Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number [Game Review]

Game: Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number

Developer: Dennaton Games

Publisher: Devolver Digital

Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number is the sequel to the 2012 smash hit Hotline Miami. Apparently, many of the original game's fans were disappointed when this game was released. As you probably noticed by my intro, I was not one of them. But let's start by looking at the story.

STORY

Compared to the original, there is more story and is told in a clearer way. The game takes place after and before the events of the original. After having killed the Russian Mafia in the previous game, Jacket has been put on trial and has achieved national infamy, spawning copy cat killers, vigilantes and a backlash with the mobsters. The game is told in an anachronic order and requires a second playthrough to be fully understood. You play as 12 different characters whose stories meet at one point or another. Most of them are horrible persons, some of whom kill for joy, some of whom kill for necessity, and some of whom don't actually know if what they are doing is real or not.

GRAPHICS

The game looks exactly like the predecessor, with its top-down 2D ultra violence that makes you feel under the influence of some weird drug. Unlike last time, some items in the environment are destructible. However, there are a couple of bugs, related only to dogs running in circles and Ash getting stuck in some doors.

GAMEPLAY

This is where most of the hate for this game lies into.

Just like in the previous game, there are melee and long range weapons that usually result in a one-hit kill for both the enemies and the character, creating an intense and exhilarating experience. There are some differences from the original game. Each of the 12 characters has different abilities: one can kill with punches but can't pick up weapons, one can roll, one has faster aiming, and one can only non-lethally incapacitate enemies. This makes every level feel different from the previous since you must adapt to different play styles in a really fast way.

Unlike the original, there is a bigger emphasis on guns this time around, and the addition of the auto-lock really helps in many occasions. The levels are bigger, longer and more varied than last time, and they often include open areas in which is really easy to get killed by off-screen enemies, a thing that happened in the previous game as well.

CHALLENGE

While the other game was really hard, this feels almost impossible most of the time. That is because there are more guns, bigger areas and the inability to pick up weapons with some characters. However, leaving the game and coming back after 20 minutes will usually make you beat a level, as well as taking your time and luring enemies in the corner. I understand that many find this more frustrating than challenging, and that varies from player to player.

SOUND

There are a total of 49 tracks this time around, compared to the 23 of the original. Some artists like M|O|O|N and El Huervo come back, as well as new ones, making for an eccentric soundtrack that perfectly fits the tone and atmosphere of the game. In my opinion, the songs reach a level of perfection that some of the ones in the original did not.

REPLAYABILITY

When you finish the game, you unlock Hard Mode, which inverts the map and adds more enemies. There are also 29 achievements and many secrets to discover, so you get your money's worth.

Overall, Hotline Miami 2 is a game that you have to try in order to know if you'll like it or not. I loved the focus on guns, bigger challenge and better story. However, if you think that you won't like this, or you didn't even like the first game, don't try this. In my opinion, there are enough changes to make this feel fresh and new.

Story: 9

Graphics: 8.5

Gameplay: 9

Challenge: 10

Sound: 10

Replayability: 7.5

ENJOYMENT: 9

FRUSTRATION: 8.5