SuperHot: Mind Control Delete

Mind Control Delete throws a few wild twists into the Superhot formula, but it might be too much of a good thing.

A fantastic return to Superhot's slick shootouts, at the expense of the original's deft pacing.

Mind Control Delete is a fascinating remix of the concepts that made the first two games so influential.

The various gameplay modifiers and enemy types add to the puzzle-like elements of the original, further evolving Superhot's compelling formula

Ultimately it doesn’t matter who you’re fighting or why. What matters is the fight itself, the spectacle and the flow. Superhot’s self-directed choreography emerges triumphant; stylish, dynamic and gripping.

It's a power fantasy that makes you work for the right to feel like a god and when your plans come together it's a joyous romp to play.

Gameplay might be much the same, but the Cores and Hacks make the action far more varied. The random nature of the level order and the Hacks offered to you mean there's almost a rogue-like flavour to it, though this is still very much a linear game. It's just a little wider, and that meta-storyline and clinical creepiness is absolutely still part of the experience. Endless and Infinite modes mean you'll never run short of baddies to break, a task that's just as satisfying here -- if not more so with the added power-ups.

SUPERHOT: MIND CONTROL DELETE is an engaging, albeit shallow experience. The combat is outstanding and still one of the best you can experience, only enhanced by the new abilities featured in this standalone. However, where the combat has improved, the taut and well-thought-out nature of the levels is lost due to the roguelike nature of the game, with the thought and surprise of the originals story lost in what is mostly meandering waffle here. Is it a good game? Yes, it's well worth playing if you just want the combat. If you want more, you'll likely be disappointed.

More than four years on, SUPERHOT remains as instantly recognizable and immensely appealing a gameplay concept as it ever was on day one.

For what it's worth, the standalone expansion is a step in the right direction in many ways for a future title and is truthfully a must-have experience for fans of the original.