History YMMV / HotlineMiami2WrongNumber

* BreatherLevel: Relating to the above bullet point; being sandwiched right between "Casualties" and "Demolition", two of [[ThatOneLevel/HotlineMiami the most difficult levels in the game]], is "First Blood". Which, while ''not at all'' easy, by ''[[NintendoHard Hotline Miami]]'' [[NintendoHard standards]], isn't terribly difficult, either. In fact, it's one of the most popular levels to nab the "COMBO GOD"[[note]] Requires getting a 20x combo multiplier. [[/note]] achievement in, due to the level's short length and small size, the density of the mobsters making combos easier, and the lack of DemonicSpiders like Thugs or Dogs (at least on Normal difficulty, that is).

** "First Blood", Richter's first level. One of the best ways to (re)introduce a previous character from the first game by way of a shorter and sweeter level akin to the first game, all the whole establishing him as [[AntiVillain a tragic figure]]? Throw in Dubmood's "Richard", one of the more (comparatively) heroic and somber themes and you have quite a great BreatherLevel through and through.
* BreatherLevel: Relating to the above bullet point; being sandwiched right between "Casualties" and "Demolition", two of [[ThatOneLevel/HotlineMiami the most difficult levels in the game]], is "First Blood". Which, while ''not at all'' easy, by ''[[NintendoHard Hotline Miami]]'' [[NintendoHard standards]], isn't terribly difficult, either. In fact, it's one of the most popular levels to nab the "COMBO GOD"[[note]] Requires getting a 20x combo multiplier. [[/note]] achievement in, due to the level's short length and small size, the density of the mobsters making combos easier, and the lack of DemonicSpiders like Thugs or Dogs.

* BreatherLevel: Relating to the above bullet point; being sandwiched right between "Casualties" and "Demolition", two of [[ThatOneLevel/HotlineMiami the most difficult levels in the game]], is "First Blood". Which, while ''not at all'' easy, by ''[[NintendoHard Hotline Miami]]'' [[NintendoHard standards]], isn't terribly difficult, either. In fact, it's one of the most popular levels to nab the "COMBO GOD"[[note]] Requires getting a 20x combo multiplier. [[/note]] achievement in, due to the level's short length and small size, as well as the mobsters being within close proximity of one another.

* BestLevelEver: "Death Wish", the The Fans' last level. You get to play as each fan in one floor tailor-made for each of them, while "Roller Mobster", one of the most intense songs on the soundtrack, blares in the background.

* ContestedSequel: There have been debates over whether ''Wrong Number'' is as good as the first game or a step in the wrong direction. Is the plot [[TrueArtIsIncomprehensible too sane and easy to follow]], or [[MindScrewdriver a welcome explanation for the madness of the first game]]? Did the game explain the weird events from the first game too much? Most prominent, however, is the debate on the issue of difficulty and level design, with many detractors claiming that the more wide-open design of the levels invokes FakeDifficulty, with enemies that can't be seen and tons of windows for gun-wielding enemies to shoot you through as opposed to the corridor-like stages of the first game. Fans of the game, however, appreciate the more-in-depth playstyles that several of the playable characters provide, with more DifficultButAwesome options than the original game, and consider that the setpieces each level takes place in feel more varied than the constant Russian mobster killfests that the first game consisted of for two thirds of its runtime.

* SalvagedStory: The first game received some criticism for its portrayal of women, with the only three female characters appearing onscreen being a dream character who doesn't play much of a major role in the narration sequences, a DamselInDistress, and a FauxActionGirl with very little screentime. ''Wrong Number'' now features female playable characters with Corey and Alex. It also acknowledges the aforementioned cricitism with the in-universe [[ShowWithinAShow movie adaptation]] of the events of the first game [[spoiler:tweaking the ending and turning the Girlfriend into a DamselOutOfDistress]].

* ContestedSequel: There has been debates over whether the game is as good as the previous game or a step in the wrong direction. Is the plot [[TrueArtIsIncomprehensible too sane and easy to follow]], or [[MindScrewdriver a welcome explanation for the madness of the first game]]? Did the game explain the weird events from the first game too much? Most prominent, however, is the debate on the issue of difficulty and level design, with many detractors claiming that the more wide-open design of the levels invokes FakeDifficulty, with enemies that can't be seen and tons of windows for people to shoot you through as opposed to the corridor-like stages of the first game. Fans of the game, however, appreciate the more-in-depth playstyles that several of the characters provide, with more DifficultButAwesome characters than the previous game, and consider that the setpieces each level takes place in feel more varied than the constant Russian mobster killfests that the first game consisted of for two thirds of its runtime.

* SalvagedStory: The first game received some criticism for its portrayal of women, with the only two female characters appearing on screen being a DamselInDistress and a FauxActionGirl with very little screen-time. ''Wrong Number'' now features female playable characters with Corey and Alex. It also acknowledges the aforementioned cricitism with the in-universe [[ShowWithinAShow movie adaptation]] of the events of the first game [[spoiler:tweaking the ending and turning the Girlfriend into a DamselOutOfDistress]].

* TheyChangedItNowItSucks: One of the big complaints about this game is how many of the levels are much larger and wider open than the ones in the first game, which tend to be decently small with compact series of rooms. The upshot of this is that it's harder to funnel enemies around, and when you combine bigger open areas with enemies carrying guns, you often get frustrating scenarios, since in the smaller areas you can kite around doors and walls to avoid getting shot, something that isn't so feasible in a wide open area.

** The Son is beloved for being a ridiculously RatedMForManly badass that's extremely fun to play as, and has some of the coolest, most challenging levels in the game. It also helps that he's a BenevolentBoss, letting the Henchman quit like he asked after one last job, and even calling him to let him know his job is still available, inviting him to check out their newly-acquired estate.

** Following the introduction of sprawling areas filled with windows and doorless corridors to the series, as well as [[TheComputerIsACheatingBastard some mooks being able to spot you from outside your maximum sight.]] As a result, lots of players have reported getting stuck, which gives way to the tactic of edging around a corner or in front of a window until you're spotted, then jumping back and smashing the mook(s) that charge around the corner after you; it means a lower grade and poorer combos on the whole, but it's preferable to being shot by an unseen mook and restarting the floor.

* SignatureScene:
** The entirety of "[[MarathonLevel Death]] [[BestLevelEver Wish]]".
** The Colonel's rant about human nature (while wearing a panther's disembodied face) also qualifies as this to some.

* SequelDifficultySpike: Very much so. The first ''Hotline Miami'' wasn't easy by any means, but it pales in comparison to this. Wider levels, more areas to be ambushed from, a greater emphasis on firearms, larger enemy cones of vision and reaction, and several levels with unique twists like "Withdrawal", which features meth labs that go off if so much as a single bullet enters the room.

* AuthorsSavingThrow:
** A common criticism of the first game was its portrayal of women. With only the two of them appearing in the game, being a DamselInDistress and a FauxActionGirl without much of a role. ''Wrong Number'' features female protagonists in the form of Corey and Alex.
** In the original release, the Hard Mode version of Evan's "Subway" level featured Thugs. Evan can't directly fight Thugs with melee attacks, and has to enter his rage mode in order to be able to use the usual firearms against them, which is achieved by knocking down two enemies unarmed and then beating them to death while on the ground. Since Evan stood out as a TechnicalPacifist among the playable characters, fans disliked that he had a level where the player is forced to kill with him. This also resulted in a GuideDangIt moment for many, as you could get this far in the game without knowing that Evan's rage mode even exists. The level was eventually changed in a patch that removed the Thugs, making it possible to complete the level without killing.

* NauseaFuel: Manages to surpass its predecessor, somehow. One early example comes from knocking down and finishing the [[PatrollingMook SWAT boss]] as the Pig Butcher: doing so prompts him to slowly tear his head from his neck ''while he's still alive''.

* NauseaFuel: Manages to surpass its predecessor, [[UpToEleven somehow.]] One early example comes from knocking down and finishing the [[PatrollingMook SWAT boss]] as the Pig Butcher: doing so prompts him to slowly tear his head from his neck ''while he's still alive''.