Good news for Xbox One owners: bizarre puzzle-shooter SUPERHOT will hit online Microsoft storefronts on May the 3rd.
Previously available for Windows, OS X and Linux via Steam as of February 25th, SUPERHOT and its small development team have come far. The game began its life as an entry in the 2013 7-Day FPS challenge, and its unique gameplay mechanic rightfully earned it attention. Team SUPERHOT took to Kickstarter to fund a full version of the game after this successful prototype edition; and met with overwhelming success, raising a total of $250,798; 150% of their asked for figure of $100,000.
The game itself is something truly worth experiencing. As per the game’s tagline; “time only moves when you do”. This makes the game less of a shoot ’em up, and more of a brainteaser, as you dodge incoming bullets whilst carefully timing your own shots. You have to calculate what you have time to do. Weapons and other environment items can also be thrown when you find yourself out of ammunition. After you’ve completed each stage, your actions are played back as they would be executed in real time, which actually feels rather satisfying. The game’s plot(?) is better left unspoilt, but it is suffice to say that SUPERHOT is very aware of what it is: unusual. Once you’re finished with the main game, there is also an ‘endless’ mode, in which you pit your wits against continual waves of enemies, and see how long you can survive.
The thing that most pleased this writer however, is that SUPERHOT bucks a trend in modern games: the quest for hyper-realism and violence. You can’t really draw comparisons between this game and other recent FPS releases, it’s just a different animal. Games like The Division
In this industry, games are becoming more like Hollywood every year with astronomical budgets, convoluted storylines, extensive cinematics and emphasis on visuals. Many of these Triple-A games also cram an awful lot into a game, and you need only look to the failures and critical slating of Duke Nukem Forever to see why this isn’t always a good idea. it’s truly refreshing to play something well executed and simple.
So what’s next for the SUPERHOT team? Virtual Reality headset compatibility, they say. If that’s the case, they’re certainly savvy. Between VR and the Xbox One release, this opens SUPERHOT not only to new audiences, but immerses people who have played the game in a new way, and keeps the game relevant as technology advances. Something I would also love to see come to fruition is a level editor; something teased in the game’s Kickstarter stretch goals. This would expand the replay-ability even further, adding a community aspect. Having said that, the game doesn’t feel lacking in its current compact state because it doesn’t currently have it. Xbox One users who drop some cash on this game at release will not regret their choice.
What’s cooler than being cool? With respect to André 3000, it’s SUPERHOT.
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