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The Hotline Miami Duology is one of my favorite game series. Although I don’t think these games can be viewed separately because they are so deeply intertwined that they feel like two pieces of a whole, I think that Hotline Miami 2 is the superior game. Only recently did I realize the mixed reception this game received especially relative to the first game, and so I feel the need to add my two cents as to why I believe this game is a masterpiece.
Characters- The best part about this game is the characters. I love games with multiple protagonists and out of all I’ve played, Hotline Miami 2 does it the best. You control 13 characters across 25 levels plus a finale and a bonus level. It’s a lot but every character (even The Henchman, who only has 1 level), has such satisfying and interesting stories which range from genuinely hilarious to deeply tragic. What makes it work is that instead of focusing on telling several stories that slowly come together, all the stories are connected by their themes and focus on illuminating the world and story of Hotline Miami 1. It feels like every character is part of a vast tapestry and the entire picture is slowly revealed to you, which I find immensely satisfying.
Story - Hotline Miami has my favorite story in gaming (heck I wrote fan-fic for it). At a base level, it is the story of a mysterious organization that calls people threatening them until they commit attacks of violence against the Russian Mafia in Miami. Hotline Miami 2 has three timelines: The first takes place before HM1 providing backstory, the second takes place during HM1 providing a different perspective to the first game, and the third takes place after HM1 and shows the effects of the events of HM1. These timelines are presented non-chronologically, and again the focus is on an escalation of themes and emotions rather than a logical forward progression of time or events, which always keeps the story interesting and creates a constant barrage of hard-hitting moments. Much has been said of the game’s meta aspects, specifically how it opens a dialogue with the player regarding the nature of video game violence. Like many great video game sequels the developers took the “Fuck You” approach (ala Metal Gear Solid 2), with the characters representing different sects of the Hotline Miami fanbase, the idea being to criticize the way people attached themselves to the first game and to play around with expectations from sequels. However, I think people tend to over-emphasize the meta-ness and forget that the story is great in and of itself. The world-building in this game adds so much depth to the first game that I was surprised when I replayed both, just how much it seems everything was fully thought out from the beginning. Having the first game's events anchor everything that happens in all three timelines helps things remain clear when they could become so convoluted. I also think showing these year-long ripple effects stem from what originally seemed like a small and self-contained story in the first game helps add such a feeling of scale to this world and this story. Simply, it’s epic. The ending is often criticized for being lazy and anti-climactic, and originally I agreed. However, after replaying it, I realized that it’s heavily foreshadowed, and the only logical ending from a thematic and plot perspective. I also love how much of a middle finger it is to the player in that the developers could not be any clearer that they will never make a Hotline Miami 3.
Gameplay - The first Hotline Miami was an intense top-down action game focused on fast and hectic improvisational gameplay. You could try to go in with a plan, but chances are you’d have to switch things up to beat the level. A vast array of masks with unique powers and a plethora of weapons always kept things fresh, giving the player a sense of freedom as to how they could tackle the level. It was a great example of creating a story through gameplay because no two players beat a level the same way. Hotline Miami 2 is not that. If you try to play HM2 the same way, you will get killed by an off-screen enemy. HM2 is a slower game with an emphasis on planning. The biggest criticism of this game, when it came out, was that there was a greater focus on gunplay and a heavily increased amount of windows (see-through walls that granted enemies line of sight). This made it so that the player’s freedom was constrained, now there was one correct way to beat a level and it was up to you to figure out what that was. While I miss that freedom, I also think that this allowed the developers to create more conceptual levels that do a fantastic job of putting you into the shoes of the character you are playing. What I mean by this is that the first game was a blur of tight hallways and closely packed rooms, you couldn’t tell what was going on besides mindless slaughter for the most part which honestly was great for putting you into the mindset of Jacket (the first game’s protagonist). The second game’s levels are more conceptual ranging from having you rob a bank, to fighting on a battlefield, and even escaping a prison. The levels are designed to force you into a specific playstyle with that playstyle reflecting the personality of the character you are playing. So while we do lose freedom we gain a lot of immersion. Sometimes, this can come at the expense of fun, especially in the levels where you play as “The Solider”. These levels have you playing as an elite soldier in a fictional war, and oh boy are those battlefields open, and you can not pick up any weapons except for the gun you start with. I love “The Soldier” and his story, he’s one of my favorite characters and arguably the true protagonist of the game, but man do I find those levels annoying they just go a little bit too far with the openness with enemies killing you from what feels like several screens away.
Music/UI - You don’t need me to tell you how amazing this game’s soundtrack is, you can just listen to it yourself, it’s an all-time great and I don’t think anybody would disagree. I like how the first game is just banger after banger, but this game takes a much more atmospheric approach to the music with each song matching its corresponding level. Some are chill, some are sad, and, of course, we still have the BANGERS. It’s another example of this game's commitment to immersion and atmosphere. The UI delivers as well, with its focus on VHS aesthetics. I love how the level select has you perusing through boxes of videotapes, I love the pixel art on each videotape, and I love that the pause menu is like pressing pause on a videotape. I love the UI, simple as.
Bugs- It’s a small criticism, but it’s still worth bringing up, for a game with such simple graphics, it can crash quite a bit, and since you can only replay levels from the beginning this can be pretty annoying. It’s too bad this hasn’t been fixed after all this time.
The Hotline Miami Duology is becoming a little forgotten although its influence can still be felt throughout the industry (even in movies like John Wick Chapter 4). However, it should remain in conversation as one of the greatest series of all time (especially in the indie genre) and it is still worth playing in 2024 and beyond. For only $25 (and way less on sale), it’s worth diving into this neon-soaked blood bath for yourself.