Hotline Miami 2 | Everything you need to know

When Hotline Miami launched back in 2012 it shocked the market with it’s stylish execution of fast paced top down action, trippy music, and an engaging plot. The talented team at Dennaton Games is at it again for this year’s release of Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number. As the final game in the series, hopes are high for Dennaton to deliver on another exceptionally bloody adventure. So, let’s take a look at everything YOU need to know about: Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number.

For a game that centers around racking up attack combos and attaining high scores, Hotline Miami had a surprisingly immersive story. The story in Wrong Number will take place before and after the events of the first game. For those of you who remember Jacket’s ending, it has been established as canonical for this sequel. SPOILER ALERT: Jacket is soon apprehended and put on trial for the murders conducted in the name of “50 Blessings.” This consists of the brutal murders executed on members of the Russian mafia. It has started a ripple effect encouraging a myriad of masked crusaders to arise across Miami. There is an emphasis this time around on specific character development and crafting a detailed and grittier game world. An ambitious undertaking, Dennaton's newest title will feature a cast of unique characters’ whose stories’ intertwine to create a bigger overarching plot. With ten characters, there’s a lot of opportunities to tie together plot strings unanswered in the first game.

Be it with The Pig Butcher, Martin Brown who imitates the actions of the protagonist in his slasher parody of the first game, “Midnight Animal” or the twisted ideology of “The Fans” who idolize Jacket’s actions. There's a new detective investigating Jacket's actions, The Henchman whose story ranges from the events of the first game as well as the writer, Evan who investigates the story behind the murders. Jake makes a return from the first game and his journey serves as a prequel to the story. The same addicting and grueling gameplay returns mostly intact from the original, however, this iteration will feature new difficulty modes (easy classic and extreme). This extreme difficulty will make for tougher enemies and a stricter control scheme locking out assisting abilities like enemy lockons. With a total of 13 playable characters, there will be special attributes that each bring to the table. These abilities range from rolling and diving to dual wielding weapons to using a chainsaw and a gun interchangeably. Iconic to the first game, the mask selection will return with new exciting abilities for varying playstyles. For added replay ability, a level editor has been created with easy accessibility at a "Microsoft paint" level. Unfortunately this will be released in the spring after the game's release.

A title that ranks among the best that I've ever experience, Hotline Miami was gritty, unique, and tons of fun to play. Even after collecting the platinum trophy there was always something exciting to return to. With the imminent release of Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number on Steam and the PlayStation store Dennaton appears to be ending the series on a high note which is equally somber and thrilling. The game will be available on March 10th 2015 alongside a Payday 2 character pack. For those who have yet to try the first one, you will definitely wanna give it a playthrough before the sequel arrives.