There's No More Room In Hell: A Hot Blood Review

By Al

Players: 1
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC

We've looked at several beat 'em ups here at A-to-J, but not too many that adopt the free-roaming, 3D style fully. Hot Blood does exactly that, and it's out now on most major platforms. (Sorry XBox owners!) We're going to be taking a look at the Nintendo Switch version today, and see if this quirky little title is worth adding to your collection. There's an entire zombie invasion to deal with here, so let's dive right in!

A simple enough beginning.

Did i mention that this is meant to be an adult game?

Hot Blood places you into the role of Roxy, a young woman who is fashionable as she is tough. Roxy is having a peaceful mall date with her boyfriend when a zombie outbreak takes place while she's trying on some clothes. After taking out the zombie that creepily wandered into her dressing room, she realizes that there are zombies everywhere, and her boyfriend is missing. Her task is rather obvious, so she sets off to find her boyfriend and escape with him from the horrors of the mall. Nothing is ever that easy, and there are plenty of undead enemies that are now out for her blood. And that's pretty much it as far as story goes. There are a few cutscenes that remind players about what's going on, or at least introduce new enemies, but it never goes much further than what I just laid out. It's a very simple premise, but one that I liked nonetheless. This take on the zombie mall aesthetic almost feels like Dawn of the Dead, but with a Stranger Things-like aesthetic. I'm probably giving it a bit too much credit, but I was fairly surprised to find a plot here at all. Players could've easily been dropped into this world with no rhyme or reason, and I for one at least appreciate the work that went into making this one interesting. I guess I can leave that up for debate, but in the meantime, let's move on to discuss gameplay.

Look at that explosion!

Not ominous at all.

If you've ever played a 3D beat 'em up like Fighting Force, Dynamite Cop, or Urban Reign, then you probably have a decent idea of what to expect here in Hot Blood. Roxy has the ability to punch, kick, dodge, and use weapons. Movement is in full 3D, with Roxy being able to freely traverse the world as she (or you I guess) sees fit. Roxy also has a life meter that takes the form of five hearts, but how much damage she takes is actually affected by her current level. That level also determines the combos and moves available, but the entire system is so lightly integrated that one could play the entire game and not really notice it all. RPG-like progression aside, your main task is to make your way through the mall. This means going store to store looking for your boyfriend. Most of these stores, and the bigger regions of the mall itself, actually act as the game's "stages". Each of these stages are self-contained battles, and you have to take out every zombie in them in order to progress. Beating any stage saves the game, and you're then able to move on to the next area. There are plenty of zombies to be found in-between stages also, but killing them isn't necessary to winning the game.

Punching and kicking are fine, but where is the nuance in the gameplay? Even though most zombies only need a standard punching combo to be taken out, some require more strategy. Big zombies have slow but powerful attacks that have to be carefully avoided with well-timed dodging, and the crazy cat-lady looking zombies attack so fast that it's best to keep them on the ground. These strategies are actually told to you via an in-game tutorial, and there's actually a few other techniques to keep in mind too. It's not the deepest of systems, but their inclusion is a nice touch. Weapons are also scattered throughout the game, with options like a bat, an axe, a chainsaw, and all sorts of other makeshift items being available. These can be a bit hit or miss as far as actually using goes, but they do deal far more damage than the standard attacks. Lastly there's healing, and that's done by drinking soda. Soda bottles can be found throughout the mall, and they're added to a running inventory as opposed to being used right away. You drink the soda as needed, and it refills your hearts. You do have to be careful though, as the action of drinking the soda leaves you open to attacks. Healing is probably the thing I forgot about the most, and it's just as well as you can lose all your hearts really fast. That said, dying doesn't actually mean that it's game over. It just means that you're sent back to the last checkpoint.

Get off that floor girl!

Time for a soda!

Before we move on and discuss some other things I liked about Hot Blood, I want to point out one of its big issues: collision/hit detection. Actually hitting enemies can be quite a messy affair, as the game incorporates an automatic lock-on system that is anything but intuitive. It is refreshing to know that you can simply hit the attack button and the game will drag you to the nearest enemy, but that doesn't always work out as intended. Sometimes you'll be pulled too close, rendering your attacks ineffective, or other times you'll be pulled to a weaker enemy, leaving you exposed to powerful attacks from behind. That pulled in too close thing is weird, as you can come very close to clipping through some enemies. It's really hard to explain outside of playing for oneself, but trust me when I say that it makes for some messy combat encounters. If that weren't bad enough, there's also a delay to a lot of the stronger attacks. Each powerful attack, and most any attack from a weapon, comes with a slow motion camera pan. That's not even the delay I'm talking about, but it's worth bringing up too. After that slow motion bit is done, there is always a second or two where you're just left vulnerable. This is made all the more annoying when you realize that some enemies can just walk through your AOE attacks. It's not that their immune of course, just that the hit detection is totally in their favor then. Through in the fact that many fights take place in tight aisles and small rooms, and you have a recipe for occasionally frustrating gameplay. None of these issues are to the point where they break the game, but they do detract from what could’ve been an amazing experience otherwise.

While the game does have quite a few points that keep it from being truly great, I still enjoyed the game in spite of them. Roxy is a fun protagonist, and you can dress her up in all sorts of wacky unlockable outfits. I think the game was going for something titillating here, but I just found most of them to be silly. I'm all for having a hero fight in a bunny suit, no matter the circumstances. Fun costumes aside, there's the fact that the entire game world is one giant open world. Okay, calling it an "open world" is a bit much, but it really is impressive. It actually feels like it could be inspired by an actual mall, and for all I know it was. There's lots of stores, hallways, bathrooms, patios, a food court, an arcade, and so on. It's all one big connected zone, and I can't recall seeing a loading screen throughout my time with the game. That's honestly impressive, and I'm not even getting into how fun the game can be in general. There's a joy to seeing the zombies explode in a sea of gore amidst lots of neon lights that I just can't put into words. I know that sounds weird, but it's a joy that I'm sure other beat 'em up fans can relate to. It's also a fast-moving experience and the level up system gives players a reward for their perseverance. It truly is better than it has any right to be, and is a fairly competent 3D beat 'em up in spite of its many failings.

I hate these enemies most of all.

Some weapons are better than others.

If you're a fan of low-poly 3D models, especially ones that come together to form a very Lara Croft-esque hero, then Hot Blood is the game for you. I for one love the visual style here, and the variety that makes up the mall setting. I'm willing to bet that many of the in-game models are pre-made assets, but the way the developers put together one big cohesive mall should be celebrated. That said, I'm not sure if the character models that occupy this setting make for a good beat 'em up game. I talked about the many collision detection issues the game has earlier, and just about all of them stem from how big the characters are themselves. I get that they might be going for a realistic, fighting in a closed space type feel, but that makes for some wonky gameplay in execution. I guess the only solution would be to make the areas bigger, but I'm not sure how that would affect the performance of the game. On that note by the way, I should mention that this game runs relatively smooth on the Nintendo Switch, which I'm sure is the least optimized version of the game. Lastly I want to mention that I love the comic book-style art used for cutscenes, and wished that there was more of it. Nothing here is perfect, but it's all great for what it is.

Though I gave the slightest of nods to Hot Blood's visuals, things are a bit rougher when discussing sound. The music isn't all that bad for the most part, even if it is rather generic. The game is full of very dance-style upbeat music, and I can at least say that it fits the neon-infused aesthetic the game has. I personally found myself wishing the soundtrack had more variety, but I guess it could've been worse. Things take a weird turn when discussing voice acting though. I'm still confused what is voice acted and what isn't in this game, as there seem to be random words spoken out loud that I have trouble catching. I don't mean just Roxy's quips either, she says a handful of words in the cutscenes that are the epitome of random. I know I like to praise indie games that include voice acting, but the way Hot Blood includes it just feels rather lazy. It makes me almost wish the game had no voice acting at all, as all it really did was take me out of whatever scene was currently using it.

Getting all the outfits unlocked is fun.

RIP this music store.

If there's one thing that Hot Blood has going for it, it has to be the way that it executes its 3D gameplay. Playing through an interconnected mall is so much fun, even if clearing it is probably a bit easier than it should be. Since you respawn at the last checkpoint on death, the difficulty eventually becomes somewhat trivial. Sure you might be forced to backtrack a bit to get to another checkpoint, but you'll be ready for whatever it was that took you out in the first place. I still think the game is more than fun enough to justify its current $9.99, and it might even be worth going at multiple runs to make sure you unlock everything the game has to offer. I do lament the fact that the naked outfits DLC appears to be PC only, and the fact that there is no multiplayer at all in any versions, but the game is great for what it is.

Nothing like a chainsaw in a supermaket.

I want to go to this arcade.

I'll be the first to say that Hot Blood isn't the best beat 'em up out there, retro-inspired or otherwise, but I enjoyed most of the time I spent with it. For every broken part of the game, there is something that takes it back towards greatness. It never reaches said greatness unfortunately, but it's a fun journey while it lasts. If you're a fan of 3D beat 'em ups like Fighting Force or Dynamite Cop, then this is the game for you. Fans of 2D games like Streets of Rage and Final Fight might find enjoyment here too, but they might also be more than a little annoyed with the unpolished gameplay. As long as you go in with the right expectations, you'll be fine. See you in the next one!

Check Out Hot Blood on Nintendo Switch:
https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/hot-blood-switch/

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Story: B
Gameplay: C
Graphics: B
Music/Sound: C
Value: B

Overall: B-

Pros:
+ A fun take on the 3D beat 'em up formula.
+ The graphics, especially the neon-infused mall aesthetic, are pretty great and give off PS1 low-poly vibes.
+ The gameplay loop is fun, and there are a lot of unlockables that keep progression interesting.
+ There's just something special about seeing a girl in a bunny outfit take out hordes of zombies.
+ Offers a lot of gameplay for its $9.99 price tag.

Cons:
- The hit and collision detection are all over the place, leading to occasionally frustrating gameplay.
- Music leaves a bit to be desired, as does the half-hearted attempt at voice acting.
- Could've really used a multiplayer mode.

A copy of this game was provided to us free-of-charge by the publisher for the purpose of this review. This did not affect our review in any way.

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Time to dance!