In 2015, the company Destructive Creations presented the game “Hatred” to the public. The title tells the story of a character driven by hatred, who embarks on a wave of murders against civilians and police forces. Its extreme violence caused significant controversy and led to its temporary removal from Steam Greenlight at launch.
More than a decade after its premiere, “Hatred” today, on August 9, 2026, can be seen from a new perspective. At that time, the work was widely commented only for its shocking premise and controversial themes. However, when ignoring the initial sensationalism and revisiting it, one realizes a depth of game mechanics that surpass simple wanton killing.
An especially intriguing aspect lies in the alteration of the gaming experience depending on the selected difficulty. The title may, in fact, display a very different facet from that which popularized it as a “simulator of indiscriminate destruction”. Considering the buzz of its arrival, this analysis explores “Hatred” a decade later, focusing on the nuances that emerge when facing it from the highest level of challenge.
What changes in Hatred’s insane difficulty and extreme challenges
The amount of damage received from enemy fire is considerable, causing the protagonist to quickly succumb under continuous gunfire.
The detection range of opponents is significantly increased, allowing enemies to spot the player from afar and approach by shooting.
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Life recovery, gained from executing civilians or enemies, is drastically reduced at this challenge level.
The location of enemies is no longer displayed on the minimap, forcing the player to pay greater attention to the environment.
The respawn system has been completely removed. Dying once means restarting the level from the beginning.
Due to these characteristics, on the highest difficulty, the game transforms. It goes from being focused on “how to slaughter enemies efficiently” to focusing on “how to eliminate opponents while staying alive.” Thus, the protagonist, who was previously the hunter, becomes the prey in the insane difficulty level.
So how does the gameplay in Insana mode play out? On high difficulties, it is essential to minimize the chances of being hit, and for this, crouched combat is essential. Shooting from this position considerably reduces the likelihood of being shot, compared to standing.
Even adopting the crouching position, on Insane difficulty, death can occur quickly under concentrated fire from multiple enemies. It is crucial, therefore, to use the terrain strategically and avoid situations of numerical disadvantage as much as possible.
Developing a strategic play style with available structures
When noticing a wave of police or SWAT agents approaching, the player must quickly seek shelter in the nearest building, remaining vigilant. By barricading yourself, you guarantee ample coverage and limit enemy entry points. This is how the confrontation is established.
Within the siege, it is necessary to defend the entrances through which enemy forces will try to invade and, strategically, recover health by executing opponents in a state of death. As it is not possible to finish enemies in flames, it is advised against using Molotov cocktails or flamethrowers during a siege.
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Depending on the location, the player may find themselves surrounded by more than 40 SWAT officers or Marines simultaneously, experiencing an intense siege situation.
Understanding the triggers that trigger the appearance of enemies
Each stage features several missions, such as “Eliminate XX civilians” or “Break into and burn down XX store.” Although reinforcements such as police officers and SWAT teams emerge even from the simple act of shooting at bystanders, they often appear in large numbers and in overwhelming force upon completion of a mission. Therefore, completing objectives randomly can lead the player to face a large SWAT team in the open field and be shot at.
The key to overcoming Insane difficulty is understanding enemy spawn conditions, such as “a large number of opponents will appear after this mission is completed.” With this knowledge, it is possible to execute civilians and recover their lives before completing an objective, or identify buildings suitable for a siege in advance, making it easier to face enemy hordes.
Consequently, the higher difficulty level requires meticulous preparation and detailed strategic planning.
Extreme challenge creates a unique sense of realism in the game
In Insane mode, enemy line of sight is extended, meaning that in outdoor settings, players are often hit at the edge of on-screen visibility. The precision of enemy shots makes evasion almost impossible. Additionally, with the simultaneous appearance of multiple opponents, players can be hit and eliminated without reacting, which, at times, conveys a feeling of injustice.
However, the game’s narrative has a villainous and terrorist protagonist as its backdrop. The precariousness of being the only person challenging the country and the desperate situation of a war seem to be reflected in the balance of the game. The ambition to massacre civilians and commit terrorist acts is not something simple to satisfy at will.
The gratifying feeling of victory when overcoming obstacles that seem unfair
The difficulty level is so absurdly challenging that the feeling of achievement when finally completing the game is even greater. The final stages are not easily overcome with just a few tries.
Through countless deaths, the player develops strategies, such as predicting the direction and time of enemies’ arrival or deciding to barricade themselves in a building to reduce the number of opponents, refining them in practice. When a meticulously planned strategy finally works and you manage to survive against a large number of SWAT officers and Marines, the feeling of accomplishment is different from the euphoria felt on normal difficulties.
An overview of the Hatred experience
If the focus remains only on the extreme themes of “Hatred”, one could mistakenly conclude that it is just a game where the objective is to shoot and kill civilians and police officers. In fact, the game’s balance is generous, with less damage taken on lower difficulty levels, making it an exciting top-down shooter where you can freely enjoy frantic gameplay.
However, on the highest difficulty level, Insane, it is necessary to act with extreme caution, planning the arrival of enemy reinforcements, their tactics, siege strategies and when to exit the buildings. The existence of Insane mode transforms this game from a simple killing pastime into a unique top-down strategy game.