There have been times when a game will spring to mind when you have friends over; games like Gang Beasts, Street Fighter, Tekken and the like. These games all have that added extra spice when you play with friends/family all in the same room. Yes, they have online modes. But the real meat of these titles is in the sheer pleasure of destroying your competition and seeing the looks on their faces when you do so. This is the feeling that I had when I got to play Hot Shot Burn. It would sit well amongst your collection of competitive co-op couch events. Developed by Flaming Flamingo and published by Artifex Mundi, it will be released on the 15th August for the PC, with plans to release on the major consoles in the future.
Hot Shot Burn
The premise of the game is that of a twin-stick arena shooter. You can choose from a host of characters that all have different abilities and tactics. For example, Umad is a fish-type creature who has the ability to shoot bouncing projectiles and the ability to inflate to deflect incoming fire. Luna has the ability to become invisible, which can be a deadly combo when coupled with her crossbow. Learning how to use these abilities on the different maps you can play in is challenging and exciting. Each stage has their own unique features, which makes for exciting, competitive gameplay. Conveyor belts that have exploding barrels on them and can be controlled by the players makes for intense situations. Become too careless and you’ll run into them when trying to hunt down your targets. Likewise, tall grass and teleportation doors on the maps add challenges and strategy to your arsenal. Planning your attacks is just as crucial as getting the win. There are different reload times for the characters and power-up abilities to collect on these maps to give you an edge during combat.
Strategy
By knowing the abilities of your opponents, you can formulate a strategy that works for you. Do you run and gun while hoping for the best? Or do you lie in wait, waiting for your turn to strike? All these choices and more are viable, but remember that the tables can turn on you in a flash. If you survive long enough, the stage will decrease in size; death zones, if you will, to force your hand in making quick, snap decisions. The rounds don’t normally last that long anyways, as when my friends and I were playing, the rounds were over fairly quickly. When playing, we did notice that, depending on your preferences, you can either play with the keyboard and mouse or controllers. After trying both, I felt the controller to be more comfortable to use.
As a game that is designed around quick-fire rounds with the emphasis on fun, wacky arena deathmatches, I think this will go down well in the gaming community at large when you want to play a genuinely fun-fueled adrenaline rush of game. It brought a smile to my face when playing. I would recommend this game and will look forward to when it releases very shortly. I would like to say a big thank you to my friends, kHz Livewire and Godslit09, for assisting me with this preview by playing this game with me.