Developed by PigeonDev and published by SometimesYou, Murder Inc brings a fresh take on the top-down shooter genre to the PS5. The game casts you in a shadowy urban nightmare, where you step into the shoes of a enigmatic hitman named Mr. Anderson who is seemingly tasked with dismantling a sprawling criminal syndicate that grips the city in fear and corruption. It's all about calculated chaos, blending intense gunfights with moments of strategic pause in a world on the brink of madness.
Murder Inc focuses on a single-player campaign mode, without multiplayer options or additional side modes to distract from the core experience. The main plot, which unfolds via typed text ribbons, revolves around your journey through mob patrolled interior stages. Mr. Anderson, being the man on a mission he is, is out on business with murder on his mind, a silent, lethal operative defined more by actions than backstory, evoking classic noir assassins but with a supernatural edge tied to the game's time-manipulation gimmick.
The Gameplay ...
At its heart, the gameplay is a clever fusion of action and puzzle-solving, where every level feels like orchestrating a deadly ballet. The core mechanic is the time-flow system. The world freezes when you stand still, allowing you to survey threats, plot trajectories, and line up shots before committing to movement. This turns frantic shootouts into tactical deliberations, with bullets hanging in mid-air until you dodge or counter.
You'll wield pistols, shotguns, and improvised weapons like grenades as you move from stage to stage. All with limited ammo or use. Objectives typically involve clearing rooms of all enemy occupants. Stages ramp up in complexity, introducing rooms made with strategic vantage points, patrolling guards, and more heavily armed enemies. Thankfully you can pick back up via the chapter select menu after having completed a stage or stages if you get frustrated dying too many times during a playthrough.
The Presentation ...
Visually, Murder Inc embraces a retro pixel art style with a cyber-noir flair, featuring gritty, neon-tinged interiors and explosive/bloody effects that pop against darkened backdrops. The graphic design is clean and evocative, drawing from 80s arcade aesthetics but polished. Complementing this is a lightly pulsating retro-wave soundtrack, full of synth-heavy tracks that amp up the tension during action bursts and provide moody ambiance in planning phases.
The Verdict ...
Overall, Murder Inc delivers a satisfying gameplay experience that's addictive in short bursts, thanks to its innovative mechanics and bite-sized stages. Replay value shines through in experimenting with different approaches, especially with the time bending mechanic that has you fast forwarding time by moving forward and slowing it down by moving away from the target. With ammo being limited, and pickup weapons the only go to option as you progress dancing around the bullets and bombs while trying to land each shot grows increasingly challenging. Quality-wise, it's a solid indie effort with tight controls, earning it a positive recommendation.
This one's best suited for fans of tactical shooters like Superhot or Hotline Miami, or anyone seeking a quick, brain-teasing action fix without a massive time commitment.
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