Review Roundup: Superhot is hot, hot, hot

The time-bending first-person shooter Superhot has finally released after being fully funded on Kickstarter within 24 hours going live on the crowdfunding platform last year.

In Superhot, time passes when you move, leaving your enemies frozen in time until you take a step forward (or back or to the side). There's no regenerating health, no conveniently placed ammo drops, nothing. The weapons you get are the weapons you take.

So, is the $25 PC game worth a purchase on Steam?

Judging the reviews, yes. While the game hasn't received a 10/10 from most major outlets, it has scored over 7/10 from most game news outlets. It's unique features, easy (but fun) puzzles and fun gameplay have reviewers smitten, but it appears as though something is holding it back.

Check out the reviews below:

PC Gamer

It's a short campaign, taking me two-to-three hours to complete. Once done, you gain access to a selection of mutator challenge modes. They're entertaining enough, but I don't feel the need to spend much time mastering them. For me, the joy was in experiencing each scenario for the first time, for perfecting my choreographed dance of violence. As a set of FPS systems Superhot is smart, stylish and unique—but also a bit shallow. It's the combination of systems, presentation and plot that makes Superhot something special.

84/100

VideoGamer

Superhot's art style is minimalistic but stylish, and it looks great. The world is painted white, with objects, enemies and bullets adding colour. The result is a game that gives you simulations of scenes where you can add your own imagination on top. Take one stage, in which you walk from a toilet into a bar. After laying into a peeing man with a three-punch combo, then smacking an incoming foe with a glass bottle, you spot a pool table. You think fast, pick up a ball, lob it into the face of shotgun-wielding barman, run over and grab his gun, blast him in the chest, spin round, throw the gun into the onrushing goon, grab his dropped pistol, and… well you get the picture. It looks cool in white and red, but in your head it looks so much cooler.

Sometimes games just feel right, and Superhot is such a game. It takes something familiar and turns it on its head to create what I expect will become an indie classic.

9/10

GameSpot

Thankfully, you don't need to solve these obtuse puzzles to finish the game, and after taking in the dark and trippy ending, you gain access to over 200 challenge levels that introduce new rules and limitations. You may be limited to one type of weapon, or one bullet for every gun you pick up. It's a generous helping that extends Superhot well beyond the few hours it takes to finish the main game. They offer the same rewarding mix of shooting and puzzle solving, but are tweaked just enough to feel fresh and distinct.

After my first hour with Superhot, I wasn't convinced that it would be as interesting as I initially hoped it would. I thought that I understood it all, but I was so wrong. While the core gameplay didn't evolve drastically, the story that drives it did, taking me along for a ride that I never saw coming. In doing so, it opened my eyes to possibilities within the game that I never considered. Superhot is a clever game with deep, hidden elements that require committed and thorough examination.

8/10

Polygon

When the credits finally rolled on Superhot, what I felt most keenly was appreciation for the game's incredible discipline. It lacks bloat to a degree that's nearly unheard of in modern gaming, at least outside of more outrightly narrative-centric, gameplay-light titles. Superhot only took me two or three hours to finish, but that's not due to it being light on content. Rather, it demonstrates a wonderful sense of moderation, of giving the player precisely as much as is needed for a great, satisfying experience. It never feels the need to repeat itself, whether to drive a point home or just to increase the total playtime.

Notably, Superhot also recognizes how fun its core concept is and, upon completion, unlocks a few bonus modes that allow for more experimentation. Challenge mode lets you play through the core campaign's levels with some fun new restrictions, and endless mode (featured in the video at the top of this review) lets you chase for the highest number of kills possible in arenas with endlessly respawning enemies

9/10

IGN

Superhot’s clever time-manipulation idea delivers consistently fulfilling challenges by turning blink-of-an-eye action into carefully considered and cautious tactical decisions. It avoids potential one-hit death frustration with quick respawns and deaths that always feel earned and avoidable in hindsight. Its unique brand of puzzles are complemented by simplistic but helpfully high-contrast art and sound design, yet undermined by a tedious, intrusive story and a reluctance to put new game-changing spins on its ideas to extend their lives.

7.5/10