Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number

Hotline Miami 2 brings more of the same top-down shooting action from the first one, but adds more. The game graphics and controls are the same as the first. The music is still great, but I think the first one had better music. The biggest differences is the developed story and character styles. The story is more fleshed out and explains more with a conclusion. It is very thought provoking and will leave you thinking about it after you play or search YouTube for the meaning of the story by others' points of view. It is told in a "Pulp Fiction" style which is chronologically out of order. You will be assigned a character to play rather choosing from a variety of characters/masks in the first one. Each of the characters have a unique way to play. Sometimes you can choose between two masks on some levels. I think this is because of how the game relates to the story. If you liked HM1 then you will enjoy this one as well. Some players complain that the level designs are for more gun-fights than using melee weapons. I disagree because I played about 85-90% of the game using a melee weapon, so you can still play through the game with a melee weapon. But, some parts of levels will require you to use a gun, but this is very minor.

So, out for a midnight snack, huh?

More of the same. Not much change

Hotline Miami 2 continues HM1's hypnotic, meditative, pulse pounding, shoot-em up action. Compared to HM1, I can't be sure if I've gotten better with HM2 or if it's just slightly easier. It might be the latter, which is welcome considering some of the nightmares I had on one boss and a few levels from HM1. HM2 is a smoother gameplay experience overall compared to HM1. I never felt stuck or at an impass to the point of tedium (that's not to say you won't but the likelihood is probably less than with HM1). The music is once again killer with great headbobbing tunes. The story however, is indecipherable the first time through, but a game like this is all about the gameplay so it's of little detriment to the overall enjoyment. Many of the bugs people are complaining about in the reviews seem to have been addressed. I had zero crashes or issues on my machine (win7-64bit). My only qualm with the game and reason for removing 1 star is the save system needs improvement. The game will only save after you finish a chapter which is usually about 3-4maps. Each map might take about 20+mins if you're having difficulty which then puts the full time between saves at an hour or more. This is just unacceptable for a game that requires so much skill to get through. People should be able to finish a map and put the game down if they're getting frustrated without the punishment of having to start from the beginning of the chapter. Lastly some of the maps are wide open which requires you to 'look' (via the camera) off screen to see if enemies are outside of your view. Many times they are and end up shooting you which can feel like a cheap loss. Some added AI that prevents this would have been worthwhile to keep the game feeling fair. Overall though HM2 is fun, engaging and a worthy addition to your games library.

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