A lot of video game sequels usually aren't unwelcoming to folks that are starting with said sequel, at least from a gameplay perspective. They usually start with the basics so you can understand the controls and underhand its challenge in order to save its throwing power for later. Hotline Miami 2 decided it didn't want to do that, and instead treat the game's difficulty curve as if it was continuing right from Hotline Miami 1's ending! The "Mario Bros. Lost Levels" approach, if you will.

By that, I mean Dennaton made sure even the Hotline Miami experts are bound to have trouble clearing the campaign on normal difficulty! And sure, it got frustrating from time-to-time, but I still found satisfaction in clearing the stages once I finally learned how this was meant to be played as I tweaked my strategy and patience.

What made it all the more rewarding to me was the story mode. While I certainly appreciate the mystique of the original game's writing, the characterizations and emotions provided through the sequel just felt more engaging. And that's usually something I don't exactly like, but the mystique was still present for this sequel! I also adore the "NG+" scene, which--to me--emphasizes how much this game applies the medium of video games to itself in a narrative sense.

I recall people despised this sequel, but I think it was a genuinely great experience, and a good means to end this duology.