Martin Carr reviews Superhot…
Superhot is a starkly minimalistic excursion into the realms of first person shooters, which is both slickly stylish and instantly addictive. Set in a world where time moves only when you do, Superhot uses silhouetted enemies cloaked in red to test your mettle. Contrasted against the combination of white and grey backgrounds, these foes are perpetually frozen in time yet remain unrelenting even in stasis.
This mechanic of engaging time through movement brings into play other elements, such as bullet tracers for avoiding combined with the strategic decisions based on the aforementioned trajectory of said tracers. What Superhot feels like to play is another matter, as the situations and stylistic decisions make it quite an emotionless experience. As with any FPS there is the thrill of gun battle and that feeling that you might get a little further every time. But the purposely robotic voice which says Superhot after every successful round becomes a little grating.
However there is no denying the addictive and simplistic nature of this Kickstarter expansion experience. When the bullets, bat or whatever connects with your enemies, which then fragment like pieces of glass there is a distinct satisfaction that never goes away. There is nothing complicated about Superhot and nothing controller wise which will prove testing. People may have also made much of the new twist that they have employed here, but bullet time has been around for ages and this is merely an expansion of that. It does turn Superhot into an FPS which veers a little too far towards the strategic, but that is no bad thing.
In the final analysis the Superhot team have created something new, exciting, conventional yet progressive. I know that sounds like a whole load of contradiction but the best and most innovative things often are. For those who like to engage a little more with their FPS beyond carnage, mayhem and body counts Superhot will be a refreshing change and one I wholeheartedly recommend.
Rating: 9/10
Martin Carr – Follow me on Twitter
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Originally published May 20, 2016. Updated November 29, 2022.
