. The popularity of the demo has motivated developers to expand it into a full blown game. It is time to see if the final product is worth it, compared to the short free demo.

The Trial

SUPERHOT is an unusual game. While it definitely falls into action and FPS genres, as suggested by store description, it also feels like a puzzle game. The compact levels, lots of enemies and instant death would be overwhelming in a normal shooter. But this game gives you time to react, before making a move. As a result, you need careful planning and execution to complete a level, rather than split-second reaction. After completing each level, there is a real-time replay, where you can see your superhuman reflexes. These replays can be slightly edited in-game and uploaded to killstagram.com.

The first game mode available is story mode, presented via both levels and DOS-like game menu. It is rather short, taking 2-3 hours to complete on a first try. The storyline itself is somewhat philosophical and convoluted and is not the strongest part of the game. After its completion, challenges and the endless mode become available.

Challenges require you to complete some of the levels of the story mode under different rules and conditions. Some are quite easy, like only using katana for the whole game. Others are very hard, including speed run of every level under the restriction of real time, instead of game time.

Endless levels are another way to play SUPERHOT for a long time. Including both some levels from the story and completely new ones, they throw enemies at you as long as you live. Each endless level also has three additional varieties: kill 20 enemies as fast as you can, kill as many as you can in 60 seconds game-time, kill as many as you can in 60 seconds real-time.

With all these different game modes available, gamers enjoying the basic gameplay mechanics can play this game for a long time.

Visually, SUPERHOT has a very distinct style. Like Mirror’s Edge, it utilises very clean design, where most of the level is coloured white, enemies are red, while the player and interactable objects are black. Such separation provides clarity and aids situational awareness. The player and enemies look like they are made of stained glass and shatter accordingly when hit. While the game does not have groundbreaking graphics, it looks good enough to achieve its goals. Sounds contribute to the experience as well, flowing along with time. Big titles over the screen and voiceovers are also part of the game’s style. However, large flashing “SUPER”, “HOT” and accompanying chanting at the end of each level eventually become very annoying.

The Verdict

Overall, SUPERHOT is an interesting game, worth playing for everybody who like variety. The unique idea, good execution and well-planned levels make for the unusual and unforgettable experience.