18 Action Video Games You Must Play Before You Die

9. Hotline Miami 1/2

You must experience: How one of the best soundtracks in gaming history makes ultra-violence even better. "How could ultra-violence be any better?!" you scream through the bloodshot eyes of a traditional gamer - well, when every stab, decapitation and shotgun blast is accentuated by the most pulse-pounding, ear-mashing combination of electronica man has ever produced. Although the sequel Wrong Number went a bit far down the guns-only route of making sure you clear out the top-down levels from a distance (it's still fantastic), the original is the upfront face-pounding introduction to the franchise you've probably heard the most about. https://youtu.be/-awWHKaAgzg?t=45 Playing as silent protagonist Jacket as he dispatches Russian thugs across a neon-drenched Miami backdrop, things only get more blood-soaked from there on in - ending in one of the best gaming twists there's been in years, and a story that rewards multiple playthroughs and scenery-scouring to figure out what's really going on.
 
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Gaming Editor
Gaming Editor

WhatCulture's Head of Gaming.