In a world of ones and zeroes, you can either be the zero or the one. Several years ago, developer Superhot Team took the world by storm with SUPERHOT and its sequel SUPERHOT VR. Each game became overnight sensations in the video game world with their unique take on time manipulation and first-person combat. Now, by complete surprise, Superhot returns in the form of SUPERHOT: MIND CONTROL DELETE. This brand new standalone game offers more of the same, good gameplay of Superhot, with plenty of new mechanics to easily make this another exciting entry in the Superhot series.

Following the events of Superhot, you are a human mind within the game. The game, the computer, the system, are all foundations of unlimited potential. Through a series of challenges the human, now part of the Superhot network, craves more. More power. More action. More Superhot. It is time to crack secrets and hack the mind.

Superhot: Mind Control Delete puts players within a digital universe, where the flow of time is connected to one’s movements. When you move, the enemy moves. These mechanics of movement and time turns Superhot: Mind Control Delete into a form of a puzzle game. As you move, the enemy continues with its violent intent to eliminate you. This timing can work to your advantage to dodge bullets and quickly dispatch enemies, but can also work against you if you are not careful. In Superhot: Mind Control Delete, the goal is to go through a series of rooms and challenges, eliminating all opponents. The opponents, all of which are highlighted in red, can be eliminated in one shot. The enemies, however, are extremely dangerous, armed to the teeth with various weapons, including shotguns, rifles, and even lasers. Fortunately, as a player that has transcended humanity, you have skills. Players have the ability to use time to their advantage, taking throwable objects to eliminate foes, and seizing weapons to use against the enemy. These are the familiar mechanics of Superhot but Superhot: Mind Control Delete goes above and beyond by adding new features to the gameplay.

The main focus of Mind Control Delete is to hack your own mind. During gameplay, more hacks can be unlocked. These hacks modify weapons and abilities to give players an edge in combat. Some of these hacks include turning throwable objects into grenades, bullets that penetrate multiple targets, more ammunition for weapons, and even erupting into a flurry of shurikens should an enemy touch you. There are Cores to unlock as well, which give players enhanced abilities at the cost of health. One Core allowed me to warp and instantly stun a distant enemy, giving me the advantage to quickly eliminate more dangerous enemies. Though, this came at the cost of health, creating a more white-knuckle gameplay experience. However, the more you crave, the more dangerous the game becomes. Superhot: Mind Control Delete gives players special tools of the trade, at the cost of increasing difficulty, which includes procedural generation and permadeath.

Superhot: Mind Control Delete becomes a challenge, but not too challenging. Players go through a chapter, play through several levels to complete the chapter, then choose another chapter in the order that they chose. Each level can last one to two minutes. Should the player die midway through a Chapter, they may start again. Superhot: Mind Control Delete has procedural generation, changing up the orientation of levels, enemy placement, and the starting position of players. The Mind Hacks are also randomized, though players can make a choice among the hacks at various points during a chapter. Playing certain chapters will unlock more hacks to use during gameplay. In later levels, the enemies become more varied. Some enemies will only have certain body parts highlighted in red, with the rest in grey. The grey parts are invincible, while the red body parts are susceptible to damage. This may not sound incredibly threatening, but the situation in Superhot: Mind Control Delete can turn sour quickly.

While Superhot: Mind Control Delete features a familiar dance of gameplay, its new additions to the formula create such a refreshing experience for the Superhot formula. Playing Superhot: Mind Control Delete feels immensely enjoyable and incredibly fun! The quick burst of gameplay among levels keeps the flow of Superhot: Mind Control Delete energetic, always in motion. There is an eagerness to make it to the next level and experiment with the various mechanics. Downing foes with the new abilities is always satisfying, and the yearning to unlock more abilities feels like a quest littered with rewards. Superhot: Mind Control Delete follows the legacy of its predecessors in being extraordinary, unique, and innovative. I’d love to see where Superhot goes next. I can easily imagine mechs, vehicles, aircraft, exo-suits, and other takes on the action being incorporated into the world of Superhot. I could also imagine more sci-fi weapons and medieval melee weapons being factored into the core experience.

Superhot: Mind Control Delete is a great action game on its own, and a wonderful extension to the Superhot games. Mind Control Delete still retains the excellent gameplay its predecessors are known for but shows that the developers are enthusiastic in constantly enhancing and tweaking the established formula into something more.

Superhot: Mind Control Delete should be in everyone’s library, especially for those unafraid to hack their mind.