SUPERHOT Super-Alpha Super-Footage Is ... Alright
Not for SUPERTOTs.
What's left to be said about the stylish and genius SUPERHOT [official site] beyond "is it out yet?" and "when is it out?" The prototype, coming out of the 7DFPS 2013 gamejam, captured everyone's attention with a mix of minimalist style and time manipulation. If you've somehow not played it, go do so right now (if it works for you, as the RPS hivemind can't get it to load).
SUPERHOT's been flung back into the spotlight as the first alpha version was sent out to $200+ backers of the highly successful Kickstarter on February 28th. One young killtrepreneur has posted up eleven minutes of footage from the game's new endless mode, fighting off waves of neon bad guys. Check it out below.
Hrm. The greatness of SUPERHOT's ideas isn't in doubt - the prototype proved it worked and left us begging for more - but whether a horde mode is the best use of it is another matter. The corner-camping seen in the first part of the video is inevitable given how lethal enemies not in your cone of vision can be, but is it fun? The new weapons don't fill me with confidence either, -part of the original charm being the precision and tactical thinking required when using a low clipsize pistol.
On the other hand, these things used in the context of a longer version of the prototype's narrative-light 'story' mode would be excellent. More powerful guns provided sparingly and with reason beyond killing another wave of baddies. As a supplement to that, the horde mode could be quite enjoyable. It will help to alleviate the strain of trying to stretch one mechanic across an eight hour campaign. It's also worth noting this isn't a refined, custom-made trailer, just a fan-made clip of someone playing the game in its current (alpha) state.
The latest progress update on the Kickstarter links to Killstagram, a custom site set up to share gifs created by the game after each life. They're not currently very high quality, but it's a cool idea. The same update also mentions that the devs are currently eight weeks behind schedule, delaying the more widespread beta release into Spring and the full release into at least August.