After having played through the base game and just barely scratching the surface of Hard Mode, I can truly say that this was a great game. It's rare when I find difficulty picking exactly which elements I liked more, the gameplay or the story.

The gameplay is as chaotic and deadly as ever, and if you're a veteran of Hotline Miami you'll find yourself immersed right away as this game pulls no punches from the start. Levels are generally more open, so the game is less about going on a reckless rampage and more about planning the right execution for your rampage. You can't "improvise" as much as in Hotline Miami 1, but the combat still flows quickly and brutally. The game certainly rewards those who are skilled enough to do everything on the fly, and altogether finishing a level is a satisfying experience. My only problems with the gameplay are that it's difficult to keep up a combo since executions are now much slower, and certain characters' skills make keeping up a combo incredibly difficult due to having to wait for the animation to finish to execute an enemy (Detective Pardo and your fancy shotgun flip, I'm looking at you!). A feature to zoom out and get a glance at the whole floor would also be nice, with an associated aiming restriction of course. Other than that, the gameplay is great and there's plenty of new elements for returning players. New players may want to start with the first game though.

The story was also surprisingly good, beyond my expectations, when everything started to come together towards the end I found myself piecing together the characters and their relations to one another and the significance of the events of the first game. Some plots are less-developed than others (the Midnight Animal one stands out in that regard) but overall the story is quite the ride and well worth it, even without the excellent gameplay. Simply brilliant.

I have to also give my honourable mentions to the soundtrack, which is even better than the first game and the rhythm behind the game's cycle of death (mostly yours). The few frustrating levels are made more bearable due to the soundtrack, driving you onwards with its crazy synth beats and setting the dreamlike and bizarre atmosphere.

Altogether an amazing game and well worth the price at release. I strongly endorse this for any Hotline Miami fan who was either intrigued by the story or looking for an extra challenge, because a challenge you will certainly get with this game. Replayability is also immense, with an unlockable hard mode and plenty of opportunities to replay a level to try and get that perfect score.

Overall, 9/10. I heartily endorse this game.