Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number

While not as groundbreaking as the original, Wrong Number brings more of what made Hotline Miami so great: puzzles, fast-paced action and a soundtrack that can't be...

This shouldn't come as too much of a surprise—Hotline Miami is a game that never seemed like it needed a sequel. It succeeds at accomplishing exactly what it sets out to do in its short...

Hotline Miami was a game I remember for three things: the amazing soundtrack, the punishing, yet addicting game play, and how insane and confusing the story was. There are three things I will remember about playing Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number: the...

So is it worth playing? Definitely. Will it shock and awe players? Only those who are coming to this series for the first time. It’s more of the same, but that’s no bad thing, and if you’re a returning player to this franchise, prepare to be frustrated, enraged and enthralled all over again.

Hotline Miami 2 flirts with greatness so many times. There were a few times I found myself slipping into the familiar pipe-to-the-face-now-throw-it-at-this-other-guy-smash-his-head-grab-his-gun-shoot-the-two-running-through-the-door-steal-knife-stab-third-guy flow from the original game.

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...

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.

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.