I have to stay fairly disciplined here at Rogueliker. I’ve always enjoyed playing games of all kinds, but since I started this website, I’ve felt the need to stay focused on roguelites, at least for the most part. With hundreds of games launching every month, going off piste means skipping games that you lot might be interested in hearing about.
That said, I do allow myself the luxury of looking at games that aren’t roguish, from time to time, especially if I think there might be interest in reading more about them.
For example, yesterday, that meant a short preview of a newly released Katamari-like about killing everyone with a giant ball of sentient meat, called Rolla. Today that means a helicopter shooter with smart physics and heat-seeking nostalgia rockets.
Introducing Cleared Hot
As someone who grew up when the MegaDrive was at its peak, games like Desert Storm were among the best that the console had to offer. Now, looking back, these games are all about the Western military machine attacking a nation in the Middle East, and although I see through the propaganda, I remain nostalgic for the gameplay.
That gameplay has returned in Cleared Hot, a game that so far has stayed away from problematic politics and instead focused on local disputes and big explosions. The isometric shooter launched last November with its first biome, set in a desert, and today a jungle-themed chapter landed. That just leaves the Arctic still in the hangar.
I’ve been working through the campaign slowly but surely, but for the purposes of this preview, I was granted access to the new jungle biome so I could take a look around. Today I did just that, skipping the final missions of the first chapter and fast-forwarding so I could have a quick look at the lush, green jungle environments of the second.
Tactile combat and clever physics
The best thing about Cleared Hot, in my opinion at least, is the clever physics that developer Not Knowing Corporation has deployed throughout the battlefield. This isn’t just a game about training powerful guns on ground forces; there’s also a grapple and lots of interactive items that you can grab with it.
That includes your enemies, which you can pluck from the ground and fling across the screen. Is it extremely violent? Yes, it is. Is it extremely fun? Also, yes.
Another thing I like about the game is the relentless pacing. There’s always something new and challenging to deal with at any given moment, and just when you think you’re done with a mission, your health bar in literal tatters; another wave of goons will turn up and push you to the absolute limit.
Cleared Hot is not a roguelike in any sense, but it is an arcade-focused shooter, and it rocks a fully voiced campaign, too. The story seems fairly well written based on what I’ve seen so far, and the back-and-forth between the different characters gives some energy and much-needed context to your constant strafing and firing.
After booting up the game today and skipping to the jungle, I had a good time having a look at what’s waiting for me in chapter two. That said, I didn’t keep playing because I’m determined to go back and finish the first chapter so I can get to the second properly.
I’ve been enjoying Cleared Hot’s spicy aerial combat in the evenings on my Steam Deck, and I’ll surely continue to do so as the game works its way through Early Access. When it’s done, whenever that may be, I’ll be back with a full review.
Cleared Hot is out now on PC (Mac and Win), and I played via access kindly provided by the game’s publisher, MicroProse Software.
