Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number Review | GameCloud Australia

William Kirk at GameCloud Australia writes:

"Hotline Miami 2 is a more than decent game, but it’s also one that sits squarely in the shadow of its predecessor. Where the first game was sophisticated in its design and left open to interpretation, the sequel feels deliberately convoluted, with many new ideas directly contradicting the fundamental principles of what makes Hotline Miami tick in the first place. When the narrative, mechanics, and level design are all working in harmony, you’ll experience some of the greatest moments of the series yet. However, more often than not, it falls on its face as it pursues the flawed mentality that “bigger is better.” Narratively speaking, the dialogue-heavy approach will likely engage established fans, but once it was over, I had to wonder if it was even necessary and whether it actually hurt the intentional vagueness of the original. At the end of the day, it’s more Hotline Miami and I think it’s worth playing if not for the soundtrack alone. It’s more clumsy than innovative, but the ideas here could become the foundation for a very worthy spiritual successor."