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Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number | Review Thread

kudoboi

Member
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IGN: 8.8/10
Sprawling in both story and level design, Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number is a more fleshed out, ambitious follow-up to its 2012 predecessor.

Polygon: 8.5/10
Hotline Miami 2 may look like its predecessor, but it’s a completely different beast. The original was a drug; a pulsating, hypnotic thing. Hotline Miami 2 consciously makes it slightly harder to get lost in that flow, but trades that trance for a story that I’m still rapturously unpacking. It gives you the tools and freedom you need to execute unbelievable killing combos, and then gives you ample time to consider the consequences.

Videogamer: 7/10
Hotline Miami 2 improves upon its predecessor in a way that is pleasing, but non-essential. And to get there, it undercut the one thing that made the original great. Hotline Miami was nasty, brutish, and short. Hotline Miami 2, sadly, is not.

Destructoid: 9/10
Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number is more of the same, but that's not a bad thing if that's all you want out of it. After beating the sequel I was immediately inspired to go back and play the original, which in turn inspired me to start playing Wrong Number again. Between the level editor and the iron-clad gameplay, I'll be enjoying this franchise for years to come.

Eurogamer: Recommended
Hotline Miami 2 leaves me conflicted. There's lots to love here, but the structure makes it difficult to explore and exploit. It's still an absolute riot to play, and the urge to press on remains compulsive, despite the narrative hi-jinx. Its failings are never enough to truly spoil things - Hotline Miami 2 is definitely to be recommended. It's the sequel that everyone expected, perhaps. But I'm not sure it's the sequel the original truly deserved.

Gamespot: 9/10
In almost every way, Hotline Miami 2 is a marked improvement on an already tremendous formula. This is a game that had me pumping my fists and laughing with joy throughout my time with it, and I was left despondent by the time it drew to a close. A gutsy, refined game that isn't scared to force you into corners and watch you battle out of them, as well as an audiovisual joy that marries graphics, music, and gameplay so well that even the pause screen is a work of art.

TheSixAxis: 7/10
Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number is an entertaining game, at least for the majority of its play time. It takes what made Hotline Miami great and made it greater, these being the weapons and level design. It is a much longer experience too, though personal playthrough times will be dependant on your skill. However, Wrong Number also tries to do too much too quickly, and its multiple character paths don’t work as well as hoped. Add in the fact there are fewer masks and it feels like a major part of the game has been stripped out. Overall it doesn’t quite reach the same heights as its streamlined, bizarre predecessor.

Gameinformer: 8.5/10
Though it is not for the faint of heart, Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number provides thrills at the occasional and momentary cost of your sanity. Though you’ll likely find yourself screaming at your screen on a regular basis, you’re equally as likely to find yourself eagerly loading the next level.

Rock, Paper, Shotgun: Recommended
Each level is an exquisite machine designed to reveal and betray the game’s cruelties and compromises. With rare exceptions, they succeed handsomely and with style to spare.

PC Gamer: 57/100
Restrictive design decisions sap the energy from a series that revels in it, and technical issues deal the killing blow.

TotalBiscuit's WTF Is... - Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number ?

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mp1990

Banned
I would pick it up even if the reviews weren't that good,but it's great to see the critics liked it too. Didn't had time to read them yet,do any of them say if the game is superior to the OG Hotline Miami ?
 

GavinUK86

Member
I would pick it up even if the reviews weren't that good,but it's great to see the critics liked it too. Didn't had time to read them yet,do any of them say if the game is superior to the OG Hotline Miami ?

Most agree that it's more daring. Tells a far more focused and larger story that most people were expecting.
 

Skilletor

Member
Hotline Miami 2 improves upon its predecessor in a way that is pleasing, but non-essential. And to get there, it undercut the one thing that made the original great. Hotline Miami was nasty, brutish, and short. Hotline Miami 2, sadly, is not.

Reading the review now, but this line doesn't make much sense to me.
 
Great month so far. Olli Olli 2, Helldivers, Ori, Hotline Miami 2, Cities: Skyline, DMC: DE. Still got lots coming too.

Ahhh, love that the floodgates are opening. Feels good.
 
I would pick it up even if the reviews weren't that good,but it's great to see the critics liked it too. Didn't had time to read them yet,do any of them say if the game is superior to the OG Hotline Miami ?

In my opinion I'd say the original is an overall more satisfying experience. HM2 is still good though.
 

Choomp

Banned
"You get an 8.5, you get an 8.5, everybody gets an 8.5!" -GameInformer

Seriously great to see it doing well, can't wait to play it later.
 

marrec

Banned
Most agree that it's more daring. Tells a far more focused and larger story that most people were expecting.

More focused and larger huh?

Despite my disinterest in playing through the same type of puzzles again in HLM2, I'm slightly MORE interested now. The original wasn't interesting from an action standpoint to keep me excited the whole way through with a dull storyline and amazing music.

That gameplay could get even more boring though if the story is so much longer than the first. I'm torn as to whether I should buy this or not. :-/
 

mclem

Member
It's improves on the original but it's not as good as the original. Yeah, that doesn't make sense to me either.

Isn't it suggesting that it improves on the original in one way, but in doing so loses another aspect of the original?

Right, the original wasn't really that short.

"Nasty, brutish and short" is an extract from a quote from Leviathan.

Edit:

In such condition there is no place for industry, because the fruit thereof is uncertain, and consequently, not culture of the earth, no navigation, nor the use of commodities that may be imported by sea, no commodious building, no instruments of moving and removing such things as require much force, no knowledge of the face of the earth, no account of time, no arts, no letters, no society, and which is worst of all, continual fear and danger of violent death, and the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.

I assume the essence of the quote is that the game has gained a bit more substance but in doing so, lost some of its essential punchiness.
 

Skilletor

Member
It's improves on the original but it's not as good as the original. Yeah, that doesn't make sense to me either.

Yeah, after reading the review it makes a bit more sense. Sounds like the levels are (sometimes) too long and not conducive for the Hotline Miami replayability.
 
Reading the review now, but this line doesn't make much sense to me.

Honestly, videogamer needs to try something else because the crop of writers on hand aren't very good a writing reviews. Every time I read a VG review it feels too vague, too spartan, or too contradictory. I don't even know what the point is anymore. And it's not even because of the 7, which is a solid score, but the content of their reviews by and large are murky.
 
Anticipated retail games usually get 50-100 reviews on metacritic stacked

Digital games are in the 15-40 range

Do places receive free digital copies of games for review?
 
The PC Gamer review focuses on the thing I wondered about being the big sticking point for detractors of this game: namely, the more restrictive nature of the set characters for each level. I think that's going to be a divisive change for some.

I actually really liked Only God Forgives, though, so hey!
 

Hanmik

Member
I REALLY don´t like the fact that only the PC version has been reviewed...

why not other platforms..? is there something to hide..?
 
The PC Gamer review focuses on the thing I wondered about being the big sticking point for detractors of this game: namely, the more restrictive nature of the set characters for each level. I think that's going to be a divisive change for some.

I actually really liked Only God Forgives, though, so hey!

yea agreed
Richard is the best anyways
 

BennyBlanco

aka IMurRIVAL69
I REALLY don´t like the fact that only the PC version has been reviewed...

why not other platforms..? is there something to hide..?

I doubt there will be performance issues for consoles on a game like this. Hotline Miami ran flawlessly on a Vita and this doesn't appear much more demanding.
 
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