Lets just be perfectly clear. I'm not reviewing the game based on the nature of the content, but the quality of the product as it is.
Hatred is a iso-top down twin stick shooter where you kill people. There's no reason, there's no plot. The game never claims to have one other than "I want to kill people"
Gameplay itself consists of objectives that ammount to "Kill people" "Kill people in this area" "Move to another area" You shoot people, you dodge gunfire, you blow stuff up, If this sounds quite shallow and boring of a description, it's because that's what this game is.
It's closest comparison is to something like Hotline Miami. Wherein which the gameplay is fast paced, using lots of weapons feel fun, the gameplay rewards creativity, combos, experimenting etc. Hatred lacks all of that. It's purely just kill with guns, grenades, and kicking.
Nothing feels really rewarding. But then maybe that's the point. This character doesn't seem to gain pleasure from killing, the killing doesn't have a meaning, it's something you just have to -do- In the same vein that the character itself thinks that it's all it has to do in life.
It might just be me, but while senseless slaughter seems to have a charm with things like Hotline Miami, Postal, Manhunt etc. Those games all had a depth to them that was beyond the killing. a points/style system, a plot and narrative. They had a reason, or if not at least that, the characters (Mostly Postal Dude in this example) At least had some personality, some redeeming factor, a bit of charm and wit. Manhunt's protagonist was in a "Kill or be killed" situation forced not of his own will. Hotline Miami had an interesting twist of psychosis, revenge, crime and corruption. Hatred's protagonist (Or antagonist depending on your viewpoint) Lacks any of that.
I understand the game or character never claims to make some large point of why he's senselessly killing, I don't think the devs created the game with any sort of deeper analysis in mind for the game or events in it. If you were really pushing for it, you could argue that "The game shows that not all killings have reason, that some people are just driven to murder with no cause or explanation behind them, that it's the real horror of the human condition that these things can just happen with without meaning or purpose. That this is a true horror game, a man with a gun and nothing to lose." But I honestly don't think that any sort of philosophy was considered when it came to this game. There's nothing to empathise or connect with the character, no real insight into his mind other than he's an emo hellbent on being edgy. He just falls flat as any kind of interesting, it just makes him boring.
If the whole rewarding factor of this game is that you get to let off some stress by violently killing people all around you? There are honestly better games out there for it. Controversy aside, there is no real reason to pick up this game, maybe in a sale, but not for the asking price it has currently.
Even with the controversy, if you're buying the game to see some extreme violence or over the top murders? Again, other games have done this better. It's a generic shoot to the face, throat slit etc.
Graphics are passable. The destructable environments are a nice touch but again feel shallow in their execution. It's again just a matter of style over substance. Don't expect anything along the veins of Battlefield 4's destuctive mechanics to blow up a wall and then ambush a group, because chances are they'll just die from the grenade regardless.
Edit - Due to people asking. Some more details - There's not too many guns from what I've seen so far, even then beyond the flamethrower it mostly consists of standard SMGs, an M4, a pistol, and a shotgun. The controls are pretty poor, no way as refined and tight as Hotline Miami, Driving controls are a joke. Playing this on a controller just feels wrong but even with mouse and keyboard it's not too much smoother.
Graphics options are... There. Nothing spectacular. While other people have been complaining about crashing and issues I've personally had none so far. As for any other options. There's an "Are you drunk" mode, which does... something, apparently. I've yet to figure out what precisely as the gameplay and graphics were exactly the same.
Overall it comes down to the main gripe I have with the game. It's pointless. There's no real gain for doing anything, there's no reason to be creative. There's no hidden areas, no secrets, no collectables, nothing else worth doing. Sure the "Execute to regain health" mechanic means you might find yourself having to take a risk-reward look at a firefight. "If I go out there, i could execute him to get some health back, but get shot by the others" But honestly. This one little unique gameplay mechanic doesn't really hold up the game enough to play it for.
The game's being sold on controversy and in that regard it doesn't even deserve the credit it's getting. While I completely support the fact that games of all natures, themes, topics and extremes should be allowed to be made regardless of subject matter's level to offend, (the whole fact being, if you don't like the content, don't play the game.) The game itself should at least still be fun or interesting to play. If you're only buying this game just because you think it'll be fun to mindlessly kill people, vent off some anger for yourself in a cathartic senseless fashion? Other games do it better. Hatred itself isn't -good-. And that's what's important.
And to the person in the comments section comparing my comments here about Hatred's plot and gameplay to "Doom". 1. Doom actually did have some plot, It wasn't exactly Shindler's List but it was still there. Doom was fun, Doom was varied, had good level design, had lots of different weapons, enemies, boss fights etc. This doesn't. You quickly get bored of shooting the same few bland models over and over.
-Spoilers.. you know, if you actually care about this game being spoiled. Hint, they're not much-
The only mildly interesting changes in any sort of experience I've had so far, is using a swat car with a mounted turret (Driving around a claustrophobic train yard where you can barely drive it anyway, not helped by the poor driving controls) And. Wait for it - Pressing a button on a control panel that makes a train blow up... Woopie.
That's literally the only variations to the main gameplay I've seen so far. Both of these being optional to do.
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