okay so design wise the game is a bit of a downgrade from the first, there's too many instances where you're going through the level the first time and you get blasted in the face by a dude through a window and you die and he was like the 87th guy out of like a hundred enemies and it's annoying like I get it BUT
In defense of Hotline Miami 2. The art is upgraded and the portraits on characters and the pixel art in general look better than ever. The OST is more than doubled in size since the first game, with every level now having a unique track associated to it and the expected quality of a hotline miami soundtrack still holds true in 2 (the main title theme and the abyss level theme being a few favs). Also, the universe of Hotline Miami gets expanded in 2 with a continuation of the story after the first game, showing the effects that Jacket's actions in the first game had on the world through a decently sized playable cast of characters who all have their own stories and motivations weaved into this Tarrantino-esque narrative. As someone who was surprisingly engaged in what little the first game told of the world story wise, I was eating well with the narrative of the second game and found it to be pretty pleasing. The hotline miami universe is pretty cool!
And I'll go as far as even spinning positively about the level design! Like I said it sucks when you're going through the game the first time because you're approaching the game a lot slower and treating it more like a puzzle game but genuinely, going through the game a second time with the layouts of the level more familiarised in my mind, lead to me having a really good time playing 2. Endurance runs start turning into skillful mowing downs of hordes and the satisfaction of beating a large level + the click of the music finally matching the gameplay style was pretty gratifying.
All in all, the game definitely has flaws but there's plenty of stuff put into this sequel that makes it a worthy successor to the original.
In defense of Hotline Miami 2. The art is upgraded and the portraits on characters and the pixel art in general look better than ever. The OST is more than doubled in size since the first game, with every level now having a unique track associated to it and the expected quality of a hotline miami soundtrack still holds true in 2 (the main title theme and the abyss level theme being a few favs). Also, the universe of Hotline Miami gets expanded in 2 with a continuation of the story after the first game, showing the effects that Jacket's actions in the first game had on the world through a decently sized playable cast of characters who all have their own stories and motivations weaved into this Tarrantino-esque narrative. As someone who was surprisingly engaged in what little the first game told of the world story wise, I was eating well with the narrative of the second game and found it to be pretty pleasing. The hotline miami universe is pretty cool!
And I'll go as far as even spinning positively about the level design! Like I said it sucks when you're going through the game the first time because you're approaching the game a lot slower and treating it more like a puzzle game but genuinely, going through the game a second time with the layouts of the level more familiarised in my mind, lead to me having a really good time playing 2. Endurance runs start turning into skillful mowing downs of hordes and the satisfaction of beating a large level + the click of the music finally matching the gameplay style was pretty gratifying.
All in all, the game definitely has flaws but there's plenty of stuff put into this sequel that makes it a worthy successor to the original.