Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number Review

     In the video game industry, publishers have often given themselves bad names. Electronic Arts, Activision, and Ubisoft are the three biggest publishers in the in the business, but are absolutely hated among fans. EA was even voted the worst company in America twice by consumers. Fortunately though there is at least one publisher out there that people absolutely love, Devolver Digital. Known for publishing indie games that would have trouble getting made without their support; Devolver Digital is loved among many hardcore gamers. They published the recent "Serious Sam" games, "Shadow Warrior," "OlliOlli," "The Talos Principle," and several highly anticipated upcoming titles; yet there crowning achievement was bring Dennaton Game's "Hotline Miami" to the masses. An immediate success, the game was met with wide critical acclaim and good sales. Highlighted by difficult combat, a unique art style, and one of the best soundtracks ever put into a game, "Hotline Miami" became an instant fan favorite; personally, I'd rank it among some of my all time favorite games. So ever since the sequel was announced, I've been jacked. So after over two years waiting I finally got to play it, and "Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number" is everything a sequel should be.

     The majority of the story takes place after the events of the first game, where an unnamed character only known as Jacket massacred the Russian mafia in Miami when he was manipulated by phone messages. After he finished off the boss, he was almost immediately arrested, but public reaction to his arrest was mixed; many calling him a hero and others want to burn him at the steak. The story follows several different characters; a group of Jacket's fans, a detective investigating Jacket, an actor in  a slasher movie slowly losing his mind, a writer wanting to learn more about Jacket, a man named Jake who is being influenced by the same people who controlled Jacket, and a few others. Each character has their own motives and is willing to do anything to complete them. At the center of each story is a conspiracy, but by the end of the story will the characters even want to know the truth.

     There is a proverb from an old Hindu scripture called the Bhagavad Ghita that goes, "Now I am become death, the destroyer of worlds." Throughout my entire time playing "Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number," that quote describes how I felt. Playing this game, you are death incarnate. It is fast, furious, and phenomenal. For me what has really set this series apart has to be the gameplay, which can be hard to describe without actually showing any. In essence, the game is a top down, hyper violent action, stealth, and strategy game where you and enemies die from one hit. You can use a variety of weapons, both firearms and melee weapons, as well as your fists. I fell in love with the first game because of its combat; it's incredibly difficult and requires split-second timing. The gameplay has been tweaked from the first game to make it even better, small things but when playing it you can tell. An interesting element of the first game was the use of masks; at the beginning of the level in "Hotline Miami" you chose a mask to put on and each had a special ability, like the ability to see farther or take an extra hit before you die. They were small assists but they helped, in "Wrong Number" not every character has a mask but the masks feel much more useful when you can use them. For example, choosing the duck mask allows you to play as two people at once. One wields a chainsaw and the other a gun. Another example would be the bear mask, which allows you to dual wield SMGs at the start of the level and shoot in opposite directions. So while there are fewer masks in "Wrong Number" than in its predecessor, each mask feels like it makes a bigger difference. The game also features even better level design. The game feels more diverse, taking place in a variety of locations; each one featuring something different. Each character you play as also has something interesting about them, for example, the journalist you play as isn't a killer. When you play as him many of his attacks are non lethal and he can't use guns, adding a new challenge to overcome. The only problem I have with the game play would be the difficulty in some levels; I love the fact the game is challenging, that's what made the first game so fulfilling, but this one has a few levels that feel nearly impossible to beat and takes away from the fun. When you talk to gamers about "Hotline Miami," what you will hear most about is the soundtrack. The first game has one of the greatest soundtracks you will ever hear in a video game, it's as simple as that; and as amazing as it sounds, the same goes for "Wrong Number." When I play video games I will often watch Netflix or YouTube in the background, but I never did that when playing this game. The soundtrack is so good, I actually downloaded it to my phone. Even if you don't play the game, the soundtrack is worth the listen. One of the problems I had with the first game was that I never really paid attention to the story. As interesting as it was, I never really cared about what happened; I can't say the same for this one. The variety of unique characters plus the several different stories make the whole game that much better. I also feel that the game was more confident with its storytelling and was willing to go where the previous wouldn't. This was a game that I had been waiting two years for, and after playing it I am satisfied. It takes what already was a great game and improves on it with several new mechanics and elements. "Wrong Number" feels like the game the series was always meant to be; for what it is, it is near perfect. If you liked the previous game you will like this one, if you didn't like the previous game you probably won't like this one. If you haven't played the first one, you are living your life wrong. One thing that is important to note it that this game is controversial to say the least. It is incredibly violent with lots of blood and gore, and is not meant for the squeamish. What really rubbed a lot of people wrong was the opening level. In the opening level you play the movie star who is filming a scene in which you sexually assault a woman. It was so controversial the game has been banned in Australia. If you are really uncomfortable regarding that subject matter, there is an option to skip the scene which may appease some people. So while it may not be meant for everyone, it is something I live. This game is like a combination of "Drive," "Miami Vice," "A Clockwork Orange," and "Grindhouse." "Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number" is something special, a sequel that truly does its predecessor justice. From the opening level you get to step into the role of the destroyer of worlds, and it will make you wish other games were as awesome as this one. 

Pros: Award worthy soundtrack, pitch-perfect gameplay, challenging but satisfying, great art style, variety of unique characters, interesting story, phenomenal level design, masks play a bigger role, small tweaks to gameplay work great.

Cons: Story can be hard to follow, some levels are annoyingly difficult. 

4.5/5 Stars