If you grew up with EA’s classic Strike series, there’s a good chance you miss the pure, chaotic joy of helicopter carnage from a top-down perspective. That’s why Microprose’s Cleared Hot caught my attention the second I saw it on the Steam Next Fest lineup. We’ve seen plenty of flight simulators and military shooters over the last decade, but almost nothing has recaptured that unique blend of arcade action, cheesy mayhem, and hands-on tactics that Desert Strike and its sequels nailed. Cleared Hot openly wears that influence on its sleeve-and after taking a spin with the playable demo, I can say that this indie project is shaping up to deliver the kind of energetic, skill-driven combat fans have been missing for decades.
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Microprose |
| Release Date | TBA (Demo available during Steam Next Fest) |
| Genres | Arcade Shooter, Action, Tactical |
| Platforms | PC (Steam) |
If you’ve lost track of Microprose, they’re the once-legendary simulation publisher that has, in recent years, shifted focus onto supporting fresh indie talent. Cleared Hot isn’t the spreadsheet-heavy flight sim you might expect from their legacy; instead, it feels almost like a love letter to the days when action ruled and games were all about moment-to-moment thrills.
What immediately stands out is the circle-strafing dogfights: you’re not hovering timidly over a map but blazing a trail through enemy fire while weaving between projectiles, dodging missiles, and lining up satisfying salvos of rockets. The controls are tight and snappy, just like the Strike series at its best, but there’s no clunky inertia or overcomplicated button layouts to slow you down. This is pure, pick-up-and-play violence with a modern indie polish.
The magnetic rope system is brilliantly unhinged—a tool for chaos that feels a little like combining Just Cause’s grappling nonsense with the era of destructive arcade games. Need more rockets? Snatch up a cargo crate mid-fight. Want to create instant mayhem? Sling a fuel barrel at a tank column. Even enemy corpses become physics props, and it’s hard not to chuckle the first time you drag an old Humvee across the battlefield as an improvised wrecking ball. It’s not just for show, either; rescuing and repositioning friendly troops with the rope adds a welcome layer of dynamic tactics, letting you reliably pivot from wild action to squad-play in just a button press.
It’s a setup that rewards both reckless energy and thoughtful positioning—not just “explode everything,” but “explode everything, then drag what’s left where you need it most.” For those burnt out on hyperrealistic sim shooters or the grindy live service trend, Cleared Hot feels refreshingly unpretentious. There are shades of Broforce, Helldivers, and classic arcade shooters throughout.
I will say: the demo’s focus on moment-to-moment gunplay hides deeper questions. Will there be enough mission variety and progression to support long-term replayability once that first-hit nostalgia wears off? Will it avoid the easy cash-grab pitfalls of procedural generation or crammed-in microtransactions if it tries to pad out content? Microprose’s recent indie partnerships lean more toward quality curation than quantity, but the industry’s warning signs are everywhere—especially when rebooting beloved formulas for a new audience.
For anyone who remembers the sheer adrenaline rush of the original Strike games—or who just wants tactical top-down action that moves—the arrival of Cleared Hot is a big deal. In a genre landscape flooded with safe sequels and AAA “games as a service,” something that channels pure arcade energy, rewards actual player skill, and lets you weaponize basically anything on the map is a breath of fresh air. Whether you’re a lapsed fan hungry for that old-school hit or just looking for something frantic, approachable, and honestly just fun, this is one to watch.
Arcade chopper shooters have been neglected for way too long; if Cleared Hot can stick the landing on mission design and keep things replayable, it’ll be a standout in the Steam indie sea. And if you’re reading this during Steam Next Fest, give that demo a go—you’ll know fast if this is your kind of mayhem.
Cleared Hot is what happens when a classic formula gets revived by devs who understand why it worked—and aren’t afraid to inject new, mechanically chaotic ideas. It’s not for sim diehards or those looking for open world bloat, but fans of real-time, skill-based destruction will feel right at home. I’m hoping the full release keeps up the energy and creativity of the demo—because the genre desperately needs it.
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