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Before I go anywhere with this, if you’ve landed on this page thinking ‘What the hell is Hotline Miami?’ then click here first. It has all the juicy information you need. As for those who are in the know, or those that have kindly read our original review and returned, let’s get on with it.
Since it left a fair few folk slack-jawed when it was released last year – both through its genius and violence – someone at Sony HQ made the smart call to get a piece of the Hotline Miami action. Evidence enough to endorse the plaudits of the indie scene, its reach has now tripled with this arrival on the PlayStation 3 and PSVita. Given it’s not the most technologically-taxing title in existence means the transition has been made flawlessly; if you want to experience Dennaton Games’ debut how it was intended, there’s nothing for you to be overly worried about. If anything, especially on the Vita, you’ll be pleased with how much sharper it all looks.
The real, and almost only, question then is when it comes to the controls. Potentially proving to be a contentious issue (that’ll no doubt continue to spark many a back-and-forth debate) it’s important to note that they work fine. It’s as easy to get on with this version as it was on the PC, and once you’ve adjusted to the format the majority will forget whatever came before it, even if you played the original to death. Allow your brain to be re-programmed and it’s smooth sailing from that point out.
With that said, there’s a chance a few individuals may feel like their playstyle has to be tweaked a tad to completely get along with this iteration of Hotline Miami. Arguably to justify the Vita’s many gimmicks, enemies can be tagged by touching them on the screen. You don’t have to do this, obviously, and the right analogue stick can still be used when it comes to aiming, but the lack of a mouse does mean the insane rampages that were capable on the PC aren’t as easy to imitate. It replicates the experience excellently, however, and you’ll still have moments of sheer amazement as you wipe out an entire room of foes. The more high-end attacks truly skilled players were able to achieve on PC may not manifest themselves here, though; some players just may not be able to accomplish the same level of speed or accuracy.
The beauty of such a statement, however, is how good people often are at proving them wrong: after a while there’s every chance new ways of approaching each miniature hub come to light. Either way, Hotline Miami remains ridiculously moreish and opening up how many individuals have access to it – much like Minecraft on the 360 – can only be a good thing. Happy days all round, then…
