Parents' Guide to

Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number

By David Wolinsky, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 18+

Extremely violent shooter confuses plot, frustrates play.

Game Linux, Mac, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Windows 2015
Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

  • Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number Game: Screenshot #1
  • Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number Game: Screenshot #2
  • Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number Game: Screenshot #3
  • Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number Game: Screenshot #4

Community Reviews

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age 15+

Based on 2 parent reviews

Violence
Violence Adult
March 20, 2021
age 15+

Really violent shooter BUT TONS OF FUN!

First there lots of violence punching people against the wall and smashing there head. that part is not that gory there is punching people and bursting there head open. pin them against the ground and getting a bat and smashing there face. its a bit short but you can unlock lots of free stuff. ALSO! big part there is 2 parts with nudity one you see a woman in the shower showing her breast. and a small strip club where you see 3 woman.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
ragheebk
ragheebk Adult
February 12, 2016
age 14+

Again, Really good game, but still not for kids.

I wholly disagree with this review. Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number is the sequel to the first Hotline Miami. The basic facts you need to know: It's very violent (pixelated violence), contains a lot of swearing, drug use, and alcohol, and I would only recommend it to kids 14 and up, and MAYBE mature 13 year olds. As for the storyline, Common Sense Media gave the most bullshit review on the storyline EVER. The game picks up where the last one left off- with many characters dealing with the aftermath of the player in the first game. It answers many questions fans had, and ended the series gracefully. And as for the "Confusing Storyline", maybe, if CSM had actually gone in depth into the first and second game instead of skimming it over, they would understand the storyline. As for all the characters, they are all essential to the story. However, if you are on this site, and looking to buy the game for yourself, I don't think your the type of person that would appreciate the masterpiece named Hotline Miami.
See all 2 parent reviews

What’s It About?

HOTLINE MIAMI 2's story focuses on an expansive cast of characters either directly influenced by, involved with, and/or inspired by the events of the game's predecessor. If that sounds confusing, it's meant to, and it's even more so when you add that most characters in both games wear masks and speak opaquely about themselves or their intentions. There are a lot of time dashes here in the world's chronology, whether it's referring to the convenience store owner from the original (who, as it turns out, fought in a war against Russia in Hawaii alongside the original's protagonist) or a group of five fans murdering criminals as a tribute to the original antihero. It's very confusing, meant to be, and succeeds in that pursuit.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2):
Kids say (17):

This is very much a different sort of game from Hotline Miami. While the original was a bloody puzzle game, this is a slower, more methodical, and more frustrating shooter. For this sequel, the notion of "more" is taken to nearly every extreme: more characters, more masks, more everything. The most frustrating "more" here is the fact that every stage has so much more space in it, resulting in you being killed by things you can't see offscreen. Whereas the original had you navigating tight, cramped spaces and dashing through as quickly as possible, HM2 has you wandering slowly through sweeping, large rooms whose walls you'll have to walk for a while to even see. It sounds minor but actually makes this a different sort of game.

If you liked the original, you'll be thrown by what the sequel has to offer. If you have no frame of reference, you likely will be confused by the plot-heavy dialogue, and even though you can piece things together, the story just isn't that interesting. It's better to preserve the mystery and not understand it than have clunky exposition as characters explain why the serial killer in the original was so important to them and why they like getting phone calls. A lot of what's new here distracts and detracts from what was great in the first place. What you have here, ultimately, is another solid shooter that might be worth a look, but you should probably try the original one first.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the impact of violence in games such as Hotline Miami 2. Is the violence in this game tolerable because it's so completely over the top and could be considered satire? Should games never go as over the top as this game does?

  • Talk about empathy. When someone you do or don't know does something awful, do you feel empathy for him or her? Why, or why not?

Game Details

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