Hatred

Hatred is a violent third-person shooter played from a bird’s-eye perspective, where the protagonist, known as ‘The Crusader,’ embarks on a ‘genocide crusade’ to kill as many innocent civilians and police officers as possible. Levels unfold in diverse, highly destructible environments such as neighborhoods, police stations, army bases, power plants, cities, and beach towns. Players utilize various weapons like guns, flamethrowers, grenades, rocket launchers, and molotovs, and can drive vehicles, with health regenerable through violent executions. The game features a one-life system per level, though checkpoints can be activated via side quests.

Hatred: A Genocide Crusade Through the Murky Waters of Gaming Controversy

In the annals of video game history, few titles have ignited such fervent debate and polarized opinion as ‘Hatred’. Released in 2015 by Destructive Creations, this isometric top-down shooter didn’t merely push boundaries; it bulldozed them, declaring war not only on its fictional populace but also on the perceived “political correctness” and artistic pretentions of the contemporary gaming industry. From its infamous announcement trailer to its contentious Adults Only (AO) rating and a dramatic reinstatement on Steam Greenlight by none other than Gabe Newell himself, ‘Hatred’ carved out a legacy as a touchstone in the ongoing culture war within gaming. As a game journalist and historian, I revisit ‘Hatred’ not just to dissect its mechanics or narrative, but to understand its audacious existence and its enduring, if uncomfortable, place in the digital discourse. My thesis is that ‘Hatred’, while a technologically competent if generic shooter at its core, ultimately serves less as a compelling interactive experience and more as a raw, unfiltered artifact of developer defiance, its shocking premise overshadowing its middling execution, yet profoundly impacting the conversation around violence and artistic freedom in games.

Development History & Context

Destructive Creations, a new studio based in Gliwice, Poland, burst onto the scene with ‘Hatred’ as its debut project on June 1, 2015. Many of its staff members were former developers from another Polish studio, The Farm 51, bringing a foundation of experience to their controversial venture. The creators’ vision for ‘Hatred’ was explicitly reactionary. CEO Jarosław Zieliński and his team sought to develop a game that eschewed trends they identified as “political correctness, politeness, vivid color, and games as art.” Instead, they aimed to evoke the industry’s past as a “rebellious medium,” focusing on “surface-level entertainment” without “any fake philosophy.” This philosophy was starkly articulated in the game’s announcement trailer in October 2014, which depicted the protagonist embarking on a mass-killing spree. While intended to be provocative, Zieliński later admitted he was surprised by the sheer scale of the backlash and the outpouring of supportive fan mail, though he maintained that the trailer did not cross a moral boundary.

Technologically, ‘Hatred’ was built using the powerful Unreal Engine 4, augmented by Nvidia PhysX for its environmental destruction. Ironically, Epic Games, the creators of Unreal Engine, requested the removal of their logo from ‘Hatred’s early marketing materials, signaling a clear distancing from the project’s controversial content. The game’s dialogue was penned by Herr Warcrimer, vocalist for the black metal bands Infernal War and Iperyt, whose song “Particular Hatred” also featured in the soundtrack, alongside instrumental tracks from Norwegian death metal band Blood Red Throne. The character’s voice actor, known only by the pseudonym “Clint Westwood,” was deliberately kept anonymous, further enhancing the game’s enigmatic and grim persona.

The gaming landscape at the time of ‘Hatred’s announcement and release was already fraught with debates surrounding violence in media, particularly video games. Titles like Grand Theft Auto, Manhunt, and Postal had all faced their share of controversy. ‘Hatred’ upped the ante considerably by focusing solely on indiscriminate civilian slaughter, presented with an unflinching, serious tone rather than the dark humor often found in its spiritual predecessor, Postal. This commitment to “pure” violence culminated in the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) granting ‘Hatred’ an “Adults Only” (AO) rating in January 2015. This was a significant moment; ‘Hatred’ became only the third video game in history, alongside Thrill Kill and Manhunt 2, to receive an AO rating solely for extreme violence, and notably, the only one with no sexual content whatsoever. This rating effectively banned the game from mainstream retail distribution in the United States and prohibited its release on major console platforms (Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft), due to their policies against licensing AO-rated titles.

The game’s journey to release was marked by further drama. It briefly appeared on Steam Greenlight in December 2014, only to be promptly removed by Valve, who stated they “would not publish Hatred.” However, a day later, in an unprecedented move, Valve CEO Gabe Newell personally apologized to Destructive Creations and reinstated the game on Greenlight. This intervention saw ‘Hatred’ quickly become the most voted game on the service, successfully getting “greenlit” by the community on December 29. This episode solidified the game’s status as a cause célèbre, a “forbidden fruit” that many players felt compelled to support, either out of genuine interest or to spite perceived “Moral Guardians” and “political correctness.”

Marketing efforts, including a second trailer titled “Devastation,” continued to draw criticism for being “just as vicious and cynical” as the first. Shortly before its June 2015 launch, Twitch announced a ban on all AO-rated games, making ‘Hatred’ one of the few explicitly prohibited titles on the streaming platform, further cementing its contentious reputation. Despite the controversy, Destructive Creations had a clear intent: to challenge the industry’s prevailing narrative and make a statement, regardless of the outcry.

Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

The narrative of ‘Hatred’ is deliberately minimalist, serving primarily as a framing device for its central gameplay loop of mass murder. The protagonist, known interchangeably as “The Antagonist,” “Not Important,” or “The Crusader,” is a tall, pale man with long black hair, clad in a black trench coat. His motivations are explicitly stated in his opening monologue: “My name is not important. What is important is what I’m going to do. I just fucking hate this world and the human worms feasting on its carcass. My whole life is just cold, bitter hatred and I always wanted to die violently. This is the time of vengeance and no life is worth saving. And I will put in the grave as many as I can. It’s time for me to kill and it’s time for me to die. My genocide crusade begins here.” This declares his stance as a misanthropic, dystheistic, and misotheistic psychopath, driven by an all-consuming hatred for humanity and a profound death wish.

The plot unfolds as a “one-way trip” spree of killings across New York City. The Antagonist begins his “genocide crusade” in his local neighborhood, systematically slaughtering civilians and police officers. His rampage escalates, prompting a government response. He escapes the authorities by train and meticulously plans his endgame: detonating a nuclear power plant near the city to cause a cataclysmic event and take millions with him. To achieve this, he storms the Fort O’Connor military base to acquire Composition C plastic explosives, wiping out the entire facility. His final act involves planting the explosive on the nuclear reactor and attempting to overload it. As soldiers arrive and riddle his chest with bullets, he laughs, activating the trigger as he dies. The power plant explodes, leveling New York City and killing millions. In this dark climax, “The Bad Guy Wins,” achieving his desired violent death and enacting his ultimate act of societal destruction.

The Antagonist himself is a flat character, intentionally devoid of a deep backstory or complex motivations beyond his palpable hatred. He is a “Straw Nihilist,” an “Ax-Crazy Death Seeker” and a “Misanthrope Supreme,” showing no empathy for his victims, whom he dehumanizes as “parasites” and “worms.” He even refers to the police as “society’s meatshields.” While his overt personality is that of a crude, edgy psychopath, his actions reveal a surprising degree of cunning: he strategically hides, plans his escape, and acquires military-grade weapons, making him a more terrifying, calculating force than a mere mindless killer. His dialogue is minimal, punctuated by profanity-laden one-liners and despairing monologues that reiterate his contempt for existence. The voice acting, though sparse, has been described as “corny” by some, contrasting with the game’s otherwise serious and grim tone.

‘Hatred’s thematic core revolves around its controversial premise. It is unabashedly a “murder simulator,” a label frequently invoked by critics. The developers stated that the purpose of the game was “simply to kill everyone in your path” with “no plot or characterization at all,” leaning into a “No Plot? No Problem!” mentality. This approach was framed as a form of “honesty” in depicting violence, contrasting with other games that provide narrative justifications or moral penalties for player actions. The game’s existence itself was a meta-“Take That!” to the industry, criticizing “Art Games” and “Political Correctness Is Evil.” This is humorously, if provocatively, reflected in some of the game’s achievement titles, such as “Feminist” for killing 2,000 men, “Misogynist” for killing 2,000 women, “Liberal” for firing 10,000 rounds, and “Conservative” for firing 25,000 rounds, as well as “You Should See a Shrink” for playing 50 hours.

The post-release Survival DLC introduces a thin layer of expanded lore, featuring three new playable characters—a psycho cop, a “Widowmaker,” and a “Recidivist”—who are cultists inspired by the Antagonist’s rampage. These characters continue his work, suggesting his legacy within the game’s desolate world. This implies a canon timeline where the Antagonist’s initial actions spark further acts of violence. The game’s primary theme, however, remains the raw, unadulterated expression of hatred, leaving the “why” largely to the player’s interpretation, as Zieliński intended.

Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

‘Hatred’ is fundamentally an isometric twin-stick shooter, adopting a diagonal-down, bird’s-eye perspective reminiscent of classic titles like the original Postal. The core gameplay loop is straightforward and, for many critics, repetitive: the player navigates through various urban and military environments, tasked with killing a specified number of people—civilians, police officers, and later, soldiers. The levels are presented as “seven large inclosed free-to-roam areas,” though the objective-driven progression often reduces the sense of open-world exploration.

Combat and Armaments: The Antagonist can carry up to three weapons simultaneously, ranging from standard firearms like Glocks and AK-47s to more devastating tools such as flamethrowers, rocket launchers, Molotov cocktails, and grenades. Weapons can be looted from fallen enemies, providing a steady supply of firepower. A central and controversial mechanic is the health regeneration system: the Antagonist can only regain health by performing “violent executions” on incapacitated targets. These executions are brutal and cinematic, often involving close-up camera angles as the Antagonist stabs, shoots, or stomps his victims. A “safe execution” option allows for a quicker, point-blank shot. As levels progress, and the initial throngs of civilians diminish, finding opportunities for these vital executions against more heavily armed foes becomes a high-risk, high-reward challenge, increasing the game’s difficulty. Vehicles, including cop cars and APCs outfitted with machine guns, are available in certain sections, adding variety to the destructive arsenal.

Destructible Environments: A standout feature of ‘Hatred’ is its extensive environmental destruction, powered by Unreal Engine 4 and Nvidia PhysX. “Almost any part of the environment can be destroyed,” leading to levels drenched in “gore and destruction effects that are surprisingly well done.” Walls can be blown apart, cars explode (even after “seven kicks”), and entire buildings can burn, leaving behind “dead bodies, blood pools,” and charred ruins. This contributes significantly to the game’s over-the-top, messy aesthetic and is one of the few elements consistently praised by players and some critics.

Character Progression and Systems: Beyond collecting weapons, there is limited character progression. The main campaign offers seven levels and a tutorial. Death results in a complete level restart unless the player has completed optional side quests, which provide a limited number of “respawn points.” The Survival DLC expanded this with three new playable cultist characters, additional maps, “Story” and “Insane” difficulty modes, new sidequests, ranking systems, leaderboards, and even cheat options like unlimited ammunition and “God mode.”

UI and Controls: ‘Hatred’ suffered from significant criticisms regarding its controls and overall optimization. Many reviews lamented “poor controls,” “shoddy” aiming, and a “hard to get used to” control mapping, comparing it unfavorably to even mediocre twin-stick shooters. This “Imperial Stormtrooper Marksmanship Academy” effect for the protagonist’s aiming made combat frustrating at times. Graphically, despite using Unreal Engine 4, the game was noted for “poor graphics and optimization” and frequent crashes on PC, undermining its technical ambition.

Artificial Intelligence: Both civilian and enemy AI were widely panned. Civilians exhibit “Artificial Stupidity,” sometimes failing to flee or even running directly towards the Antagonist, occasionally getting stuck in scenery. Armed enemies fare little better, prone to shooting walls, engaging in friendly fire, or self-detonating with grenades. This shallow AI contributed to the game’s perception as “generic” and “repetitive,” with difficulty often arising from “unpredictability and unfairness” rather than engaging tactical challenges. While stealth was presented as an option in certain areas, notably the military base, it rarely felt like a primary or refined mechanic.

World-Building, Art & Sound

The world of ‘Hatred’ is meticulously crafted to be a reflection of its protagonist’s bleak, misanthropic worldview. Set in an unnamed upstate New York, the game unfolds across seven large, free-to-roam environments including suburban neighborhoods, bustling cities, beach towns, a police station, an army base (Fort O’Connor), a nuclear power plant, and even subterranean sewers. This variety of locales offers different backdrops for the Antagonist’s “genocide crusade.”

Atmosphere and Visual Direction: The overarching atmosphere is one of profound despair and destruction. The game employs a distinctive, “Deliberately Monochrome” visual style, rendering nearly the entire world in shades of black and white. Color is used sparingly and strategically, highlighted only in elements of destruction: vibrant red blood, explosive flames, flashing police lights, and illuminated building signs. This “suggestive artistic presentation” effectively underscores the grim, unfeeling nature of the Antagonist’s journey and enhances the brutality of the violence. It gives the game a “gritty realistic feel” (as noted by a Reddit user) but also, as some critics pointed out, can make the game “harder to see and play.” This limited palette has drawn comparisons to the stark visual styles of The Spirit, Sin City, and MadWorld, albeit without the overt stylized flair of those titles. The character design of the Antagonist, with his pale skin, long dark hair, and black trench coat, is intentionally “devoid of joy,” reflecting his inner emptiness.

While the game’s destructible environments and gore effects received praise for their detail and fluidity, there were notable instances of “Artistic License” that compromised realism. The military base level, for instance, was criticized for its generic labeling (“Army Office”), insecure armory, and even a misspelled “cantine,” suggesting a lack of research or deliberate abstraction. Similarly, the mechanics of initiating a nuclear meltdown at the power plant were deemed scientifically implausible, requiring a simple 3-digit code on a console, an example of “Artistic License – Nuclear Physics.” These aspects, while not central to the game’s core appeal of destruction, highlighted areas where the game’s gritty realism broke down.

Sound Design: The auditory experience in ‘Hatred’ complements its visual bleakness. The soundtrack features “heavy ambient music” and “dark ambient music,” contributing to a sense of unease and dread rather than adrenaline-pumping action. The player review noted “barely any music” in some sections, emphasizing the starkness. The sound effects, however, were described as “meaty,” providing visceral feedback for the constant gunfire and explosions. Most notably, the “desperate screams of murdered people” serve as a constant, unsettling reminder of the horrific acts being committed, preventing the player from fully disassociating from the violent reality depicted. While the Antagonist’s voice acting received criticism for being “corny,” it contributes to his one-note, unyielding persona.

In essence, ‘Hatred’s world-building, art, and sound were all meticulously crafted to deliver a singular, uncompromising message: this is a world consumed by hatred, rendered in stark, brutal terms. While technically impressive in its destructibility and visual aesthetic, its serious tone and reliance on shock value defined its overall sensory experience.

Reception & Legacy

The reception of ‘Hatred’ was tumultuous, marked by intense controversy from its very announcement, followed by generally negative critical reviews upon release, yet a surprising commercial performance.

Pre-Release: The October 2014 announcement trailer immediately triggered a firestorm. Video game press outlets like Polygon expressed “genuine revulsion,” calling it “grisly,” “extremely violent, and very tacky,” and many dubbed it a “mass murder simulator.” This outcry quickly positioned ‘Hatred’ as the poster child for the debate over violence in games. The infamous episode on Steam Greenlight, where Valve initially removed the game due to “extremely violent content” only for Gabe Newell to personally apologize and reinstate it, became a landmark moment. This act of “freedom of expression” was hailed by Destructive Creations and their supporters as a victory against “political correctness.” The ESRB’s “Adults Only” (AO) rating for violence alone further amplified its notoriety, effectively restricting its distribution and cementing its status as a “forbidden fruit” for many. Accusations arose regarding alleged links between Destructive Creations and a Polish far-right nationalist group, which the developers vehemently denied, stating they opposed “totalitarian ideologies” and welcomed the publicity, however malevolent.

Critical Reception at Launch: Despite the pre-release hype, ‘Hatred’ was met with a lukewarm to hostile critical reception. It garnered an average Moby Score of 5.0 and a Metacritic aggregate score of 43/100, based on 46 reviews. Critics widely panned the game for its repetitive and generic gameplay, citing a lack of variation and a single-minded focus on violence that quickly wore thin. Destructoid, GameSpot, and Rock, Paper, Shotgun all concluded it was fundamentally “boring,” “uninteresting,” and “fails in every way” as an entertaining, technically competent, or even genuinely shocking experience. Common complaints included poor controls, aiming issues, inadequate graphics optimization, and technical problems like crashes. Many reviewers criticized its “super serious and edgy tone,” arguing it lacked the self-awareness or dark humor of titles like Postal, making the “moronic and heavy handed” content hard to stomach. PC Gamer stated it was “largely forgettable,” while The Jimquisition described it as little more than “Rampage sidequests from the original top-down Grand Theft Auto games,” devoid of sophisticated entertainment.

There were minor pockets of praise. Some critics acknowledged the “decent gore and destruction effects” and the “amusingly over-the-top and heavy handed” nature of the game. Softpedia praised its “good twin-stick shooter” mechanics, while IGN Italy and Spain noted its visuals and destructible environments, despite criticizing its poor AI and repetitiveness. Ultimately, the consensus was that ‘Hatred’ failed to deliver a compelling gaming experience beyond its provocative premise.

Commercial Reception & Legacy: Paradoxically, despite the negative critical reception, ‘Hatred’ quickly became a best-seller on Steam upon its release. This commercial success can largely be attributed to the “forbidden fruit” effect, with many players purchasing it as an act of defiance against its censorship and the broader “culture war.”

Its legacy, however, is complex. Initially, player reviews averaged 2.4 out of 5, but over time, its Steam rating evolved to “Very Positive” (as of 2024), with recent reviews reaching 84% positive, suggesting a potential “review bomb” upon release that was later balanced by its intended audience.

‘Hatred’s influence on subsequent games has been minimal in terms of direct emulation of its specific premise. However, its impact on the industry’s discourse is undeniable. It became a powerful symbol in the debate about artistic freedom in video games, the limits of content, and the role of “political correctness” in development. Its AO rating for violence alone set a precedent and highlighted the ongoing challenges developers face when pushing extreme boundaries. The game’s developers continued to support it with content, releasing the Survival DLC in September 2015, which added new maps, characters, and difficulty modes, including cheats like “God mode.” In 2019, a spin-off comic book series was released, further extending its universe. Even years later, in 2020, an announcement for a Nintendo Switch port surfaced, though its uncensored release remains questionable given Nintendo’s policies.

In a meta-twist, the Antagonist himself was made an Easter egg playable character in Postal Redux, cementing ‘Hatred’s perceived spiritual lineage. While few would argue for ‘Hatred’s mechanical brilliance, its historical importance as a provocative lightning rod, a testament to developer defiance, and a catalyst for vital conversations about censorship and content in the evolving video game medium cannot be understated.

Conclusion

‘Hatred’ is, and perhaps always will be, a game defined by its surrounding controversy rather than its inherent quality. As a professional game journalist and historian, my analysis reveals a game born from a specific cultural moment, designed as a deliberate affront to perceived industry trends, and executed with an unflinching, albeit shallow, commitment to its nihilistic vision.

At its core, ‘Hatred’ is a functional isometric twin-stick shooter. It delivered on its promise of visceral, extensive environmental destruction and a deluge of gruesome gore, which remain its most commendable technical achievements. However, beneath this shocking facade, the gameplay is undeniably repetitive, plagued by uninspired AI, shoddy controls, and optimization issues that undermine its technical foundations. The narrative, deliberately sparse, serves only to fuel the Antagonist’s “genocide crusade,” leaving little room for nuance or artistic depth, precisely as its creators intended.

Ultimately, ‘Hatred’s definitive verdict rests not on its merits as an engaging game, for which it largely falls short, but on its significance as a cultural flashpoint. It forced uncomfortable conversations about violence, censorship, and developer intent within the gaming community and beyond. The unprecedented Steam Greenlight saga, the AO rating for violence alone, and the sheer polarizing rhetoric it generated underscore its unique position. While its gameplay is generic and its thematic exploration is rudimentary, ‘Hatred’ stands as a stark, uncompromising artifact – a crude, yet effective, statement against prevailing sensibilities. It is a game few would recommend for its entertainment value, but one that remains historically crucial for the conversations it sparked, proving that sometimes, a game’s most enduring legacy lies not in what it plays like, but in what it represents. It is a flawed game, but an unforgettable historical event in video game culture.