GamesActionJapanese hip-hop, biopunk weirdness and martial arts abound in the Hotline Miami inspired SonokuniWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

GamesActionJapanese hip-hop, biopunk weirdness and martial arts abound in the Hotline Miami inspired SonokuniWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

Hotline Miami was one of those mold-breaking, genre-defining indie games that others have been attempting to mimic for ages, but few look or sound as distinct asSonokuni, which dropped a fresh new trailer during ourPC Gaming Show: Most Wantedshowcase. Turn up the volume and check out what Japanese hip-hop artists-turned-game-devs Don Yasa Crew have been cooking.

(Image credit: Don Yasa Crew)

Sonokuni’s 2D pixel artwork blends hip hop and Japanese mythology, creating something very Hotline Miami-like in presentation.

Being shot at and only having kicks to respond with, there’s bullet time to help you react to the incoming fire, and it looks like melee bad guys get a big indicator letting you know when and where they’ll strike. Definitely a game that puts information on the player’s side. There even looks to be a bit of Ikaruga to the mix, with bosses (like a funky cthulhu-looking fella in shades) alternating between reflectable red bullets and deflectable blue ones. If that’s the way they’re going, I’m hoping for some beat-synched attacks—something which can make any boss battle objectively cooler.

All told, this seems like the exact kind of freaky, slightly gross mutant arcade game that I thrive on. Surreal environments, oddball music and lots of strange and imaginative monster designs. I’m already on board for the vibes alone, although whether the action lives up to the aesthetics, time will tell.

Sonokuni drops (the beat) sometime ‘soon’ in 2025, and you canwishlist it on Steam now, and get an early taste of the game’s soundtrack (along with some of the group’s earlier music videos) throughDon Yasa Crew’s YouTube channel here.

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