Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number Reviews

Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number is ranked in the 60th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
7.5 / 10.0
Mar 15, 2015

Hotline Miami 2 was in a very difficult spot. Had it solely done more of the same as the first, it would have endured criticism for not evolving. Instead, Dennaton has taken some of the formula that made the first game brilliant, and literally expanded pretty much everything in the game. Sometimes to its credit, but often to its detriment, Hotline Miami 2 hasn't quite managed to live up to the hype of the first game, and will often leave you feeling unfairly treated as a single bullet will come from literally out of nowhere. It's gone from a tightly paced action puzzle game, to a slightly flabbier paced action puzzler that relies much more heavily on the firepower that the first one encouraged you to shun so much. It's worth playing, if not for the soundtrack alone, but this is really the only area that it surpasses the original title. All in all, a shaky sequel that is built on extremely solid foundations.

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6.5 / 10.0
Mar 18, 2015

A convoluted storyline designed to pad out the game's length and some questionable level design which departs from the series' 'tough but fair' appeal makes this title weaker than its predecessor, but yet another sublime soundtrack, larger, even more brutally difficult stages, and a finely tuned gameplay experience helps to somewhat salvage things.

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4 / 10.0
Jun 26, 2017

Those playing Hotline Miami 2 may find themselves engaging in a litmus test for masochistic tendencies.

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8.4 / 10.0
Mar 14, 2015

If you're the kind of hardcore gamer looking for a challenging action-packed roller coaster ride then Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number is a definite must-buy.

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Mar 17, 2015

'Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number' is a love-it or hate-it kind of game. I guess that's not completely true, as in my case I both love it and hate it. The gameplay can be addictive, especially for those who stick with it. It can also be exasperating to the point of anger and despair. Its imperfections often threaten to destroy its delicate balance, but this one may appeal to lovers of the high difficulty.

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8 / 10
Mar 16, 2015

Music is superb throughout Hotline Miami 2. The synthy, high tempo soundtrack is almost worth the price of admission alone and will keep you tapping your feet as you murder, die, restart and murder again

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8 / 10
Mar 23, 2015

Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number is the type of game that will get your heart racing and test your reflexes at each and every turn. It’s late-80s-early 90s-infused world proves that arcade-style gameplay isn’t dead — it just moved.

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75 / 100
Mar 23, 2015

Hotline Miami 2 force-feeds you sleaze

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8.5 / 10.0
Mar 12, 2015

Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number is a great sequel. It innovates just enough to feel fresh but, unfortunately, takes a bit of player freedom away through its fixed characters. Sure, many of them feel great and have interesting abilities or weapons, but it does depend on how much you favor them over picking different masks and then going to town on the poor enemies that got in your way.

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GameSkinny
Vrothgarr
Top Critic
Mar 10, 2015

Brutally violent, Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number is a perfect sequel that delivers a viciously pixelated action gameplay experience.

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GameGrin
Top Critic
8.5 / 10.0
May 10, 2015

Overall, Hotline Miami 2 may suffer at some points due to it's level design, but when it gets good, it becomes astoundingly good. It's still the same top-down f*ck them up but only bigger, longer and more brutal. And certainly a must for players of the first, even if it is for the soundtrack alone.

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Mar 16, 2015

Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number has much to appreciate yet by comparison, the original game was perhaps a textbook example that, sometimes, less really is more.

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61 / 100
Mar 16, 2015

Only saved by its incredible style and often intriguing storylines, Hotline Miami 2 is riddled with poor design choices, gameplay issues and various bugs and glitches.

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Mar 23, 2015

A stellar soundtrack and fascinating story rescue an otherwise disappointing sequel. In an effort to be bigger than the original, Hotline Miami 2 bloats its arcade gameplay into an grinder that punishes risk-taking and frequently feels irritating or unfair, not satisfyingly tough.

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Az Elias
Top Critic
5 / 10
Apr 11, 2015

In trying to go bigger and better with Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number, the majority of what made the original so good has been lost. Levels are far too large, many enemies cannot be seen, and the mask system is effectively done away with for a poor substitute. This is still Hotline Miami; it's just not as exhilarating. Ironically, the planned level editor may be what saves it, where fans can potentially create surpassing stages akin to those found in the first game. For now, though, if yet to taste either title in the series, definitely make sure to buy the prequel over this for the ultimate and most thrilling experience.

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7 / 10.0
Mar 18, 2015

Changes to gameplay (negative) and narrative (positive) will probably be widely discussed among the game's fans and detractors, but the truth about Hotline Miami 2 is that your opinion about it will probably be very similar to your opinion about the first game. Did you enjoy the fast-paced gameplay of the original? You'll enjoy it again.

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Unscored
Mar 19, 2015

The first game, like a precocious child, asked a simple question: "Why do we like killing?" Wrong Number, like a disillusioned teen reading Vonnegut and lighting up a spliff, asks back: "Why do we, like, kill?"

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6 / 10.0
Mar 22, 2015

Wrong Number, more than a direct continuation, is an expansion and affirmation of Hotline Miami's themes.

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7.5 / 10.0
Mar 19, 2015

A decent sequel that pushes Hotline Miami to the limit. However, held back from greatness by a few niggling issues.

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Mar 14, 2015

To its credit, Hotline Miami 2 isn't just "more of the same." But that's also its biggest problem.

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