One of my most favorite isometric games is Ruiner, a ruthless twin-stick, cyberpunk shooter that featured an amazing soundtrack. It had great pacing and smooth gameplay and managed to revitalize my interest in twin-stick shooter games. I was quite amazed when Sony presented us with a trailer of The Hong Kong Massacre during Paris Games Week 2017. The Hong Kong Massacre seems to have a lot of similarities between Ruiner (the shooting mechanics), Hotline Miami (the difficulty and level design) and Max Payne (stylized slow-motion gunplay). A combination of those elements should be a recipe for success, however, the game vanished of our radars not long after. Recently it has re-surfaced, it’s finished and available on Steam starting today. What a surprise!
The reason behind the game’s sudden resurface is easily explained. While the overall quality of the game might lead you to believe it’s being worked on by a big team, it’s actually being made by two guys from Sweden. Work on the project started roughly four years ago, after the devs were encouraged to keep working on it after showing some 2D prototypes to the world. The team deliberately chose to spend as much time as possible on development, rather than complex marketing campaigns.
The plot of the game is a classic tale of revenge. Players set out to hunt down a triad leader in Hong Kong by making connections within his inner circle to find clues about his whereabouts. As player progress they will unlock new weapons and skills, enhancing the experience. Since this game is so similar to Max Payne, check out the gameplay trailer below to see if this is your cup of tea!
