DeadWire, a 2D top-down shooter, was just released on Steam—and it wears its Hotline Miami influence like a badge.
8mon 2d ago by atomicpoet.org/users/atomicpoet in videogames@piefed.social from atomicpoet.org
DeadWire, a 2D top-down shooter, was just released on Steam—and it wears its Hotline Miami influence like a badge.
Hotline Miami is still the measuring stick. One of the greatest games of all time. So when a new title steps into this space, that’s the comparison I reach for first.
And DeadWire makes no secret of it. Same perspective, same fast resets—but here’s the wrinkle—you’re not only shooting. You’re hacking. Cars, barrels, cameras—anything connected becomes a weapon. Set off a chain reaction, and the room clears itself while you watch from the shadows.
Visually, this is Hotline Miami with a cyberpunk filter. Pixel art characters, neon haze, digital cables snaking through the world. And I’ll say it—pixel art still works. It’s not tired. It hasn’t aged out. In a game where you die in seconds, this style is as timeless as it gets.
The soundtrack pulls its weight. Remancer drops a synthwave score that drives the action forward—hard, pulsing, insistent. Gunfire cracks, explosions boom, blades slash. The audio isn’t just set dressing—it’s the hook that keeps each run tense.
Controls are tight. Keyboard and mouse feel right—that’s the way I’d play. But it takes an Xbox controller just fine.
Linux players get good news too—it runs natively, no Proton required. The spec sheet even lists Steam Deck by name, which tells me they tested it.
System requirements are barely worth noting. i3-2125, 2 GB of RAM, a GPU with 256 MB VRAM, and 1 GB of storage. In other words, it runs on practically anything.
This is Shotgun Anaconda’s game—the same dev who made Baby Redemption and Velocity Noodle. I played both, and they were fun. DeadWire feels like the next step—more confident, more polished.
Reviews are thin right now—five in total—but they’re all positive.
Price is C$16.56 with an intro discount running until October 2. That’s about right. For a Hotline Miami heir that lets you weaponize the environment through hacking—that’s money well spent.