Hotline Miami Collection

Six years after its initial release on PC, Hotline Miami is offered with its suite Hotline Miami 2 : Wrong Number (2015) on Switch, through Hotline Miami Collection. If the two titles have been available for some years now on PlayStation consoles including PS Vita, the attraction of being able to play these two cult titles on a portable console such as that of Nintendo is obvious. Hotline Miami games always offer a cryptic story ticking all the boxes of subversiveness, hypnotizing like the bloody scrums in which it plunges us, the cries of flamboyant synthesizers and heavy and threatening beats. Two of the best titles of the decade to discover or re-discover for a discerning audience.

After so many years since its debut, Hotline Miami is still a really tight and focused game. Wrong Number carries over much of its predecessor’s greatness, though I don’t like the larger levels that much only because it makes getting ganked by unseen enemies a little too easy. To hand-wave away these games because of their misanthropic tone and senseless violence is to ignore a product that’s addictive, well-designed, and even fun. As for their status as console ports, both titles are a great fit and have arrived on the Switch with nary a blemish. There is no better time to experience the acid trip that is Hotline Miami if you haven’t done so before. For everyone else, this is one double dip that won’t do you wrong.

With satisfyingly difficult gameplay and a soundtrack that steals the show, the Hotline Miami collection is a double feature that offers much replay-ability. While the sequel is more of the same gameplay wise, it expands the series lore and introduces new characters and concepts. The games run smooth on the Switch's hardware and the console's portability makes this the ideal way to play Hotline Miami.

Hotline Miami and Hotline Miami 2 are an exercise in desensitised violence to the point where playing them feels good. And the choice of weapons and strategy offer enough to vary up the gameplay – and that’s before playing with different masks, which further change up the mechanics (eg. one mask gives the ability to dodge-roll, while another disables weapons but increases melee strength). The over-the-top violence and twitch-gameplay may not gel with everyone, but this Collection is a strong example of modern, fast-paced beat ‘em ups.

Not only is Hotline Miami an enjoyable time in its own right, you’ll immediately recognize the footprint it left behind. I was blown away by the similarities seen in more modern titles such as Katana Zero. The themes, mechanics, and aesthetics are all so similar that I was convinced it had to be the same developer. As a publisher, Devolver Digital has a deep understanding of its market and what their fans are looking for. If you think Katana Zero is a Game of the Year candidate, than you should have a real fun time with its inspiration.

If video games taught me anything, it's that senseless violence is fun. Okay, perhaps that isn't true but it's definitely the case in Hotline Miami. I just wish that this collection featured some extras to justify its re-release.

Hotline Miami Collection is certainly moreish, but suffers from irritating controls and a level of difficulty which crosses the border into the unfair. It’s for the sadists, that’s for sure.

il bundle di una delle duologie migliori che io abbia mai giocato e che fa vivere dei capolavori senza tempo. 8..8/10

Superestimado, quem sabe futuramente a game play e realmente algo bem mid .

Was zwischen denen lief, weiß ich nicht, ich werds aus ihr rausprügeln, bitte Retail. Welchen Knopf soll ich drücken?

The clunky controls bring this otherwise great game down. It is not possible to reconfigure anything.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]