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“ Cracking skulls with pipes makes me feel dirty and I am pretty into it.

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In its first three levels, there’s a strong narrative hook that’s all about the kinds of killers we love to watch in films and play in games. It’s gross, uncomfortable, twisted, and fun. It's also, by far, the most violent video game I have ever played.If any of this sounds sounds familiar, it’s because Wrong Number isn’t remotely trying to separate itself from the first Hotline Miami. This is more of the same in all the right ways. Like the original, Hotline Miami 2 is equally interesting as an action game as it is a statement about the entertainment we consume. It poses the discomforting question about why we enjoy horror films, torture porn, and playing the bad guy, all while indulging in the same disgusting behavior. Again: This is the most brutal display of violence I've seen in the medium.Its random elements can be frustrating, like dudes spawning in different locations every time you reset, but I really enjoy that challenging side of it. It preys on the obsessive player’s need to run through a level perfectly, or try that spot again without getting their guts blown all over the floor. It’s hard, really hard, and my emotions swing from love to hatred and right back to love in the fraction of a second. I restart and die, restart and die, restart and die because I want to. I can’t stop killing, and I want to do it as efficiently, and stylishly, as I possibly can.Hotline Miami 2 gives you more ways to do that than the first game, with each level featuring at least one playable character featuring his own distinct personality, motivations, and distinct set of sociopathic skills or starting weapons.The dirty cop in the Homicide mission is simplest, with a shotgun in his trunk. Mark the Bear, one of five selectable characters in Down Under, rocks akimbo machine-guns. If you play his pal Tony, obviously The Tiger, you’ll go through the same mission not using weapons at all -- he punches peoples’ faces off, and punches peoples’ faces off only. My favorite new character is this gooseman, who rolls in with a chainsaw in one hand and gunman at his side -- and you control both at the same time, using different mouse clicks to use each weapon.I’ve played three Hotline Miami 2 levels, and I’ve replayed all of them multiple times. I adore listening to the phenomenal electronic music, chaining kills for huge combos, and walking back through the entire level in an eerie, almost complete silence. So, yeah. Dark, weird, gross, and entertaining -- it’s Hotline Miami.And don't miss the rest of our Hot Games of 2015

Mitch Dyer is an Editor at IGN. He hosts IGN Arena , a podcast about MOBAs. Talk to Mitch about Dota 2, movies, books, and other stuff on Twitter at @MitchyD and subscribe to MitchyD on Twitch