Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number

HM2 is good game. A very good game. I was waiting for it and for me this is so far best game of 2015. Why? Simple - it's a natural conclusion to the first game. It has a better soundtrack, more game play variety. But the most important part is a story. And what story it is. It's like a brain child of Kubirck and Tarantino, blessed by Philip K. Dick himself! So let's look at it Art style/graphics - same as in the HM1. The sway effect is still present but it's toned down. It's still a good detailed pixel art. And it still has this one cons - it's a top down shooter so in some cases you won't be able to judge height of the cover...and you will die. Music - much better than HM1. Soundtrack has more variety then previous game, they are dynamic tracks like in HM1 but there are also more subtle, more calm tracks. The Way Home by Magic Sword is my favorite, followed by Dust by MOON. Game play - I know, some people complain about poor level design - and it's a valid point. Levels are big and require more careful approach. There are some situations were you are shot by enemy of screen. But for me it's good. It's very good. The weapons variety, different characters and enemies and special rules (like the one preventing usage of other weapons) are spicing the game play up. But one thing needs patched up - some enemies can stuck in walls, spinning around. Story - it's a good story described by one word - MINDBLOW. If you remember events and dialogs from the game you'll be surprised on every scene. The lore is strong in the game. Summary - for me it's a good game, but only if you played first one. Game, OST, art style is strong, but the story is most important. It's like Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross - good games, but together they create perfection. And it's the same with HM2. I can proudly put it next on "Best Games Ever" Shelf.

Whilst still a good game in it's own right, Hotline Miami 2 is inferior to it's predecessor. Most notably the level design has taken a step backward, vast open spaces replacing the tight spaces and frantic action has been replaced by methodical, awkward sniping across these spaces. Several levels have unique mechanics to them, but in the end it just comes across as gimmicky. Finally levels and enemies come across as more linear and less random, limiting replay ability and making it more boring every time you press "R to restart". The masks, which subtly changed the way you played in the first game have been cut in number. The new masks, though now vastly different come off as gimmicky, the best being a useful roll-dodge, the worst being a chainsaw/gun wielding pair that you control simultaneously. Though a cool concept it is executed very poorly with your gun wielding partner getting bugged and stuck outside perhaps 20% of the time, in the end you're just a bigger target. However for most of the game you won't be wearing a mask at all, instead controlling characters with no special twists or abilities. Needless to say this is very disappointing. Controlling several characters is one way that the game's narrative fails, leaving the plot very disjointed. The first game was tight, creepy and mysterious. This entry in contrast is all over the place, ridiculous and pretentious. The story of these games, whilst never straightforward, has finally disappeared up it's own arse. All in all a very disappointing experience. While you'll no doubt squeeze a few hours of fun out of it it's replay ability is very limited and ultimately there are better games out there for the same price or cheaper, Hotline Miami 1 for example.

Still fun but disapointing. They went with bigger is better and its not in this case. First game was mostly set in corridors and small rooms and you could see everything and plan accordingly. Here you will get murdered by enemies off the screen more times than you can count. Story is more confusing than last time (if possible lol). MUSIC IS STILL AMAZING though Overall 7/10 its still fun but...doesnt feel right

Hotline Miami 2 tries really hard. It is bigger, crazier, and more ambitious than the first, but it also kind of forgets what made it so fabulous. The plot itself is great: it's a complex, twisted, non-linear tale about a large cast of unrelated characters whose fates intersect in unexpected ways. It differs widely from the first game, which may be disappointing to some, but the constant twists, switching of genres and quotable lines are really awesome! And in theory, the gameplay sounds great too! The levels are much bigger, more complex and varied, they have a lot more enemies, and they often let you chose between several characters / gameplay styles. But... that's kind of the problem. While HM1 lets you get crazy with every weapon you can find and strategy you can think of to finish levels, HM2 really tends to give you limited options in that regard: characters are often handicapped by some sort of arbitrary and cumbersome gimmick (melee only, cannot drop your firearm even if out of ammo...), which feels lackluster compared to the freedom HM1 gave you. Having bigger levels also generates greater frustration: you get sniped by enemies out of your field of view, and since levels take longer to finish, dying often means losing a lot of progress. Levels tend to feel like brutal puzzles you need to approach a certain way, unlike HM1, which was more of a “combat sandbox” type of game. To be clear: these are not bad design elements, it's all clearly deliberate... but it makes the game feel like it was made for people who had gotten really good at the first one and longed for a more hardcore sequel, not for those who wanted more of the same. Should you still play it?... Absolutely. It's a solid continuation of the storyline, a good game in itself, it has a sweet level editor that allows for neat fan-made content, and the soundtrack rocks harder than ever. But there's little chance you'll prefer its gameplay to the original's if you're not into hardcore difficulty...

Unlike the first game, the games has much, much larger areas, while you are given SHIFT to look around it's not enough. It goes from a fast paced action game to a snail's pace "stealth" game. And not as much freedom with masks, if there even ARE any. Much worse than it's older brother.