Hong Kong Massacre - Review

I recently got back from a few days away at the coast, it was great. Watching the ocean, walking through fields and getting to experience wildlife you just don't see in the city.  It's nice to be back though as my hands were itching to play the new game I download, Hong Kong Massacre.  The game caught my attention a couple of months, it basically combines Max Payne with Hot Line Miami.


While I was away we ate good wholesome food.  My favourite meal was a part boned, part stuffed chicken thigh with garlic baby potatoes and a splash of chicken gravy.  It was simple, hearty and tasty.  Playing Hong Kong Massacre I found myself asking was this simple, hearty meal I needed or was it just a mess?

Story


The game is set in Hong Kong in 1992 and spans over fours days.  The game provides little story but from what I pieced together you are Detective that recently lost their partner.  After you both make one of the biggest drug busts the Triads become a little unhappy and kill your partner.  The story is about revenge, not only for your partner but from other lives who have been affected by the Triad.


The story is broken up into multiple chapters with names like, 'Bang, bang, feels good to be back',
'Vengence is my only friend', and 'No one else is safe until you're dead'.  While the story is fairly simple I didn't find this to be a bad thing, at the end of the day it's a story about revenge, no need to over complicate it.

Visuals


Throughout the levels, smoke hangs thick in the air which creates a moody and hopeless feeling.  The areas you visit often have discussed and run down look to them. Two of my favorite level designs were The Red Dragon and Kung Fang restaurants.  There was just something about the beaten up kitchens and dark alleyways that gave the feeling of old cop movies.  One of the smaller details I like is seeing papers flying up into the air, similar to John Woo's classic use of doves.  The downside with the visuals is that sometimes distinguishing the environment can be tough and sometimes that wall is actually a window.


Overall the visuals are great and have a real feeling of an old cop movie from the eighties and nineties.  While some of the environments aren't always the easiest to work out it never really stopped my enjoyment of the game.


Music 


The game combines electronic and dance music with sprinklings of old retro games similar to the ones you would have found on the Sega Megadrive and Genesis. The music is produced by Professor Kliq an American composer and musician.  He has released a number of albums including, Wire and Flashing Lights, Guns Blazing, and Scientific Method Volume Three.


The soundtrack runs a little over an hour and has features some great tracks.  Unfortunately, as of writing this, there is no official release of the sound.  Because of this, I can't provide names to any of the tracks.   Overall Hong Kong Massacre has an interesting soundtrack that fits in perfectly with the game.

Gameplay


Hong Kong Massacre was created by Vreski is a small independent studio based out of Sweden. It is a top-down game that is Max Payne meets Hotline Miami.  The gameplay is challenging and you will need to dodge, duck, dip, dive, and dodge to survive.  The game has bullet time like Max Payne and features Hotline Miami's 'one bullet and you're dead' system.  These two together work really well.


There are four weapons, pistol, shotgun, SMG and rifle, all of which can be upgraded.  While they all have their benefit my favorite was the pistol, especially once I unlocked unlimited ammo.


The game has more than thirty levels and even a handful of boss fights.  Some of the levels can feel a little samey, and unfortunately, the bosses have a rinse and repeat feeling with no real decipherable difference between them.  If you are not finding the levels tough enough you can try to complete the challenges.


Overall the gameplay was a lot of fun, the levels can be challenging and while there is a little bit of rinse and repeat it still holds up pretty well.





Final Thoughts

So, after a little over five hours how did I feel? Pretty pumped.  The story is about revenge plain, simple and effective.  The visuals are very atmospheric and while there is a slight lack of variety the gameplay helps pick up the slack.  The music is well suited to the game and helps tie everything together.  Hong Kong Massacre gets 4 out of 5