Cyberpunk 2077, Doom, and Hotline Miami all give and take inspiration from one another, with their pulse-pounding soundtracks, vibrant, neon visuals, and splatters of satisfying gore. A new horror and sci-fi FPS, also styled after other 90s shooter hits like Blood and Quake, takes that dynamic one step further, combining all three games into one, available now on Steam, GOG, and the Epic Games Store.
Hyperviolent (what a name) comes from developer Terminist Arcade, which previously created the throwback arcade shooter Guns of Midnight. Responding to a distress signal from a distant mining colony called Commodus Asteroid 27-C, you find the entire workforce has been transformed into monsters and mutants by a mysterious contagion. The story is mostly delivered through System Shock 2-style computer logs and journals, but you can also interact with a variety of NPCs. Hyperviolent’s key feature, however, is its brutal and fast-paced combat, encouraging quick weapon swaps, circle strafing, and charging headlong into fights rather than holding back.
Dual-wielding also plays a massive part, as you can combine any two weapons for use in each hand. You might opt for something straightforward, like a pair of sub-machine guns, but you can get a lot more creative, weakening enemies with a shotgun blast before finishing them off with a pickaxe. The music is booming, the blood is plentiful, and the nostalgia is strong – if you love 90s shooters, and some of their adoring homages like Dusk, Hyperviolent, a stark and non-stop assault on the senses available now on Steam, is an absolute must-have.
Alternatively, you might want to take a look at some of the other best PC classics that are still worth playing. We also have guides to some of the best FPS games and best indie games on PC, with smaller developers keeping the gory, twitch-based-gameplay dreams of the golden age of shooters alive and well.