The Hong Kong Massacre

The Hong Kong Massacre is an action movie fan's dream played out in stylish slow-motion.

The Hong Kong Massacre is a little janky, but it mostly replicates the wild Hong Kong action cinema that inspired it with aplomb.

Overall, The Hong Kong Massacre is a treat. Yes, the game is one-note, focusing entirely on the gunplay. But it’s a really good note!

There is fun to be had with The Hong Kong Massacre, but I don't believe it lives up to the years of hype following it. With some finer tuning and better balance, this could be a real contender for the Hotline Miami clone crown. As it is, this is an okay time that wears out its welcome well before the end credits start rolling.

The Hong Kong Massacre's inspiration is clear, but unfortunately, it doesn't have the gameplay, the personality, or the energy to stand alongside it. The slow-mo shooting can be fun, but with tough enemies and a janky dodge manoeuvre, you'll more often than not be frustrated by death after death. With a little more polish, it could've been an entertaining romp, but as it stands, redeeming qualities are few and far between.

Graphically, the game is technically decent, though the frame rate could have been bumped up a bit more. From an artistic perspective, the environments and characters are all a bit ‘samey’, blending together from one level to the next, with little variation. It’s a shame, because Hong Kong is undoubtedly a visually striking city, but the buildings showcased in The Hong Kong Massacre could have been plucked from literally any town in the world.

The Hong Kong is a stylish top-down shooter that, while not being the most original game out there, is an enjoyable experience.

It's getting a middling score, but I implore you: do not play this game. Do not encourage this lack of creativity with your money. At some point, we need to get off of this treadmill of worthless unartistic experiences and demand more. THKM is the perfect example of a treadmill game, a deja vu-inducing experience that means nothing. It's a pretty love letter to a niche film genre, and that's all it is. Maybe it's not meant for us, but in that case, don't make us play it. It feels like nothing, gives nothing, and doesn't advance the form in any meaningful way. It rehashes concepts that have been rehashed since 2013.

Hong Kong Massacre tries to emulate the adrenaline-fueled romp that was Hotline Miami, but it fails to deliver the same thrilling experience.

Listen, aside from having to deal with hardware limitations, The Hong Kong Massacre on the Switch is plenty serviceable. If you’re a fan of the bang-your-head-against-the-wall experience that these games offer, look no further. But I can’t recommend this on the Switch over any other system. And then, at that point, you might as well play something better. If ever a game garnered the title of mediocre, The Hong Kong Massacre is it.