Forget plans, embrace the chaos! “Jackal,” physics-driven violent action, offers a unique twist on “Hotline Miami” [Feature]

The top-down action game *Hotline Miami* was released in 2012. With its extreme depictions of raw violence, merciless difficulty where both enemies and the player can be killed in a single hit, and a gameplay style that demands stoic perseverance—such as dying repeatedly to memorize enemy placements and applying that knowledge to the next run—the game captivated many players.Numerous titles paying homage to *Hotline Miami* emerged, leading to the coining of the term “Miami-like.”

*Jackal* is one such “Miami-like” game. However, released in 2026, this title is more than just a modernized version modeled after *Hotline Miami*.Through its level design, enemy AI behavior, and combat incorporating physics simulations, it has evolved into a “one-of-a-kind Miami-like” game with its own unique flavor.

Everything on the battlefield leads to death

Set in 1970s Las Vegas, *Jackal* is a top-down action game where you play as a hitman who gains superhuman strength from drugs and raids one mafia stronghold after another.

One of the game’s major features is combat that makes use of physics. Most of the stages in *Jackal* take place indoors, and the rooms are filled with countless pieces of furniture, such as tables, sofas, and pool tables. Try kicking a table toward an enemy.The table, kicked by the player, will fly through the air and strike an enemy gang member. The gang member who collides with the table will die instantly.

In close-quarters combat, you can kick an enemy to knock them back and send them crashing into a wall, causing them to hit their head and die instantly.Furthermore, collision detection exists between enemies as well, creating chain reactions such as: the player kicks Enemy 1 → Enemy 1 is sent flying backward and collides with Enemy 2 → Enemy 2 is sent flying and crashes into the wall behind them, resulting in their death.

The player’s kicks themselves have almost no power, but by skillfully utilizing the surrounding environment in this way, the room itself—including furniture, walls, and pillars—becomes a deadly weapon. Kills aren’t just the result of the player directly attacking enemies; they also come from leveraging surrounding objects to draw enemies into the fray. This flashy and exhilarating combat is one of the game’s greatest joys.

It’s not just the player and the environment that kill enemies...

This game features the concept of friendly fire. While combat is generally one-on-many, if multiple enemies armed with melee weapons attack the player simultaneously, unfortunate accidents can occur—such as when one enemy swings a weapon at the protagonist and accidentally strikes another enemy standing right next to them, killing that enemy.Additionally, when an enemy with a gun takes aim at the protagonist, if another enemy happens to get in the line of fire at the wrong moment, the enemy may accidentally shoot their own ally.

Even if these are not the results the player intended, these “accidents” caused by enemies work to the player’s advantage. The shrewdness to exploit such unexpected events and gain the upper hand in combat is also crucial for mastering this game.

Human-like, Unpredictable Enemy AI

In the *Hotline Miami* series, there were times when the enemy AI’s reactions were so fast that they felt unreasonable.For example, an enemy AI that was facing away would spin 180 degrees the moment it detected the player and fire with pinpoint accuracy. However, in *Jackal*, such behavior is rare; instead, you’ll see human-like reactions, such as enemies taking careful aim at the player or, as mentioned above, accidentally firing on their own allies.

In this game as well, enemy types are broadly divided into those wielding melee weapons and those carrying firearms, but their behavior patterns are not limited to a single set.Even among melee-type enemy AI, their behavior varies from playthrough to playthrough—some will sprint toward the player the moment they detect them, while others will lie in wait around a corner. As for gun-wielding enemies, there are various types, such as those who take their time aiming and firing from a distance, and those who close the distance to a certain extent before firing.

During my playthrough, there was even a scene where an enemy who dashed out through a half-open door was knocked unconscious when the door swung back violently and struck him.This unpredictable enemy AI behavior requires players to adopt flexible tactics adapted to the situation at hand, rather than a methodical, chess-like approach, in order to master the game.

Changing enemy behavior and varying reinforcement locations create a unique experience with every playthrough

In this game, even when replaying the same stage, the same strategy won’t necessarily work every time.This is because, as mentioned earlier, even the same enemies change their behavior with each playthrough. Furthermore, when you wipe out enemies on the map, new enemies may appear as reinforcements, but their spawn locations aren’t completely fixed—they often vary to some extent each time. As a result, it’s difficult to clear the stage by simply memorizing enemy movements and spawn points.

Why not just go with the flow and run wild? You might find that things work out surprisingly well, and before you know it, you’ll have cleared the stage—an experience that will give players an indescribable sense of catharsis.

“Spells” That Add Variety to Combat

Incidentally, the protagonist of this game can activate special abilities called “Spells.” These include abilities such as pitting enemies against each other during combat or allowing the character to wield two guns at once. The existence of “Spells” also contributes to the variety of gameplay scenarios, and using them may create a unique experience.

As for the usefulness of “Spell,” the game’s balance is by no means designed to rely on these special abilities; it’s entirely possible to reach the ending without using “Spell” at all.

So, in a nutshell, what kind of game is *Jackal*?

As a result of the game elements discussed so far, this title is less a strategic violence game where you methodically take out enemies one by one, and more an “unpredictable violence game where you never know what will happen until you actually engage in combat.”There are many situations where “you’re just running around wildly on a whim, and before you know it, the area is littered with corpses.” This kind of gameplay experience and the chain of unexpected events provide a sense of exhilaration that’s completely different from taking down enemies according to a plan.

The real appeal of this game lies not in the player controlling the battlefield, but in enjoying the chaos itself—chaos created by the player, the enemies, and the environment.

Overall Impression

While *Jackal* is a so-called “Miami-style” game, it incorporates unique physics and random elements to create a distinct identity not found in other titles. I highly recommend this game to anyone looking for a “Miami-style” game with a twist.

“Jackal” is available on Steam for 1,700 yen.