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Like some of the other reviews I've written this is an expanded version of "Games of July/August 2020".

Of all the games I played in 2017 (and there were several), my favorite would probably be Deus Ex but Hotline Miami takes a close second. May as well cover Hotline Miami since Bustin' Out was the only "new" game during this timeframe. Not a lot that I can say here except that besides beating the main campaign (beat most of it before finding out there was a way to lock onto enemies...) in fall 2017, it was a great "blow off some steam with some casual, mouse-clicking madness" game.

I talked about the sequel (it's the only thumbnail on Exor's Dungeon that has been artificially censored—though it's also censored on the wiki). Trying to talk about Hotline Miami (the original) is difficult because it's hard to explain where it hasn't been explained before and I didn't want this review to be about where it's better than its sequel. I could talk about the great pulsing electronic soundtrack by the likes of M.O.O.N., Perturbator, and others. I could talk about how well-designed the layouts of the levels are. I could even talk about how the main character "Jacket" may be a ruthless vigilante instead of an outright murderer (sure, there's a chapter where you're pitted against the Miami police department, but most of the people he kills are criminals who have no business being in the country). I could even talk about the "vaporwave" aesthetic between levels. But in the end, I enjoyed it, and devoted a lot of time to it without breaking and playing other games; even leaving it paused overnight because I didn't want to reset. (That was in a time when I had my own place and could afford a two-bedroom apartment!)

Note: The screenshot is from Steam's official page.

FINAL RATING:   

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