And when I was able to flip the triggers and shoulder buttons, the gameplay made more sense to me. I found this to be a more cumbersome set up, as my fingers naturally rest on the triggers, and attacking/throwing being the more common moves I’d make. For whatever reason, the first game assigns attacks to R and weapon pickups/throws to L, with the ZL and ZR triggers assigned to free-look and lock on, respectively. The two games are similar in how they control, but the added bonus of Hotline Miami 2 is the option to customise the controls, which are a necessity in my opinion.
Even the dialogue and visual style are more polished, delivering a more polished game. But now, after playing the sequel, I realised how janky the first game really was and found it difficult to return to the original. When I played the original shortly after its release on the Vita, I remember thinking it felt good and responsive. And by comparison, Hotline Miami 2 feels like a much tighter experience. In which case, this says to me the scene is unnecessary given the ability to sit it out, and that it’s not addressed in the wider scope of the narrative.įrom here on, the game focuses directly on the more acceptable kind of violence: beating the snot (well, blood) out of every living thing in the room.
It’s even possible to skip this entirely, as the game gives the option to not partake in the scene anyway. Except that’s exactly what’s depicted, and the scene is clearly intended for shock value. Another NPC shouts “cut!”, and it turns out this prologue is actually a film set, and the player doesn’t really sexually assault the woman. The player then must approach woman dragging herself across a bloodied floor, at which point the player character pulls down his pants and mounts her from behind while she is visibly struggling. The scene, titled ‘Midnight Animal’, has the player breaking into a home, killing a bunch of baddies, and beating down a woman in her underwear. Let’s get the elephant in the room out of way first: the rape scene which kicks off Hotline Miami 2. From a purely gameplay perspective, it’s a shame many Australian gamers can’t legally obtain it. Both titles are similar in almost every way, but the sequel was a considerable step up in every way. The Hotline Miami games are hyper-violent, yet stylish, top-down action games where the player busts into gang hideouts to brutalise as many enemies as possible. Such is the case with the Hotline Miami Collection, a two-pack bundle, which was gloriously released and quickly banished from the Aussie eShop-but not before Vooks was able to get a review copy. But it is pretty rare to see a game released here-on a Nintendo platform, no less-and then pulled almost immediately because it’s effectively illegal. The original Hotline Miami made it through in 2012, but its sequel, Hotline Miami 2, saw controversy when it was refused classification back in 2015. Distinctive style: Hotline Miami’s unmistakable visual style, a driving soundtrack, and a surreal Chain of events will have you question your own thirst for blood while pushing you to the limits with a brutally unforgiving challenge.It’s not uncommon for some games to be banned in Australia.Surreal and gritty storyline: set in an alternative 1989 Miami, you will assume the role of a mysterious antihero on a murderous rampage against the shady underworld at the behest of voices on your answering machine.Wield 35 different weapons – from shotguns and assault rifles to katanas and lead pipes – everything is at your disposal. Revel in Violence: breakneck gunplay in Bloodstained neon corridors.Here’s the product description to familiarise yourself with the acclaimed indie title: Here’s what’s included in the physical edition It’s currently listed at $29.99 on all three retailers. Buyers will receive a game cartridge, an artbook, and a 30-page art booklet. We’ve already seen it released physically through Special Reserve Games, but come the 19th of July, fans can grab a copy that comes with a few neat goodies too. The Hotline Miami Collection, developed by Dennaton Games and published by Devolver Digital, has reappeared in physical format on major retailer websites Amazon, BestBuy, and GameStop.