Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number

Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number is the sequel to Hotline Miami with very similar gameplay and also the final game in the series. The story is tied directly to the first game and is set between 1985 and 1991, but with an anachronistic order. While the first game offered only two playable characters with each one tied to specific parts of the game, the sequel offers a larger playable cast. Each level offers a single character or a small selection to choose from and each character offers a distinct perspective of the events. The character selection is similar to the use of masks in the first game. Each character has a specific set of abilities and perks, such as a faster speed, the ability to dodge roll, dual weapons, melee weapons only, Alex and Ash Davis as twins who use a chainsaw and guns and one is invincible as long as the other is alive, faster aiming, a silenced pistol, executions with firearms etc. Some characters allow the player to choose from different skillsets or weapons.

Just like the original game the gameplay is fast and a single attack is often lethal, meaning levels are meant to be replayed multiple times until all enemy patterns are figured out. Levels have specific objectives and in most of them all enemies need to be killed. Short scenes between the missions further the story. Enemies downed with melee attacks need to be executed to prevent them from coming back, players have to take into account a line of sight through windows, also to avoid snipers, various weapons can be picked up and thrown etc. It is still possible to slightly view ahead to anticipate. Unlike the original game there are now two difficulty levels. ‘Hard’ is unlocked after completing the campaign on ‘normal’. Enemies become harder to defeat and certain abilities, such as enemy locking, are removed. The game includes a level editor made available some time after the release. It can be used not only to create levels, but also cutscenes with dialog.