Follow TV Tropes

Following

Context VideoGame / Superhot

Go To

1[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/photo_original_1.png]]
2[[caption-width-right:300:'''IT'S. ABOUT. TIME.''']]
3
4->'''TIME. MOVES. ONLY. WHEN. YOU. MOVE.'''
5
6[[ArcWords The most innovative shooter anyone's played in years]].
7
8''SUPER'''HOT''''' is a series of FirstPersonShooter / PuzzleGame hybrids. The core concept of the series is that time only moves when you move -- specifically, when you press buttons on the controller. If you’re standing still, time nearly stops, slowing bullets to a crawl and stopping enemies in their tracks. If you move, bullets will zip right at you and enemies will start shooting again. Once you've used up a gun’s mag, you have no choice but to [[ThrowingYourGunAtTheEnemy throw it at your enemies]] and grab one of their weapons, unless you'd rather take them down up close and personal. [[RuleOfCool It's friggin' cool.]]
9
10Games in the series are:
11* ''SUPERHOT PROTOTYPE'': This version was originally created by SUPERHOT Team as part of the 2013 7 Day FPS Challenge. The demo released as a browser-based game in September 2013, and can still be played for free [[http://superhotgame.com/ here]].
12* ''SUPERHOT'': The full release, following a successful Kickstarter campaign, improving the visuals and mechanics while adding more weapons, modes, and the glorious RuleOfCool stuff people wanted from an expanded release. The expanded version was released on February 25, 2016 for PC, with many news outlets proclaiming "It's the most innovative shooter I've played in years."
13* ''SUPERHOT VR'': ''SUPERHOT''... in VR. Released on Dec. 6, 2016 for headsets including the Platform/OculusRift and Platform/HTCVive. This version changes some of the rules (all throwables become lethal) and integrates body and head tracking, as well as telling a unique story that's separate from ''SUPERHOT''.
14* ''SUPERHOT: MIND CONTROL DELETE'': Released to Steam Early Access in December 2017, and fully released on July 16th 2020, with free copies given to every player who had previously purchased the original ''SUPERHOT'' on Steam. Unlike the previous games, ''MIND CONTROL DELETE'' takes a {{Roguelike}} approach to the series formula, and is a {{Sequel}} set after the previous two games that explores what happens to the players who've joined the System.
15
16See also the [[ForeignRemake Chinese-made remake]], ''VideoGame/GunFuFighter''.
17
18----
19!!ADD. THESE. TROPES:
20
21* EleventhHourSuperpower: The final level ends with you getting a new power: [[spoiler:hotswitching to take control of and kill enemies without any cooldown.]]
22* AcceptableBreaksFromReality: Even in real time, bullets travel [[PainfullySlowProjectile much more slowly]] than they should. Just as well, since bullets traveling at their actual speed would make dodging pointless and the game less cool.
23* AlienGeometries: The level design in superhot.exe is uncanny in a way other than its colour scheme: everyday objects such as shelves, chairs and lamps may be recessed in such a way that they appear to be clipping into the walls, especially around the level borders. Simple items may suddenly appear somewhere in a clustered lattice, floating off into nowhere or echoing down a few layers, almost as if the program is breaking down around its edges.
24** Amped in ''MIND CONTROL DELETE''. At first, the levels seem like they fit in with those of the first game, but the further one goes, the more junk, glitches and rendering issues appear...
25* {{Anticlimax}}: The prototype ending is [[spoiler: killing a CEO with no effort other than a single click]].
26* AntiFrustrationFeatures
27** In ''MIND CONTROL DELETE'', because unarmed and melee enemies are silent, if they sneak up behind the player and land a hit, it doesn't take away a heart, and the System warns you to "WATCH. YOUR. BACK."
28** You can look around without it counting as movement. If time also passed because you were just looking around, the game would be a lot harder (likely beyond reason) and would probably functionally negate the idea of time passing only if you move (since you'd be causing time to pass just by trying to turn your attention towards someone firing at you).
29* ArcWords:
30** The title, at the end of every level in both versions, and [[spoiler:a sign of you, the player, integrating their mind into the data of the titular program.]]
31** Exaggerated in the sense that it takes place in-game and [[spoiler: in real life, when the game asks you to spread the word of the game upon completion of the story.]] That phrase? [[spoiler: "It's the most innovative shooter I've played in years."]]
32** Three phrases that tend to appear close together in the later portions of the game and in secret areas:
33---> [[spoiler: [[BrainUploading THE MIND IS SOFTWARE]]\
34[[WeHaveReserves BODIES ARE DISPOSABLE]]\
35[[AssimilationPlot THE SYSTEM WILL SET YOU FREE]]]]
36** In ''MIND CONTROL DELETE'', there's "MORE", as well as "Anxiety", "Anger", "Addiction", and "Avarice", the [[FatalFlaw Fatal Flaws]] of each of the minds within the System.
37* ArrangeMode: The retail game comes with a whole bunch of unlockable challenge modes that modify how you run through the non-story levels. Most force you to kill enemies with only one method (fists, katanas, throwables), some mess with the difficulty, and others are purely cosmetic, like the season pumpkin spice challenge.
38* ArrogantKungFuGuy: The Ninja mind, prior to Superhot.exe uploading him, constantly talks about how no one else at the Dojo was as skilled or talented as he was. It's part of what drives him to Superhot.exe.
39* AsceticAesthetic: Every part of the scenery is white, shiny, and smooth. In fact, it appears to have the texture of Styrofoam or concrete. One of the secret terminals actually allows the player to ask the system why everything looks like concrete, and the response is "Textures are distracting. [[spoiler: We'd rather you focus on our goals]]."
40* AssimilationBackfire: [[spoiler: In ''MIND CONTROL DELETE'', the System is unable to stop [=Avar1ce=]'s desire for ''MORE''. Even when it tricks [=Avar1ce=] into giving up everything, they find a way to keep searching for ''MORE''. Eventually the System gives up and lets [=Avar1ce=] back into the game, believing they'll have to give up eventually.]]
41* AssimilationPlot: The apparent goal of [[spoiler: Superhot.exe]] is to integrate everyone into it.
42-->'''Group:''' One of us. One of us.\
43'''Individual:''' One of us.
44* AttackItsWeakPoint: ''MIND CONTROL DELETE'' introduces enemies which are entirely white save one part of them (a limb, torso, or head). The white parts are immune to damage, aren't stunned by thrown objects, and normally lethal attacks will only stun them. However, hacks that upgrade one of your damage aspects (piercing for bullets, damage for punching and throwing) bypass this invulnerability. The Railgun comes with built-in piercing that also ignores their protection.
45* AwesomeButImpractical:
46** In the original game, you can cut bullets out of the air with a katana. This looks cool and nets you an achievement, but practically speaking wastes an action that could have been better spent on dodging and killing the shooter. The timing is quite narrow and if you fuck up you ''will'' get shot, and good luck stopping anything more than a few handgun shots.
47** Using the katana to deflect bullets back at the shooter in ''MIND CONTROL DELETE'' is more practical, but has its own issues. It's just as cool as it sounds, but the bullets are reflected back at the shooter's current position and don't take movement into account. If the shooter is doing anything other than standing still or running at you, it's almost guaranteed to miss. The only time it's worth doing consistently is with the ''defall.hack'' upgrade [[note]]deflecting one bullet will also auto-reflect ''every single'' bullet currently moving through the map[[/note]] or with projectiles fired from the Railgun.
48* TheBadGuyWins:
49** In the end, [[spoiler: the System successfully brainwashes and assimilates the player, and uses them to spread itself to their friends]].
50** In the VR game, [[spoiler:[[HopeSpot despite being apparently destroyed]], the System is clearly still active.]]
51* BigBrotherIsWatching: The player is shown several flashes of [[spoiler:themself at a computer, lending credence to the idea that whoever is behind Superhot.exe is constantly watching your real-world body]].
52* BlackSite: What appears to be a secret government research facility shows up [[spoiler:in the last two levels of the game]].
53* TheBladeAlwaysLandsPointyEndIn:
54** Katanas usually stick in the floor or walls when thrown or dropped, to allow easy retrieval.
55** All edged throwing weapons in ''MIND CONTROL DELETE'' land pointy-end in, from throwing knives to screwdrivers. If you score a headshot, this is lethal.
56* BloodlessCarnage: The game resorts to LiterallyShatteredLives instead.
57** Notably doesn't apply to the prototype.
58* BoomHeadshot: ''MIND CONTROL DELETE'' adds some side benefits to targeting the head. A hack causes bullets to ricochet to the nearest enemy on a headshot, and any pointy thrown object (from pens to discarded railgun rounds) is instantly fatal if you score a headshot.
59* BoringButPractical:
60** Throwing objects at people isn't lethal, but it distracts them for a crucial few seconds while you grab new equipment (even theirs) or beat them to death, and has the added bonus of being able to block stray bullets better than other bullets.
61** Subverted in the Throwing Challenge: Your guns can't fire, but anything that makes contact with an enemy (if it hasn't been shattered first) kills on impact. That entire bar? 64 lethal throwing knives. Have fun.
62** The VR version makes any thrown object lethal by default -- ordinary objects, guns, you name it!
63** ''MIND CONTROL DELETE'' adds a slew of semi-lethal to very lethal thrown objects. Anything pointy that isn't lethal will stick in the enemy and can be grabbed out of them to be thrown again. Headshots with anything pointy will always be lethal, unless the enemy is invulnerable for one reason or another. Any circular object (shurikens, records, painting easels) kills instantly on contact, with the same exceptions.
64** Also in ''MIND CONTROL DELETE'', the MORE Core. You can't warp around or throw a sword that returns to your hands or swap places with enemies. You can however take 3 hits over the course of a node by default, and you can get upgrades to add even more hearts to your health bar. Not a particularly fancy Core, but a rather useful one.
65* BottomlessMagazines: For the enemies, anyway. You'll still run out after a few shots, but this is mitigated by the enemies having a slower rate of fire.
66* BodySurf:
67** An ability called "Hotswitch" that you gain near the end of the game, with the added benefit of killing your former host whenever you switch. As a drawback, however, you automatically discard your victim's weapon.
68** In ''MIND CONTROL DELETE'' you are able to use this ability as a CORE. Hacks can upgrade the skill so it doesn't discard the enemy's weapon and allow multiple uses in a row. [[spoiler: In addition, the Addict can pull this on ''you'', being heavily implied to be the [[DuelingPlayerCharacters protagonist of the original game.]] He has the advantage of getting to keep your weapon when he does it.]]
69* BrainUploading: "The mind is software" is not a recurring phrase for no reason. The full version has [[spoiler:the player do this near the end of the story, and the System's final demand is that they kill their own body, as "Bodies are disposable." The ending implies the System has been drawing other people to upload themselves for its own unknown purposes; ''MIND CONTROL DELETE'' explores who some of the other characters were.]]
70* BrokenRecord: Finishing a level results in a real-time replay of your efforts while the words "Super. Hot." are repeated endlessly.
71* BrutalBonusLevel: ''MIND CONTROL DELETE'' has two kinds:
72** One node has a whopping 100 levels to defeat. It's a BraggingRightsReward if you can pull it off.
73** Once you've completed all the standard levels, several error nodes are unlocked. Each one has a unique gimmick, such as all spiked enemies or every enemy using a shotgun, forcing you to adjust your strategy accordingly.
74* BulletCatch:
75** Used to be possible during the beta. It was taken out for the full release, but put back in for VR.
76** The suppunch.hack in ''MIND CONTROL DELETE'' lets you punch back bullets.
77* BulletDancing: Invoked in a level where you are stuck in a cell with enemies shooting at you from above, thus forcing you to run around like an idiot. A similar level in the VR version starts you out next to a stripper pole and instructs you to "Dance, Dance Dance!"
78* BulletDodgesYou: In ''MIND CONTROL DELETE'', the lightreflx.hack is a downplayed version; bullets near the player slow to a crawl, even compared to [[PainfullySlowProjectile their usual leisurely pace]], making avoiding them trivial unless the player is unaware of them or bumps into them by mistake.
79* BulletproofHumanShield: Bullets can't penetrate mooks, which means you can't shoot through them and they can't shoot through their buddies to hit you. The melee enemies can be used to block the gunners in this fashion.
80* BulletTime: ''Constantly when you don't move too much.'' Upgraded to TimeStandsStill in the VR version.
81* ButThouMust: Dialogue in the game is done in the IRC chat window, where the player hammers on random keys to type out a scripted response. [[spoiler:Played for tension when whoever created Superhot.exe starts changing your responses. Even your player character claims they aren't typing their own responses near the end game (and demonstrates when the keystrokes match your actual input, which is mostly likely gibberish, than the pregenerated words keystrokes form in guruchat), which is a [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall joke about how hammering your keyboard randomly would form complete responses, and that you are in control of a fictional character]] and showing SUPERHOT.EXE slowly taking control of your player character.]]
82** [[spoiler:In the final step, attempting to throw away the gun you're given is met with "KEEP IT", and "NO" if you try to shoot anything but your intended target, so you can't waste your bullets.]]
83* CentralTheme:
84** For the whole series, the various ways authority figures induce obedience through [[MindScrew deception]], [[ManipulativeBastard manipulation]] and force.
85** For ''SUPERHOT'', the dangers of addiction and how it can destroy your life and relationships.
86** For ''Mind Control Delete'', the dangers of {{Greed}} and how it hurts you while never leaving you satisfied.
87* CharacterClassSystem: In ''MIND CONTROL DELETE'', the [=COREs=] serve as this. Each has a unique ability and two hacks related to it.
88** [[MightyGlacier MORE.CORE]]: More health, 3 instead of 2, and upgrades that bring it to 4 and even 5.
89** [[FlashStep CHARGE.CORE]]: Gets a charge attack that effectively teleports to a target and strikes them with a melee attack, as well as a slightly stronger punch (two hits to kill instead of three). Upgrades make it recharge faster with kills and allows the player to chain them.
90** [[MasterSwordsman RECALL.CORE]]: Start with a katana, and the ability to recall it after throwing it, slicing apart enemies between you and it. Upgrades allow thrown katanas to pierce enemies and make the recalled katana bounce between enemies.
91** [[BodySurf HOTSWITCH.CORE]]: The Hotswitch from the first game, allowing you to jump between bodies. Upgrades allow you to keep the weapon instead of automatically throwing it, and to chain hotswitches together.
92** [[spoiler:[[HarderThanHard PURE.CORE]]: One health point. No hacks.]]
93* ChekhovsGun: A bizarrely literal version. ''Superhot VR'', the levels are broken up into segments that take place within a small portion of the level (so the player doesn't accidentally run into a wall in the real world or have to use nausea-inducing touchpad controls); however, objects at the end of one segment don't necessarily despawn before the beginning of the next one. If you've played through a level enough times to know where all the segments are, you can [[FlingALightIntoTheFuture Fling a Gun into the Future]]--demonstrated [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fukVm5SSy78 thusly]].
94* ChooseAHandicap: The DEATH node in ''MIND CONTROL DELETE''. Instead of giving you hacks to choose from between levels, the game [[spoiler: makes you choose a basic gameplay function to give up. At first they're relatively minor functions such as GIVE UP JUMPING or GIVE UP THROWING. However, you'll eventually be asked whether to give up things like shooting or punching. By the time you've given up moving and looking, you're totally helpless. The only option left... is to simply GIVE UP.]]
95* CleanCut: Katanas cut enemies cleanly through the waist or the neck.
96* ConcealmentEqualsCover: In the museum level, panes of glass will absorb the first shot then break. This works both ways for you and your enemies.
97* CompetitiveBalance: Each of the firearms, in a way.
98** The pistol gets three shots and is the easiest to toss at enemies, but you have to aim carefully.
99** The shotgun can potentially hit multiple targets with its buckshot, but it only gets two shots, its spread reduces its effectiveness at range, and it's clumsy to throw.
100** The assault rifle gets three burst shots in groups of four, but each shot in the group counts as movement, so enemies have a chance to get a shot off themselves.
101** ''MIND CONTROL DELETE'' adds a Railgun, which fires much faster than any other gun (it's as close to hitscan for the player as the game allows), but has the longest reload time of them all, as well as a larger hitbox for the projectiles to get caught on geometry. Enemies also can use it against you, requiring you to take cover or prioritize them.
102* ControllableHelplessness: "DANCE DOG" sees you placed in a small cell with multiple Red Guys standing over you, firing pistols down into the cell. After you dodge a few bullets, the game displays "DIE DOG" and they ''all'' start firing. There's no way out of the cell; all you can do is try to dodge bullets until one inevitably takes you out. The game then tells you "GOOD DOG" and moves on. [[spoiler:The System is making a point about how you can do nothing but follow its commands.]]
103* CoolShades: The enemies in the prototype sport these. The museum sports a giant-sized pair. An easter egg restores the shades in the full game.
104* CrypticConversation: The primary method by which world-building exposition is delivered to the player upon discovering one of the secret terminals hidden around the stages.
105* CyberPunk: Initially played straight but ends up being toyed with later on. Sterile, hyperstylized environments, technology run amok (and implied to have come from a runaway corporate and/or government experiment), transhumanism coming at the cost of individuality and humanity, and an evil AI? Check. But the technology depicted in the story is somewhere around the late 80s early 90s, [[spoiler: and the sterile environments are filtered by the System to avoid distracting the player.]]
106* DamnYouMuscleMemory: In your typical FPS, the average player will run and gun with little thought put into where they are running and what they might be running into. Such thoughtless behavior will swiftly get you killed in this game.
107* DeathDealer: ''MIND CONTROL DELETE'' has credit cards as a throwable weapon. They're classed as one of the sharp object types and will stick in enemies or kill with a headshot.
108* DeathIsTheOnlyOption:
109** One level in the full version progresses up to this after a lengthy period of bullet-dodging.
110** [[spoiler:The game concludes with the player killing their own physical body]].
111* {{Determinator}}: Deconstructed in the original, reconstructed in ''MIND CONTROL DELETE'':
112** In the original, the System keeps trying to shut the player character out, intimidate them into leaving, and even at one point [[spoiler:physically assaults them]]. The player refuses to back down, [[spoiler:passing the System's SecretTestOfCharacter. Unfortunately, that just makes them a prime target for the System's AssimilationPlot]]. In ''MIND CONTROL DELETE'', they return as the Addict, and it's clear the mindset driving them was an unhealthy one.
113** [=Avar1ce=] in ''MIND CONTROL DELETE'' starts the game already assimilated, but the sheer force of their {{greed}}, their desire for [[ArcWords more]], [[AssimilationBackFire is more than the System can keep up with]]. The System makes an effort to show them the error of their ways, [[spoiler:driving them to give up everything they've earned if they want to see how it all ends. This backfires; [=Avar1ce=] still finds a way to recover what was deleted. The System gives up and lets them have it]].
114* DisguisedHorrorStory: Both the prototype and the full version appear at first glance to be just a HighConcept action game with NoPlotNoProblem - and both become increasingly clear that they're actually a CyberPunk horror story.
115* DodgeTheBullet: The BulletTime mechanic allows you to do this a lot. Doubly so in the corridor levels of the prototype and the retail version, which see you sprinting down a stretch of hallway dodging bullets as you go. RuleOfCool, indeed.
116* TheDogBitesBack: Literally. The Dog Mind of ''MIND CONTROL DELETE'' is heavily implied to have been a System test subject and was constantly abused and tortured during the experiments run on it by the System's handlers. superhot.exe empowers it to rip through its handlers and escape.
117* DoubleMeaning: The TagLine of the game, "It's about time", refers to the 5 year development cycle of the game, as well as the game's prominent BulletTime mechanic.
118* EasterEgg: There's at least one on almost every stage, integrated into the story as secret terminals that allow the player character to ask one question upon discovery. They are often found on the surreal, poorly-modeled outer borders of the stage, overlooking the abyss.
119* ElevatorActionSequence: One level starts with this, where you take down three enemies before stepping out to complete the level. In the full version, two Mooks with shotguns are waiting outside to ventilate you when the elevator arrives.
120* EndlessGame: The full retail release of SUPERHOT includes Endless gameplay modes, introduced after you complete the story campaign. There are currently eight arenas, each with a selection of unlockable objectives and modifiers. Scoring is determined by the player's body count.
121* EveryBulletIsATracer: Every bullet leaves a long trail behind it. It makes it easier to spot.
122* EvilCounterpart: In ''MIND CONTROL DELETE'', breaking QUARANTINE spawns an unkillable enemy who stalks you through the levels, people who were sources of each CORE:
123** [[AngryGuardDog The Dog,]] an attack canine with an unstoppable charge attack that bypasses your slow-mo.
124** The {{Ninja}}, a katana-wielding ArrogantKungFuGuy who can hurl his katana at you and deflect your bullets,
125** [[BodySurf The Addict]], who can body-surf as you could in the original game. They also spawn in with a random weapon, and will take yours if they body-surf into you.
126* EvilIsNotAToy: The System makes a clear point that superhot.exe is not a game, it is a tool. [[spoiler:It proves this point by forcing you to punch your real body in the head, and to back out if you are not serious.]]
127* EvilSoundsDeep: The commander's voice in the prototype is electronically modified. In the full version, the only voiced line is from superhot.exe itself ("SUPER. HOT. SUPER. HOT. SUPER. HOT."), but [[spoiler: superhot.exe itself is sentient and evil]] and the line is said in a deep, modulated voice.
128* ExcusePlot: Explored and discussed in ''MIND CONTROL DELETE''. The System says at the beginning that there is no grand underlying plot, no answers revealed, no way to break out, just MORE. As the player progresses they find out [[spoiler: there's really nothing to be discovered, beyond exploring what led other minds to the System, and the System's struggles to contain [=Avar1ce=]'s desire for MORE.]]
129* ExtendedGameplay: After beating the main story you unlock both the Endless modes and Challenge modes. Endless mode challenges you to kill as many enemies as you can in one life (among other things), while the Challenge modes are essentially replays of the game under differing conditions.
130* FailureIsTheOnlyOption: [[spoiler: The Death node in ''MIND CONTROL DELETE''; instead of activating hacks, makes you choose what aspect of your control you give up (melee, shooting, throwing, jumping, looking, and moving). You can do up to four of those things and possibly survive, but once you've given up looking and moving, you're dead. Each level has the option to immediately give up and skip to the next, per the theme of relinquishing control.]]
131* FatalFlaw: Each of the minds in ''MIND CONTROL DELETE'' has one that led them to the System. The Dog's is anxiety, the Ninja's is anger, the Addict's is their namesake. [[spoiler: The player's is Avarice, the endless desire for MORE]].
132* FollowThePlottedLine: The final boss fight in the prototype. [[spoiler:After you kill the boss, a window will break and the Commander will order you to jump through it. There's no other way to progress, but you do get a couple of demanding messages if you try to walk away]].
133* ForbiddenFruit: [[spoiler: How the recruitment process works]].
134* ForcedMeme: InUniverse, the game actively encourages players to tell friends how [[spoiler:the game is the most innovative shooter they've played in years in order to conform into the game's AssimilationPlot]].
135* {{Foreshadowing}}:
136** You always throw away your weapon at the end of every level, no matter what. [[spoiler:You do the same thing when releasing control of a body during hotlinking.]]
137** One detail that's hard to spot is that, halfway through the game, the city skyline contains a pyramid-shaped building and you keep getting closer to it with each level. You'd have to go "out of bounds" to get the secret terminals before you really start noticing this.
138* TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou: [[spoiler: The mysterious folks behind superhot.exe will take more control from you as the game progresses. Midway through the game, you have to punch yourself in the head, superhot.exe is locked out, and you can't continue unless you quit the game. At the end, you shoot yourself in the head]].
139* FragileSpeedster: The Assault Rifle: fires 3 bullets in sequence and has a low recoil time, allowing you to kill enemies faster and more reliably. However, it's forced to fire on burst mode, meaning you're forced into real time and have less time to think about your dodging.
140* FreezeFrameBonus: When the system asks you if you need more details, if you answer "yes", a lengthy EULA scrolls across the screen quickly, giving you no time to read at all. The full text can be found [[https://www.reddit.com/r/superhot/comments/47nc5a/spoilers_the_text_of_do_you_need_more_details/ here]]. At the end of the EULA is a section named "Truth", explaining the backstory behind the game. [[spoiler: However, there are actually [[https://pastebin.com/6wXXDhP9 multiple versions]] of this section, ranging from Superhot being a conspiracy by TheIlluminati to an AI that will kill all of mankind if it's destroyed. All of which are BlatantLies designed solely to keep you playing.]]
141* GameBreakingBug:
142** If you happen to catch an enemy in the process of spawning and Hotswitch into them (or Charge into them in ''MIND CONTROL DELETE''), it's considered an automatic loss because you're out of bounds. This is especially bad in ''MIND CONTROL DELETE'', because it ignores your current health.
143** ''MIND CONTROL DELETE'' has an error with the spiked enemies that causes you to automatically take damage upon destroying them, even if you're nowhere near the bullets they release. It appears to be more common if the spiked enemy is at a lower elevation than you are, and throwing objects seems more likely to trigger it than bullets.
144* GameplayAndStoryIntegration: The {{Retraux}} aesthetic is tweaked slightly in ''MIND CONTROL DELETE'' to reflect story details. [[spoiler: There are no longer ambient sounds from the computers or anything other than superhot.exe and The System's messages, because [=Avar1ce=] has already killed their body and is a part of the System.]]
145* GameWithinAGame: Tree Dude is a simplistic score-based ASCII game found on the player's computer. Briefly discussed within the in-universe IRC channel #HACKING that the player can listen in on.
146* GoombaStomp:
147** You can land on top of enemies to kill them. The achievement for doing so is even called "It's a me, Mario!".
148** ''MIND CONTROL DELETE'' adds dthstmp.hack, which lowers the requirement to merely jumping into enemies. It's awkward to pull off and not the best upgrade to go for.
149* GrievousBottleyHarm: Bottles can be found at various points in the game. You can either toss them to stun enemies or bash them over the head in close quarters.
150* GunKata: Essentially, this is what the gun play revolves around, with the player having to judge the trajectory of incoming fire and strategically move out of the way while firing back. The VR version takes this even more literally with speedrunners positioning their bodies to aim at the enemies' spawn before they even appear and killing them with bullets as soon as they appear.
151* GunsAkimbo: Quite doable in the VR version.
152* HighlyVisibleLandmark: The enormous Pyramid building in the original and VR campaigns, which you get closer to with every level. [[spoiler: At the endgame, it turns out to be where the Core is located.]]
153* HackerCave: Effectively the main menu in the VR version. The original game shows this as the player's home as well. [[OminousMultipleScreens With your POV shown on every screen.]]
154* HallwayFight: The level "Oldboy" is set in a hallway just like the one from the film of the same name.
155* HoistByHisOwnPetard: A core gameplay mechanic is stunning enemies to make them drop their weapons and then killing them with said weapons.
156* IncrediblyLamePun: Sometimes the messages on screen can get sassy. Find a fan hidden in the 2nd level and the text says "FAN SERVICE".
157* ImperialStormtrooperMarksmanshipAcademy: The baddies take several shots to line up a decent bead on you - their aim would be usually perfect, but they're not the ones who can slow down time. Doubly so in level three, where, as you get closer, a pathfinding glitch can lead to SetAMookToKillAMook despite said mooks standing shoulder-to-shoulder.
158* ImplausibleFencingPowers: The katana can be used to cut bullets in the original and reflect them in ''MIND CONTROL DELETE''. ''MIND CONTROL DELETE'' also adds an upgrade that completely eliminates cooldown on melee weapons, allowing you to instantly chain from one cut to the next.
159* ImprobableWeaponUser: ''MIND CONTROL DELETE'' features an expanded set of lethal props that include: vinyl records, an artist's palette, darts and even ''pencils''. The record and palette can somehow be thrown clean through bad guys like a buzzsaw, while the pencil is only a one hit kill when thrown into an enemy's head.
160* InstantDeathBullet: All bullets are lethal no matter where they hit. The "Pointless but Cool" achievement lampshades this, as it requires you to score 100 headshots.
161* InterfaceScrew:
162** The more you play the game, [[spoiler: the more the superhot.exe overseers wrest control from you in ways like changing your chat messages and messing with your view]].
163** ''MIND CONTROL DELETE'' has its own take: [[spoiler: the deeper the player progresses, the more maps break apart into gibberish, have massive distortion and perspective effects, and eventually the level select itself bugs out to show a very glitchy Level 5]].
164* JackOfAllStats: The Pistol, with no real advantages or disadvantages, and hence useful due to [[OneHitPointWonder the nature of the game.]]
165* JumpScare: While it might be unintentional, the appearance of the commander at the end of the prototype can easily be this (even if you're expecting it).
166* KatanasAreJustBetter:
167** The full release uses these, where you can slice bullets in half when time is slowed. [[ThrowingYourSwordAlwaysWorks They are also one of the few objects which are lethal when thrown, and they can be picked up after being thrown.]] They're also the most durable of all the weapons, only breakable if you throw it and a stray bullet hits it.
168** In ''MIND CONTROL DELETE'' they can ''reflect'' bullets and RECALL.CORE lets you summon it back to your hand after being thrown... killing anyone between yourself and the weapon.
169* TheLastDance: Towards the end of ''MIND CONTROL DELETE'', [[spoiler:[=Avar1ce=] must give up the [=COREs=] they've earned. Each core is removed only after a short gauntlet of levels where that core is mandatory, it automatically gets its related hacks, and faces enemy types designed to highlight its strengths, and must face its EvilCounterpart]].
170* LateArrivalSpoiler: ''MIND CONTROL DELETE'' has many, most especially with the end of ''SUPERHOT'' being ritualistically repeated several times throughout the story [[spoiler: as [=Avar1ce=] continues to kill their body despite the System telling them there's nothing to gain from doing so]].
171* LeadTheTarget: A non-intuitive part of gameplay. It's not just that BulletTime kicks in whenever you're not pressing buttons; it's also that ''all bullets'' move slower than normal, because if not then you still wouldn't be able to dodge them. But ''all'' bullets move slower than normal; if you can dodge them, {{mook}}s can too. And do! Unless you aim for where the enemies ''will be'', shots that would connect in other shooters will become costly misses here. Even the railgun in ''MIND CONTROL DELETE'' has a very small delay, despite its near-hitscan attack.
172* LiterallyShatteredLives: In a way. Enemies in the full release shatter when killed as if they were made of glass. Thrown projectiles also shatter on impact. It's beautiful in slow motion.
173* LotusEaterMachine: Explored as a concept in ''MIND CONTROL DELETE''. [[spoiler: The repetitions of superhot.exe aren't literal anymore, and are just the System feeding [=Avar1ce=] more of the game. But even the System struggles to contain [=Avar1ce=] desire for [[ArcWords more]], with the levels becoming increasingly broken as [=Avar1ce=] pushes for more and more. Eventually, the System tricks [=Avar1ce=] into giving up everything and deleting the game, but [=Avar1ce=] pushes past it to find a way to restore it.]]
174* LuckBasedMission:
175** Sometimes. Given the nature of the game, there can be times where you get yourself into a bind and can't set up a viable escape route for yourself no matter how much you work it. Most situations are escapable but every so often you'll just be stuck without any recourse.
176** ''MIND CONTROL DELETE'' is even worse in this regard, as enemies have randomized loadouts, you often spawn in with two of them just out of reach, and some of the levels may spawn you into places with no throwables to work with.
177* MadeOfExplodium: The grenade hack in ''MIND CONTROL DELETE'' causes all thrown objects to release a burst of shrapnel when they break. Potentially devastating, but you have to be very careful about the objects you throw.
178* MagicFloppyDisk:
179** You'll be loading some of these in the VR version, which appear to contain the in-universe version of the game.
180** New hacks in ''MIND CONTROL DELETE'' are represented with floppies.
181* MagneticWeapons: ''MIND CONTROL DELETE'' introduces the railgun. It fires a metal rod much faster than any other gun, to the point of being nearly hit-scan in the player's hands. This effect also stops katana enemies from deflecting the rod, with the exception of the Ninja. It pierces enemies as a standard effect, so it will not only penetrate multiple mooks, but also kill white mooks regardless of where you shoot them. The rods can even be picked up after they're fired and thrown at enemies. As a tradeoff, it takes even longer to chamber a new round than the shotgun, though it has three shots instead of two.
182* MaybeMagicMaybeMundane: Is [[spoiler: superhot.exe]] a [[AIIsACrapshoot rogue AI]] or [[EldritchAbomination something weirder]]? The main game implies the former, with it being apparently made of code and propagated through the internet, but [[spoiler: the secret terminals imply the latter, stating it was never created but merely "discovered", and that it engineered its own programming because it needed "limbs" and "mouths"]].
183* MightyGlacier: The Shotgun, which shoots a massive spread of bullets with decent range, but takes a very long time to reload and only gets two shots.
184* MindPrison: As the player draws the System's attention, they are trapped within a cell at several points, especially in the later portions in the game, unable to get back to the game unless they do what the system says - such as being forced to repeatedly dodge bullets from enemies until they die. It's implied these were experiments on subjects part of "the System". Once they get past the prison, it's used again: this time an extremely low-resolution tunnel with a caged door at the end [[spoiler: that's a symbolic representation of the real world; it only opens when the player embraces the ArcWords: "bodies are disposable".]]
185* {{Minimalism}}: There are no colors aside from red, white, gray and black. The enemies are humanoid, but lack any characteristics besides color. They sport sunglasses in the Unity-based prototype, but the eyewear was removed in the full retail release.
186* MirrorBoss: The minds in ''MIND CONTROL DELETE''. Each is the source of one of your [=COREs=] (except MORE which is your own [[spoiler:and PURE which is a post-game bonus]]) and can therefore use your own tricks against you.
187* MistreatmentInducedBetrayal: The Ninja mind of ''MIND CONTROL DELETE'' turned to superhot.exe when his rival at the Dojo was [[AlwaysSomeoneBetter consistently promoted above him]]. Combining this with [[ArrogantKungFuGuy his repeated belief that he's better than anyone at the Dojo]] made it easy for superhot.exe to empower and subsume him.
188* ModelPlanning: The Meeting level in the original game has a city model in a conference room, with certain pieces you can throw at enemies. It's also a real-life map of [[UsefulNotes/{{Poland}} Warsaw]], with the Pyramid building added.
189* NamelessNarrative: None of the characters in the series are named, with only vague descriptive titles or screennames.
190* NoGearLevel: Near the end of ''MIND CONTROL DELETE'', there's a gauntlet without ''any'' hacks available.
191* NoPlotNoProblem: Lampshaded by one of the IRC conversations, particularly with regard to how the levels don't seem to have any kind of interconnecting context. [[spoiler:Justified in that it turns out SUPERHOT.exe isn't a game]].
192* NoSell:
193** Enemies with melee weapons will bat aside thrown projectiles unless you aim for their legs. Enemies with katanas can also cut through bullets under the same conditions, but only one at a time, allowing you to overwhelm them through volume of fire.
194** White-bodied mooks in ''MIND CONTROL DELETE'' suffer no damage to their white parts unless you have a hack that enhances weapon damage, and are only stunned by attacks that would be lethal. Objects that would merely stun them do nothing at all.
195** The three Core enemies are invulnerable to everything and the Ninja enemy will deflect bullets back at you.
196* OffTheChart: Repeatedly invoked during the Kickstarter campaign, with [[https://s3.amazonaws.com/ksr/assets/002/140/139/2cf1829d950e661983fea89cf2c9ab41_large.jpg?1402641606 the chart]] painted over the table, mouse, coffee cup and everything.
197* OnceKilledAManWithANoodleImplement: In ''MIND CONTROL DELETE'', you can kill a man with a paint pallete, which is as deadly as a saw blade.
198* OnceMoreWithClarity: The in-game #HACKING forum shows a (eventually looping) chatroom conversation between (mostly) fans of superhot.exe. Visiting it after finding all the secret terminals shows the same conversation, but with the added revelation that [[spoiler: the System has been telling the MOD what to say and do the whole time, in order to recruit more players]].
199* OneHitPointWonder:
200** Both your enemies and you die from one bullet shot, regardless of where the bullet hits. The only real difference is you die from a punch, they need three. On the upside, jumping on top of them instantly kills them.
201** Averted in ''MIND CONTROL DELETE''. All [=COREs=] can take two hits before dying except MORE which can take three. Further hacks can add two additional hearts, but you have to get them progressively. [[spoiler:Until you finish the game and unlock PURE.CORE, which lets you replay the game with the rules of the original.]]
202* OneHitPolykill:
203** Bullets stop when hitting something, but a thrown katana will keep going until it hits a wall... skewering any Red Dudes caught in the way. Getting a double-kill with a thrown katana nets you the ''Shishkebap'' achievement.
204** The railgun in ''MIND CONTROL DELETE'' fires a super-fast metal rod that pierces all enemies in its path, making it perfect for polykills since it can kill from across the map in nearly an instant. The piercing shot hack adds this property to all bullets. It also makes the normally invulnerable white enemies vulnerable to bullets.
205* OneManArmy: Adding to the action movie-like feel of it all.
206* OurGraphicsWillSuckInTheFuture: The world of Superhot has DOS prompt menus, [[MagicFloppyDisk floppy disks]] and ASCII art, but is advanced enough for VR headsets and [[spoiler:BrainUploading]].
207* PainfullySlowProjectile: Even when moving, the bullets move much slower than they would in real life. Combine this with a deliberate aversion of the VeryHighVelocityRounds trope, and you'll find standing still to slow down time isn't a perfect solution.
208* ParryingBullets:
209** Using a katana, you can slice bullets out of the air.
210** Exaggerated in ''MIND CONTROL DELETE'', since slashing at bullets with the katana now ''reflects'' them back at the shooter. This goes even further with defall.hack which will reflect ''all bullets on the map'' when you reflect one. If you get the punch hack, you can ''punch'' bullets back.
211* PinballProjectile: The ricochet hack causes bullets to reflect once off any surface and into the nearest enemy. It can miss depending on how the enemy is moving, but is generally reliable as long as they're not turning a corner.
212* PrecisionGuidedBoomerang: In ''MIND CONTROL DELETE'', the Super Throwing hack causes any shuriken[[note]]or any object coded to behave as a shuriken when thrown, such as a vinyl record[[/note]] that kills a mook to immediately fly right back to you. Assuming you don't catch it, it will pass through you and embed itself in the wall behind you.
213* PreviousPlayerCharacterCameo: In ''MIND CONTROL DELETE'', it's strongly implied that the Addict, who you get Hotswitch from, was the protagonist of the first ''SUPERHOT''.
214* ProductDisplacement: A subtle example in the VR version's HackerCave menu. Anyone familiar with the [[Platform/{{Amiga}} Commodore Amiga]] line will immediately recognize that there's an A4000 on top of an A3000 on top of other "big box" Amiga workstations covered in sticky notes, with an A1200 tucked away on its side beside the tower of desktop cases. The A1200 even has its distinctive italicized Amiga key and keyboard layout. However, it falls under ''Dis''placement because the Amiga trademark is outright omitted from the computers.
215* PunctuatedForEmphasis: The on-screen text appears as a non-verbal example of this. One word is printed at a time, accompanied by the sound of a camera shutter.
216* {{Retraux}}:
217** The technology level of the real world portions is a loving send up of old hardware, complete with [=DOS=] commands, [=IRC=] clients, [=ASCII=] displays, the clicks and whirr of the machine, and so on.
218** ''SUPERHOT VR'' takes this even further by showing the protagonist's setup including a VR helmet and gloves... connected to a bunch of old CRT monitor [=PCs=] resembling [[Platform/{{Amiga}} Commodore Amiga]] 3000/4000/1200 systems with ''SUPERHOT'' itself stored in ''floppy disks''. This isn't too far-fetched when considering that the Amiga 3000 was the architectural basis of older Virtuality arcade VR systems, the sort you could play ''Dactyl Nightmare'' on.
219* RocketTagGameplay: You and your enemies go down in one hit. Good thing you have BulletTime on your side.
220* RuleOfCool:
221** You toss your weapon at the end of every level for no reason other than it's cool. [[spoiler:And because you always throw away your weapon when you release control of a hijacked body.]]
222** The achievement for getting 100 headshots is "Pointless but cool."[[note]]All enemies are one-hit kill, making headshots pointless, but still cool to watch.[[/note]]
223** There are also hidden achievements for shooting down a bullet with another bullet, and for slicing a bullet with a katana.
224* SensoryAbuse: Firing a gun while standing still will basically blind and deafen you for two seconds.
225* SetAMookToKillAMook: The enemies don't have protection against friendly fire so if you can line up an enemy in the way of another and he shoots, the bullet will kill the enemy between you and leave you unscathed.
226* ShootTheBullet: It requires timing and positioning, but it is still very possible. [[spoiler: Doing this (intentionally or not) gives you the "No They Didn't" achievement.]]
227* ShortRangeShotgun: Averted. Shotguns have just as much range as other weapons in the game. Accuracy, on the other hand, falls off dramatically due to the weapon's spread.
228* ShoutOut: The level "19[[Film/Oldboy2003 OLDBOY]].lvl" takes place in a hallway, like the SignatureScene of the movie with the same name.
229* ShowWithinAShow: The menu is part of the story itself. Superhot.exe (that is, the telltale bullet-time shooter) is a game that your in-game friend sends you.
230* ShurFineGuns: Every gun breaks if thrown into a wall, an enemy, a bullet, or just thrown away in a panic by a hotswapped enemy. Averted when a shooter's arm is punched the instant they fire a bullet. The gun is fine. The arm explodes, though.
231* SimpleYetAwesome: The time mechanic that's the core of the gameplay; allowing you to position yourself just so and to speed-blitz many of your foes.
232** Within game, punching an enemy, catching their gun when they drop it, and then shooting them with it is a very reliable way of defeating foes and is very, very awesome.
233** Jumping over enemies is usually more efficient than punching them out. This is very useful in the Speedrun challenges.
234* StealthPun: The Boss fight in the game jam prototype. [[spoiler:As in, a fight with a CEO, who is unarmed and does nothing to defend himself.]]
235* StealthSequel: ''SUPERHOT VR'' is in fact a sequel to the events of the PC game, though nothing outside of the game mentions this. Ditto for ''MIND CONTROL DELETE'', which takes place after both ''SUPERHOT'' and ''VR''.
236* StylisticSuck: In sharp contrast to the crisp, smooth visuals of superhot.exe, the other apps and programs (including videos and 3D demos) on the player's computer are rendered in white-on-black text or basic ASCII.
237* SummonToHand: The gimmick of the Ninja CORE in ''MIND CONTROL DELETE'' is the ability to recall your katana to your hand after throwing it. The final upgrade lets it bounce between any nearby enemies on the way back.
238* SymbolicBlood: Defeated foes shatter like glass, in a way the would be [[LudicrousGibs incredibly gory if they weren't, y'know, polygons.]] Of course, [[spoiler:they likely really are spraying blood everywhere in the real world, but you don't see that in the overlay that the system uses.]]
239* TakeThatAudience:
240** In the main game, the player cannot stop playing over and over, even when he is told to walk away or face the consequences - much like hardcore gamers.
241** In ''MIND CONTROL DELETE'', both [=Avar1ce=] and the Addict desperately search through superhot.exe, hoping that the System's Core gives them something worth their time - like hardcore gamers trying to justify following a story to keep getting at that gameplay loop.
242* TakingYouWithMe: Spiked enemies in ''MIND CONTROL DELETE'' explode in a hail of bullets when killed. Specifically, this happens when their body is shattered, so while bullets and other forms of instant death will explode them on contact, punching them to death or using blunt weapons allows you to get behind cover and wait for the body to explode when it hits the floor. If you swap into one with Hotswitch, it will activate the effect without killing the host, which can be useful in killing off nearby enemies and is a safe way to detonate them in general. There is also an upgrade where you explode into ninja stars when damaged, though this is Downplayed since you still have extra lives.
243* ThrowingYourGunAtTheEnemy: Guns have limited ammo and there's no option to reload, so once it's empty its only use is as an improvised projectile against your foes. Being hit by a thrown weapon stuns an enemy and causes them to drop their own if they're carrying one, allowing you to steal it and use it on them. Throwing your weapon is also much faster than waiting for the next bullet to cycle into the chamber if you're using the pistol or shotgun, making the action a strategic choice based on how many enemies are nearby. You also end up throwing your weapons away when a level ends for the sake of looking cool [[spoiler:and because that's what always happens when you abandon a body]].
244* ThrowingYourSwordAlwaysWorks:
245** The katana can be thrown and is lethal if it connects, and is one of the few thrown items which can be retrieved. The Ninja mind of ''MIND CONTROL DELETE'' focuses around throwing your katana, and its various upgrades allow you to do far more fancy tricks with it.
246** One endless mode level also has throwing stars, which are the only other weapon lethal when thrown.
247** Downplayed with every other item you can throw; it stuns an enemy on hit and makes them drop anything they're holding, allowing you grab it for yourself. Thrown items can be faster than waiting for your gun to stop shooting in many instances. Unless it's the VR version, in which case ''any'' thrown item is lethal.
248* TimeStandsStill:
249** An interesting variant tied to your motion. Stand still, and time slows to a crawl - or stops completely in the VR version. Start walking, and it'll speed up to real time. It even extends to moving the camera: time accelerates a little when aiming and firing.
250** The fact that in the original game time doesn't stand completely still is explained by [[spoiler:The System]] as a result of the player actually ''not'' being able to stay perfectly still, because that is basically impossible, even when you're actively focusing on staying still, there are little things you might not be aware of that you're doing, or even something as simple as ''breathing'' is essentially a small amount of movement. The VR version seems to be more generous in this regard.
251* TriggerPhrase: It's heavily implied (particularly by the #HACKER chatroom once all secret terminals have been found) that [[spoiler: the System's mind-control]] is strengthened by the repetition of the mantra "[[TitleDrop SUPER. HOT.]] [[ArcWords SUPER. HOT.]]"
252* TurnedAgainstTheirMasters: [[spoiler: The final level has the System make the player assault the core housing the System itself to upload themselves to it, while killing every guard in sight.]]
253* TwoShotsFromBehindTheBar: The first shotgun you see is on a guy behind the bar.
254* UnusableEnemyEquipment:
255** Hot-swapping into an enemy causes them to immediately discard their gun, denying it to you. In ''MIND CONTROL DELETE'', upgrades to the CORE ability allow you to negate this.
256** ''MIND CONTROL DELETE'' introduces enemies whose weapons are connected to them, represented by the weapons being red instead of black. These enemies can't be relived of their weapons in any way, though they still recoil from stunning hits. Even if you have the Hotswitch upgrade that lets you keep weapons, these enemies will discard theirs in defiance of it.
257* ViralMarketing: [[spoiler:Invoked by the end of the story - the game itself compels you, the player, to spread the word about the game in order to bring more and more people into the system, using the exact words, "It's the most innovative shooter I've played in years".]]
258* WhamLine: A ''completely meta example'' depending on how blind you're playing the game. The game encourages players [[spoiler:to snag unsuspecting players into the System's AssimilationPlot]] with a single sentence:
259-->[[spoiler:Superhot is the most innovative shooter I've played in years.]]
260* YouBastard:
261** The further you progress in the base game, the more the System taunts you as it tells you to stop playing for what you know will be a bad fate, even going so far as to send other players to knock your player character unconscious. Even though your PC's obsession with the game spirals into ending your friendship and isolating yourself from society, you continue. [[spoiler:And in the end, you ultimately help the System continue to expand and take on more victims.]]
262** ''MIND CONTROL DELETE'' also taunts the player for continually diving into the System to find... absolutely nothing, save their own need for a real ending.
263* YouShouldntKnowThisAlready: You eventually learn how to Hot Switch, which lets you BodySurf by pressing E. Trying to do this in any level before FALL will cause it to fail, and the game will even tell you "WRONG SIMULATION" or "NOT HERE."
264* YourHeadASplode: Not just with bullets (there's even an achievement pointing out the pointlessness of it), but also the fate of any body you abandon via hotswap and [[spoiler:everybody in the room when you take control of the core.]]
265** You gain a ranged version of this power in place of hotswapping in the VR version.
266** In ''MIND CONTROL DELETE'', since you only have to kill a certain number of enemies to clear a level rather than all of them, any remaining enemies will have their heads explode when you win.
267* ZergRush: One of the ERROR nodes in ''MIND CONTROL DELETE'' causes most of the enemies to spawn either unarmed or with a melee weapon. Roughly one in five will have a pistol. As a tradeoff, it takes three times as many kills to end a level, they spawn a lot faster, and they spawn in greater numbers than normal.
268----

Top