Nostalgic helicopter shooter Cleared Hot has funny physics and a demo worthy of your time

If you remember the days of Desert Strike or enjoy other more modern helicopter shooters, the demo for Cleared Hot is one for you. I talked about this a bit back in October 2024 and there's now a demo in Steam Next Fest.

What makes this one especially fun is the physics system, as you get to be a bit creative in how you approach it. This actually made me laugh a lot more than I expected with what you can do. There's various objects you can pick up and then just throw across the screen, like enemy bodies. Shoot an enemy, flying over and pick up their body and then throw it at someone else. Hilarious. There's more practical uses though, like throwing a barrel of fuel or a tank on top of people and buildings and watching everything go up in flames.

The demo worked great with the latest Proton 9.0-4.

YouTube videos require cookies, you must accept their cookies to view. View cookie preferences.
Accept Cookies & Show   Direct Link

There's a lot more than just the physics going for it though, it's incredibly satisfying even just using your main weapons. The sound they make is glorious as is the destruction you'll cause with it. Absolutely perfect twin-stick controls too, felt great with my 8BitDo Ultimate 2 Wireless. At least from the demo, it feels like everything I wanted in a modern version of Desert Strike.

Once you get past the first mission though, the game becomes something a fair bit more than your standard fly around and shoot all the enemies type of shooter. The story with the level system is interesting, which again makes some nice and often hilarious use of the physics system. I won't give it away, but there's chickens involved.

Game Highlights

• Fully physics-based action - Unleash your creativity with physics-powered gameplay! Launch enemies sky-high with rocket blasts or swing rocks into their faces
• using your trusty rope!.
• Night Missions - Darkness is your greatest weapon. Fly unseen and engage with precision using advanced night vision or thermal optics!
• Protect Your Squad - Transport your squad to take enemy territory, or position them to defend your own base. Deploy them wisely to complete your objectives, and try not to drop too many along the way.
• Use your rope to latch onto anything - Haul a**…and just about anything else. Redirect heat seeking missiles. Carry a tank to help you assault an enemy base. Pick up enemies and send them flying to their death. You can pick up anything that's not tied down, so get creative.

The full game launches later in 2025. It was already in my wishlist, now it's going up a lot higher. Really can't wait to see a lot more from this one.