By far one of the best, if not the best game i've ever played. It feels like almost every story beat does something new and interesting that no piece of media before or since has ever done for me. This game has a lot to say, and people take that as it being loose and disconnected.

Hotline Miami 2 is a VERY good commentary on a lot of things. Hyperpatriotism and white nationalism, fans of the original game, the military industrial complex, addiction, and capitalism are just a few of the topics this game tackles, and I think it does all of them excellently, even if it does sometimes struggle to connect these topics. Each individual story beat is so incredibly interesting to me, and they all combine up to create what I can only say is the most interesting and poignant story I have ever seen told in any game before. I got attached to every character emotionally in SOME significant way, a goal the game goes for and succeeds at wonderfully.

Beyond the absolutely brilliant story (which I have seen some lambaste before), I think this game also succeeds in every other aspect. The soundtrack for this game is just incredible. From the schizophrenic, nervous vibe of Run by iamthekidyouknowwhatimean, to the thrill and excitement of Roller Mobster by Carpenter Brut, to the sobering vibe of Untitled by The Green Kingdom, I can't think of a single bad song on here. Every composer for this game did absolutely brilliantly. It all builds up to the game's ending song, You Are the Blood by The Castanets. What a fitting song for such an ending. No spoilers.

The gameplay is seemingly very controversial within online spaces, with some thinking the gameplay is completely unfair and unfun, almost gameruiningly so in comparison to hotline miami 1's. I am not one of those people. Hotline Miami 2's gameplay is challenging, and thought-provoking, but clearing rooms feels absolutely incredible and exhilirating in a way I can't truly describe. This game makes you FEEL smart for solving each room. It's a perfect mix between tight execution and remembering what goon is where, and which has what. At the end of it all, you're left with a feeling of triumph. The controls feel much more precise and careful than those of Hotline Miami 1's, and the mask / character gimmicks are incredibly fun, ranging from controlling 2 characters at once with the twins, Alex and Ash, to playing as a pacifistic man who can render enemies unconcious and rack up combos by disassembling guns. Or, you can simply say fuck that and play the game normally by going into his rage mode. It is worth noting that this game IS absurdly difficult, but never to a point where it made me genuinely consider putting it down for good. It also uses this difficulty to deliver a message on multiple occassions.

I feel like hotline miami 2 use's its rather limited visual style to deliver a game that looks very good, with some of the set pieces and effects in this game looking genuinely incredible, and the character art seeming to have vastly improved from the weird, offputting character art of the first game.


In total, this game is absolutely incredible. I don't regret playing a second of it. It's a totally unforgettable experience that I don't really think will ever be matched.

10/10.

Reviewed on May 14, 2023


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