Recent reviews by Imp4cT

A game as important in its commentary on empathy as it is fun and hilarious.

If you enjoyed the first game, you will almost certainly enjoy this sequel. It remains true to the general formula of its predecessor while changing enough of how it presents itself to distinguish itself from its former title. This isn't really a good point or a bad point, it just makes the game different from the first. If you are looking for the fast paced, largely melee combat of the first game with a minimalistic story based more around attention to detail than narrative, then you will be slightly dissapointed with this installment. There are cutscenes galore with walls of text to be had in a complex and time-weaving plotline that leaves much more up to interpretation than Hotline Miami. Overall larger environments and firearm-clad enemies mean you will have to rely more on shooting your way through levels, which is an aspect of the gameplay that still holds residual interface difficulty from the first game. The music is still great like the last game, although I found it to be far less memorable this time around. That could just be because the tracklist is greater and more varied this time around though.

I much prefer the first Hotline Miami game to Wrong Number but that doesn't mean that this sequel is a bad game, not by any means. It is still a boatload of fun, and with a longer campaign is worth $15, especially if you plan on revisiting the game on its harder difficulty and obtaining the highest scores in all of the levels. Notice how I mention the first game in pretty much every sentence in the first paragraph of this review: Hotline Miami, to me, is pretty much a perfect top down beat-em-up from which I compare all similar game experences. Hotline Miami 2 is merely a step down from perfection, which is still better than many games can claim.

If you haven't played Hotline Miami, then you should certainly pick it up prior to considering Wrong Number. Also, shame on you for never having played Hotline Miami.

EDIT: After listening to the soundtrack for a few months after playing HM2, I've found it more heart-pounding and entertaining than the first game's soundtrack. Some tracks are certainly better than others but the ones that stand out on top are truly pheonmenal.