Have you ever hosted a gaming party and thought “Gee, I realllly want a fast paced, arcade shooter where me and my friends can just simply just pick our characters and play?” It’s a very specific thought process but if you answered yes, then allow us to present to you the latest offering from developers Flaming Flamingo & publisher Artifex Mundi (famous for ‘Irony Curtain: From Matryoshka With Love’ which we’ve previously reviewed), HOT SHOT BURN!

STORY
Hot Shot Burn is an intense, top-down one-shot instant kill battle royale shooter. Though there are various battle royale shooters on the market right now, Hot Shot Burn does an impressive and memorable job by supplying a simple set up, uniquely memorable characters and intense, borderline on the edge of your seat, action! There are 6 different characters to choose from, each having their own unique ability to unleash on the upcoming battle

For example:
UMad: A strange pink tadpole-pufferfish hybrid whose ability can reflect enemy attacks back at them
Dr Peakl: A pot-planted cactus with robotic arms and legs who can shoot out spikes across the battlefield
Wizardo: An interstellar wizard who can teleport at will

GAMEPLAY
Upon picking your character, the game quickly loads up and you’re off! To win the match, simply be the first one to land a shot / attack / bullet on your opponent. This element amps up the intensity, as not only does the first hit kill (plus bullets will bounce off the walls), but each stage provides various traps & obstacles. These range from explosive barrels, toxic waste, powerups and teleportation doors. Gameplay runs smooth on either a keyboard or a game controller as it’s easy to navigate the controls either way making for an easy to pick-up-play game.

After each match, your characters are shown on screen and you are awarded points for your on-screen antics. The game ends when one player reaches 50 points, which sounds like a grind, but play well and you can earn as close to 12 points per match!

Points are awarded for such feats like being the last man standing, kill method & even picking up points on the battlefield. When you or your opponent(s) hit 50 points, a final round commences whereby the winner will be crowned the game champion! After each game, a progression system is also established which provides goals / tasks to unlock additional character skins and playable battle arenas. Each match is usually short but sweet and matches that drag on too long have a death barrier that forces players to make a move to get the match going.

CONTROLS
Surprisingly, Hot Shot Burn has very limited controls. Having played the Early Access version on PC via Steam, the game was limited to the mouse (moving the mouse to aim, left click to shoot) and the W, A, S, D keys to move around the arena. There is a slight sensitivity issue with the mouse being the aiming tool, as it sometimes reacts very sensitively to movement, sending your previously perfectly lined shot into the wall, rather than your on-screen enemy.

GRAPHICS + SOUND
The art styling of Hot Shot Burn is simply, yet so effective. The devil is really in the details with this game, as each character is programmed to react, move and attack the same, but their appearance really reflects their on-screen personality and special ability. The art style also brings a bright neo-animated look that just pops on screen and does so without distracting you from the battle but allows it to still be admired. This is especially true when more maps are unlocked, and more challenging scenarios are presented for arena battle.

The arenas range from fighting underwater, to duking it out in a factory and an arena that has a similar feel to it of the famed TV show Robot Wars: industrial and minimal, which again ramps up the already intense playstyle.

The sound is on-point and immersive. All attack sound effects, and arena sounds are clean and precise, whilst the soundtrack has an upbeat tempo that fits perfectly with the “also upbeat” tempo of the game. I found that this all brings the atmosphere perfectly together for this neon presentation of a colossal arena battle.

CONCLUSION
Hot Shot Burn is the perfect party shooter game, providing a mix of quirky characters with intense gaming action. The game is easy to pick up and play, with a very addictive replay value. Due to the game currently being in Beta / Early Access, play modes are currently limited. There is definite potential in seeing other play modes besides just a VS. Mode.

Perhaps an opportunity vs NPCs in a smash tv like scenario, or even 2 vs 2. But like I said, the game is in Beta and the possibilities are huge! It surely won’t be long until more modes are eventually added, bringing this game even further forward as a re-playable favourite!

Written by: MKAU Gaming