Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number Reviews
There are some new elements of course, but where I expected a build on the previous game's mechanics into a brand new experience instead became the same basic feel in a different scenario.
Despite some minor issues, Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number is exactly what the fans of the original want and an excellent jump-on for people curious to get into the series.
Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number didn't make giant leaps in gameplay improvements, but the essence that made the first game great is intact and alive. Sometimes that is all that matters, especially in a game like this.
It's essentially a glorified DLC pack of new levels, plus a level editor for folks who want to make their own murder rooms. The exact people who Dennaton Games were supposedly condemning in their first title are, apparently, the exact audience of people whose money they would like to take, again and again. I guess they figure those people like rape and torture, too, plus more methodical killing. Maybe they're right—but it's too bad, since it comes at the expense of making a game that has anything whatsoever to offer beyond phoned-in grindhouse schlock.
Wrong Number, more than a direct continuation, is an expansion and affirmation of Hotline Miami's themes.
A decent sequel that pushes Hotline Miami to the limit. However, held back from greatness by a few niggling issues.
To its credit, Hotline Miami 2 isn't just "more of the same." But that's also its biggest problem.
The number you have dialed has been disconnected
Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number is a game so savage that it can be unpalatable to certain players. But for those who enjoy the thrill of overcoming difficult combat where a single mistake can be your undoing, I can't think of a lot out there that's better.
Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number is violent and unsettling but still pulls you in like nothing else. Its inherent flaws feel more pronounced the second time around but it's still the 80's grindhouse murder-a-thon you know and love.
At its core, Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number doesn't do much different than its predecessor. It's gritty, pulp fiction cranked to eleven.
One of the best games of 2015 so far
It's still fast, violent, addictive and complemented by one of the finest gaming soundtracks available, so in many ways Hotline Miami has never been better. At times it's brilliant and at others it's disjointed but thankfully the Hotline Miami magic still exists in the wonderful collaboration of bullets, beats and bodies.
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.
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?"
'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.
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
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.
Hotline Miami 2 force-feeds you sleaze
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.