Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number Reviews

Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number is ranked in the 60th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
4 / 10.0
Jun 26, 2017

Those playing Hotline Miami 2 may find themselves engaging in a litmus test for masochistic tendencies.

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4 / 10.0
Mar 12, 2015

It's essentially a glorified DLC pack of new levels, plus a level editor for folks who want to make their own murder rooms. The exact people who Dennaton Games were supposedly condemning in their first title are, apparently, the exact audience of people whose money they would like to take, again and again. I guess they figure those people like rape and torture, too, plus more methodical killing. Maybe they're right—but it's too bad, since it comes at the expense of making a game that has anything whatsoever to offer beyond phoned-in grindhouse schlock.

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Andy Kelly
Top Critic
Mar 10, 2015

Hotline Miami 2 is a messy, aimless sequel and a step back from the original. Many of its levels feel like crafted set-pieces rather than playgrounds for violent expression, and your scope for creativity is stifled as a result. When you're deep in the moment, chaining kills as that remarkable soundtrack vibrates through your headphones, it feels fantastic. But it struggles to hold onto that feeling as firmly as the first game, diluting the purity of its compelling core loop with an endless parade of under-developed ideas.

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Az Elias
Top Critic
5 / 10
Apr 11, 2015

In trying to go bigger and better with Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number, the majority of what made the original so good has been lost. Levels are far too large, many enemies cannot be seen, and the mask system is effectively done away with for a poor substitute. This is still Hotline Miami; it's just not as exhilarating. Ironically, the planned level editor may be what saves it, where fans can potentially create surpassing stages akin to those found in the first game. For now, though, if yet to taste either title in the series, definitely make sure to buy the prequel over this for the ultimate and most thrilling experience.

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Mar 11, 2015

However, these added touches and wonderful, momentary glimpses of what Hotline Miami 2 could have been only stand to make the game more disappointing. Dennaton have claimed that this will be their last Hotline Miami, but I hope we'll see a third entry in the series as this isn't the fitting finale that it deserves.

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57 / 100
Mar 10, 2015

Restrictive design decisions sap the energy from a series that revels in it, and technical issues deal the killing blow.

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Mar 23, 2015

A stellar soundtrack and fascinating story rescue an otherwise disappointing sequel. In an effort to be bigger than the original, Hotline Miami 2 bloats its arcade gameplay into an grinder that punishes risk-taking and frequently feels irritating or unfair, not satisfyingly tough.

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Mar 16, 2015

Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number has much to appreciate yet by comparison, the original game was perhaps a textbook example that, sometimes, less really is more.

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Mar 17, 2015

'Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number' is a love-it or hate-it kind of game. I guess that's not completely true, as in my case I both love it and hate it. The gameplay can be addictive, especially for those who stick with it. It can also be exasperating to the point of anger and despair. Its imperfections often threaten to destroy its delicate balance, but this one may appeal to lovers of the high difficulty.

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Mar 14, 2015

To its credit, Hotline Miami 2 isn't just "more of the same." But that's also its biggest problem.

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6 / 10.0
Mar 22, 2015

Wrong Number, more than a direct continuation, is an expansion and affirmation of Hotline Miami's themes.

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6 / 10
Mar 10, 2015

I wanted to like Hotline Miami 2. I adored the first game, and everything the trailers promised - new weapons, enemies, mechanics, and violence, oodles of violence - looked excellent. However, it's just not as enjoyable. The first game felt like a focussed blast of adrenaline. Hotline Miami 2's always stopping and starting, its new characters feel rough and buggy, and the new reliance on guns restricts how you can approach combat.

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6 / 10
Mar 11, 2015

Hotline Miami 2 is certainly worth a purchase from anybody who played the original over and over, but don't expect it to hit the same heights. Wrong Number? If only.

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Mar 24, 2015

When it's good, Dennaton's subversive, hyper-violent sequel is outstanding, but questionable design decisions and a confused story means it does not have the precision of its predecessor.

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Mar 19, 2015

Hotline Miami's thrillingly brutal gameplay is stretched to the point of breaking in this aesthetically pleasing, but otherwise disappointing sequel.

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61 / 100
Mar 16, 2015

Only saved by its incredible style and often intriguing storylines, Hotline Miami 2 is riddled with poor design choices, gameplay issues and various bugs and glitches.

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6.5 / 10.0
Mar 18, 2015

A convoluted storyline designed to pad out the game's length and some questionable level design which departs from the series' 'tough but fair' appeal makes this title weaker than its predecessor, but yet another sublime soundtrack, larger, even more brutally difficult stages, and a finely tuned gameplay experience helps to somewhat salvage things.

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EGM
Top Critic
6.5 / 10.0
Mar 16, 2015

Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number still sits atop the same solid, brutally violent core that made the first game a success, but it inherits all of its predecessor's flaws as well, and buries them within a bloated, altogether less satisfying experience. While the sequel isn't without its occasional charms, there's no doubt Hotline Miami would be destined for a greater legacy had it called it quits after the first spree.

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7 / 10.0
Mar 18, 2015

Changes to gameplay (negative) and narrative (positive) will probably be widely discussed among the game's fans and detractors, but the truth about Hotline Miami 2 is that your opinion about it will probably be very similar to your opinion about the first game. Did you enjoy the fast-paced gameplay of the original? You'll enjoy it again.

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7 / 10.0
Apr 6, 2015

It's still fast, violent, addictive and complemented by one of the finest gaming soundtracks available, so in many ways Hotline Miami has never been better. At times it's brilliant and at others it's disjointed but thankfully the Hotline Miami magic still exists in the wonderful collaboration of bullets, beats and bodies.

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