Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number Guide - How to Make It as a Beginner

Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number was released this week, and to nobody’s surprise it is an amazing game. Beautiful artistic direction, insane story, superb soundtrack, and did we mention the bit about the gory, over-the-top, high speed violence? Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number is simply a joy to behold, but sometimes the challenge of actually playing proves to be a bit too daunting of a task for some gamers out there. Luckily, you’ve stumbled across a modest collection of some tips and tricks to get you into a nice smooth killing frenzy and racking up some serious scores.

It will take a bit before you fully settle into your brand new role of psycho extraordinaire, but in due time you’ll be clearing out floors of armed enemies with the best of them. So just sit back, put on some shades, and let the intense tracks of Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number wash over you as you find your murderous zen.

SOME SPOILERS AHEAD. YOU’VE BEEN WARNED.

 

Patience is a Virtue

Patience can make the difference between lining up bodies for death, or getting gunned down in a hail of bullets.

When you first sit down and start playing Hotline Miami 2, you will get this sudden urge to dash from cover to cover, room to room, all the while dealing out death blows to any and every poor sap who happens to meet your gaze. The music has this knack for getting your blood pumping, and the neon splashes of light mixed with the bright red of  your enemies’ life juice will lend to this rush of excitement. Unfortunately, this very rush can cause you quite a few headaches as you constantly find yourself at the beginning of whatever section you’re on.

One of the best mechanics that Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number has is the fact that you and your adversaries are on relatively equal footing. This means that you can die just as easily as any of them. One hit is usually all that it takes to spell disaster, so being quick to act will more often than not place you in the cross-hairs of someone with an itchy trigger finger. Relax, do some reconnaissance, get a feel for whatever location you happen to find yourself in.

Hotline Miami 2 allows you to peek at areas much further than you are, and you can even lock onto an enemy in order to follow its path or just remind yourself that something deadly can be found there. Be methodical in all your approaches; pace yourself and take a steady approach. If you’re concerned about your combo timer, don’t be. It’s actually pretty forgiving and a few seconds (which can feel like minutes in Hotline Miami) will not kill your streak.

Just remember that dying will reset your progress on whatever floor you’re on, so use that as an incentive to take it easy every now and then.

 

No Two Characters Are the Same

Corey, seen here in the Zebra Mask, can dodge roll. A unique skill not held by anyone else.

Fans coming to Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number from the first entry may have already noticed something very different. Where in the first game you behaved the same in pretty much every level, Hotline Miami 2 introduces way more playable characters that you will have to adjust to. This not only shakes up the gameplay into something much more engaging, but it also has the tendency to throw off your groove. Each character has something that changes the approach you can use so this is something you will need to get a grasp of quickly.

For instance, one of the first characters you can use, Corey, has the ability to use a dodge roll. You can use this to chain moves together and to duck under a deadly spray of bullets. Then you have a soldier who can switch between his combat knife and whatever gun you select at the very beginning of his missions. Since this guy is unable to pick up any other weapons, you will have to learn to conserve ammo and figure out ways to single out enemies.

There will be opportunities to select who you use later on in the game, so be mindful that choosing different masks often changes more than just giving you an extra ability. They have the potential to completely change how Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number plays.

 

Evan is Special

Evan has the ability to disarm enemies, break their firearms, and scatter their ammunition onto the floor.

While playing Hotline Miami 2, you will be introduced to a character named Evan who is writing a book about all of the masked murderers raining terror on Miami. At first you may think this is just  an individual written up and illustrated in order to progress the twisted plot of the game, but before you know it you’ll find yourself in control of this unassuming man. It turns out that he approaches combat quite differently when compared to any of the numerous others you will have the opportunity to play as.

Evan is sort of anti-killing. He goes for the knockout instead of the kill, and is even unable to use any deadly weapons whatsoever without a lot of heavy coercion. But this doesn’t mean you miss out on lucrative point opportunities since he can’t execute downed enemies. When using Evan in Hotline Miami 2 you can disarm enemies and knock them out. After you knock them out, make sure to pick up their firearms. “But you said he can’t use firearms,” you may be thinking to yourself. That is true, Evan cannot use firearms but he can break them apart for lots of points and ensure that no other enemy stumbles by and picks one up.

Of course, you don’t have to settle for the non-fatal approach as long as you’re willing to put in a bit of work. You will sometimes get the opportunity to serve a horrendous beating on some unlucky foes, do this enough times and Evan will snap. You now have the ability to deliver just as much death and destruction as any one else. This versatility makes the seemingly difficult to wield Evan one of the best characters to utilize.

Follow the above tips and you’ll be crafting beautiful combos withing the levels of Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number in no time.

 

Enemies with Guns Can Be Easy to Deal With

Leading gun-toting enemies around corners will make them dead and keep you safe.

While playing through Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number, many players have noticed that there seems to be an increased population of gun-toting nemeses. It’s hard to make a move without some stray shot blasting at you from a distant area off-screen. To be completely honest, it’s one of the only annoyances in Hotline Miami 2. It can often times lock you in a corner and nobody likes that. Fortunately enough, it turns out that there is a very easy way to deal with these pests and their firearms.

There are two simple things you can do to pile up the bottles and keep yourself from getting riddled with holes. The first will require that you move pretty quickly. When there are some baddies with guns within sight and you’re behind cover, jump out into the open and then immediately back into cover. Instead of taking up position in order to get you next time the AI will make its way to stand right next to you. Use this opportunity to easily take them out with whatever weapon you have in your hand. You can actually build pretty sizable combo streaks using this method, provided that there are plenty of enemies within your line of sight.

The other method will help you take care of armed enemies a bit further away in Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number. A firearm is an amazing way to attract enemies to your location, add to that the fact that they’re easily confused and you have a recipe for mayhem. Just peek around a corner, let off a few shots and voila, you’ll have a neat line of enemies to mow down to your hearts content. Make sure that you’re in a location where enemies can’t sneak up behind you. Preferably behind a door and nowhere near a window.

 

Taking The Big Guys Down

The big guy (round one with green head) won’t go down without a fight.

Out of every enemy you will come across, none are worse than the big guys. They come in a few distinct flavors but they are easy to spot due to the fact that their sprites are much larger than any others you’ll come across. These guys can be a serious nuisance while clearing areas in Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number, mainly because they just don’t want to die. They are of course killable, you’re just going to have to work a bit harder.

The easiest, most efficient way to take one of these hulking brutes down is with a shotgun blast. It is the only weapon that will instantly kill the big guys. Other firearms will do the job but they will take more than one shot and he will still charge you even while getting riddled with bullets. One other thing to remember is that even if you filled the big guys with enough lead to sink a ship, they tend to have delayed deaths if the shots didn’t come from a shotgun. This means they can still kill you right until they take their last breath.

If you’re considering using melee weapons against Hotline Miami 2‘s toughest foes, don’t waste your time. All you’ll find is a miserable death and a reset checkpoint. If you happen to be playing as Tony (tiger mask that gives you killing punches, but can’t use weapons), make sure that you finish these big guys off. Where normally the punch would just take out an enemy, this time you’ll just put the big guy on his ass. You then need to stand over him and finish the job.

Remember these few things and you’ll never suffer at the hands of Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number‘s more portly denizens.

Are there any tips you have for you fellow readers? If so, feel free to share below.

For more information on Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number check out the game’s official website.