$5.99Hatred Play the villain, survive the manhunt
A brutal top-down shooter where you fight off police and soldiers as they close in, and the world stays grey except for the blood.
Is Hatred worth it?
Hatred is worth it if…
- you want a shooter that is openly, unapologetically about carnage and never softens it
- you enjoy hard games where police and soldiers hunt you from every side and dying often is part of it
- you like the over-the-top, tasteless streak of Postal and games like it
- you want quick, frantic top-down action in short, intense bursts
Screenshots
The hunt, and everything that hunts you back
The premise is one sentence long: The Antagonist wants to kill as many people as he can, and then die under a hail of bullets. Each level gives you a quota of civilians, police, soldiers or special forces to eliminate, plus side work like clearing out a hotel or wrecking a shop. You start with a knife and a pistol and pick up shotguns, rifles and grenades along the way.
It is not a shooting gallery for long. Within minutes the police arrive, then the military, and they stay on your case for the rest of the game, attacking fast, from several sides, and shooting straight. Some civilians grab weapons and fight back too. You run, you hide, you think, and you keep moving, because standing still means dying.
A world in black and white, and red
The whole game is rendered in monochrome, with color reserved for the things that matter here: fire, blood and flashing police lights. It gives the grey suburbs and industrial districts a cold, dreamlike look, and it is a large part of why the game feels so bleak.
The city itself barely holds together, in a good way. Explosive objects are scattered across every map, and one good blast sends debris everywhere. The soundtrack leans on black and death metal and grindcore, and the Antagonist's gravelly voiceover, grim as it is, carries a streak of dark humor that keeps the whole thing from taking itself entirely seriously.
What should you know before playing?
How hard is Hatred?
Hard, from the start. Even the early levels rarely go smoothly on a first attempt, and the difficulty climbs once armed forces show up and start attacking from multiple directions with good aim. There is a survival mode as well, for anyone who wants to test how long they can hold out against endless waves. If you want a relaxed shooter, this is not it; if you want one that keeps you on edge, it delivers.
Can you recover health?
Yes, through finishing moves on dying enemies. It is a brutal loop by design: to stay alive, you have to stay violent, and the game never lets you forget which side of the gun you are on.
Is there anything to do besides the main killing quota?
Each level has side objectives, like wiping out everyone in a specific district, setting buildings on fire or trashing shops. The maps are open enough that you can pick your route and approach, whether that is charging in or taking your time. Just know the mission structure repeats from level to level, so it is the mood and the gunplay that carry it, not variety.
Does it run well?
The game is well optimized and runs steadily even on weaker PCs. One thing to expect: some areas are very dark, and the monochrome style can make it hard to see what is happening in a firefight.
