Each of the protagonists in question comes with their own unique set of equipment and skills that change how you play. The thing is, as I experimented with each character I quickly began to notice that many actually felt more restrictive than useful. Others, meanwhile, are somewhat broken. One mask actually puts you in control of two characters, one with a chainsaw and another with guns. I was super excited to try them out but only wound up being disappointed after I discovered that the gun character trails so far behind the chainsaw wielder that their bullets tended to miss or get caught on corners. Other mask-less characters come with similarly frustrating problems that just break all logic. Why wouldn't you swap guns or pick up ammo when you're in a building full of enemies? Because the game says you can only use one gun, that's why.

A far greater problem than that however, are some of the subtle shifts made to the game's difficulty. Hotline Miami was hard but it was also fair. Its levels were split into small sections so that dying, at most, probably cost you a few seconds of gameplay time. Failure was just part of a learning experience; you exploring your surroundings, probing your enemies and looking for the best way to slaughter your foes. Levels in Wrong Number are still split up, but the sections feel much larger and more cruelly designed. There was one stage about halfway through the game where I spent a solid 45 minutes trying to get past one difficult room. The problem came from it being situated at the very beginning of the stage. So even if I managed to get past it I'd then have to fight my through an entire floor full of enemies. If I died I'd be back at square one having struggle through the obstacle all over again. I wouldn't be hard-pressed to think of several similar spots that pushed the difficulty far past the realm of fun and square into frustration.

The game does make up for it in other ways. The visuals remain a feast for the eyes if you're a fan of retro-style pixel art. The soundtrack is also just absolutely fantastic. Filled to the brim with energetic synth, the music in Wrong Number isn't just background noise, it's an outright force. There were moments when I'd be worn down from frustration only to have some new track come on and immediately get my blood pumping and ready for more. The music, on its own, does more to craft a mood and atmosphere than anything else in the game. Even if you skip Hotline Miami 2, you need to pick the soundtrack.



Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number isn't a bad game. There's a lot of fun to be had in the space between it opening scene and ending credits. That said, it's also nowhere near being the equal of its predecessor. I admire Dennaton Games for trying to build something bigger out of the wonderful, small title that caught gamers by surprise three years ago. I'm feeling though, like they learned the wrong lessons from that first game and hope that if there's a Hotline Miami 3 that they'll scale back on "improvements" and instead focus on recreating the unique and contained experience that they delivered with the original.

Bottom Line: Not as good as the original, Hotline Miami 2 delivers a flawed dose of the high speed ultra violence that's fun but not essential.

Recommendation: Pick it up if you loved the first game. Otherwise you might be better off just listening to the soundtrack.