Japanese hip-hop, biopunk weirdness and martial arts abound in the Hotline Miami inspired Sonokuni

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 as Sonokuni, which dropped a fresh new trailer during our PC Gaming Show: Most Wanted showcase. Turn up the volume and check out what Japanese hip-hop artists-turned-game-devs Don Yasa Crew have been cooking.

While undeniably inspired by Hotline Miami and its high-stakes, one-hit-death combat, Sonokuni isn’t a shooter. Protagonist Takeru is a martial arts assassin, solving most problems with a body-shattering spinning kick that can also deflect (or reflect) incoming projectiles. So Hotline Miami for parrying freaks, like me. It’s an interesting way to mix up the formula at the very least, especially after Hotline Miami 2’s combat encouraged so many players to blindly fire off-screen in the hopes of hitting enemies instead of reacting to incoming danger.

Sonokuni's 2D pixel artwork blends hip hop and Japanese mythology, creating something very Hotline Miami-like in presentation. — (Image credit: Don Yasa Crew)

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 can wishlist it on Steam now, and get an early taste of the game’s soundtrack (along with some of the group’s earlier music videos) through Don Yasa Crew’s YouTube channel here.

The product of a wasted youth, wasted prime and getting into wasted middle age, Dominic Tarason is a freelance writer, occasional indie PR guy and professional techno-hermit seen in many strange corners of the internet and seldom in reality. Based deep in the Welsh hinterlands where no food delivery dares to go, videogames provide a gritty, realistic escape from the idyllic views and fresh country air. If you're looking for something new and potentially very weird to play, feel free to poke him on Bluesky. He's almost sociable, most of the time.