Hatred (Incl. DLC)

A grim isometric shooter turns a suburban New York setting into a deliberately abrasive rampage, following a nameless gunman driven by nihilism rather than any heroic motive. Hatred is built around shock value, bleak monochrome visuals, and an oppressive tone that never asks players to sympathize with its protagonist. Streets, homes, police stations, and other everyday locations become hostile arenas as law enforcement escalates from armed officers to heavily equipped tactical units. It is an intentionally unpleasant game in both theme and presentation, aimed at players curious about a notorious, no-frills violence-focused action title.

Combat uses a twin-stick perspective, with movement, aiming, weapon swapping, and environmental positioning all mattering once enemies begin firing back. The central loop involves pushing through open maps, scavenging guns and ammunition, avoiding concentrated fire, and using executions on downed targets to recover health. Police and military response steadily raises the pressure, forcing players to use cover, retreat through buildings, and decide when to make a stand instead of simply charging forward. Included DLC adds Survival mode, shifting the focus toward score-driven endurance combat and giving players a more arcade-like alternative to the campaign’s linear destruction.

What separates Hatred from most top-down shooters is less mechanical depth than its relentlessly hostile atmosphere: its washed-out black-and-white world, sound design, and grim narration make every level feel intentionally suffocating. Beneath the controversy sits a functional but fairly simple shooter, with destructible scenery, varied firearms, and occasional tactical moments when armed opponents overwhelm the player. Anyone expecting the precision, variety, or replayable buildcraft of Hotline Miami or modern twin-stick roguelites may find its mission design limited, while its subject matter is likely to be a deal-breaker for many players. It suits genre veterans who want a short, harshly toned action game and can tolerate its provocative premise, not newcomers looking for clever storytelling or nuanced combat.