Hotline Miami 2 is a good example of how bigger isn't always better. The story is much more expansive, there are more playable characters, more weapons, more levels, better graphics, more music, et cetera. All of what I've just mentioned are legitimate improvements and all make Hotline Miami 2 a blast to play. However, there is one aspect that has been made bigger to a fault: the level design. Levels are much larger and as a result there are plenty of times where you can get killed by an enemy you never saw. This is generally not a massive problem, after all you can use the shift key to look forward and the bigger focus on firearm combat allows you to do the same. There are certain levels though where this is a big issue, such as the boat and the Hawaii levels. Other than that though, everything else has been improved. Hotline Miami's unique style is more detailed and the soundtrack is once again amazing. The addition of multiple playable characters makes the gameplay and mask system even more diverse and unique. The story and character writing is excellent, elaborating on the events of the original game without ever fully explaining it, expanding the universe without ruining it's mystery. Overall, the game is still great, but I think the original is better due to tighter level design and an overall better selection of levels.

Hotline Miami 2 is a good example of how bigger isn't always better. The story is much more expansive, there are more playable characters, more weapons, more levels, better graphics, more music, et cetera. All of what I've just mentioned are legitimate improvements and all make Hotline Miami 2 a blast to play. However, there is one aspect that has been made bigger to a fault: the level design. Levels are much larger and as a result there are plenty of times where you can get killed by an enemy you never saw. This is generally not a massive problem, after all you can use the shift key to look forward and the bigger focus on firearm combat allows you to do the same. There are certain levels though where this is a big issue, such as the boat and the Hawaii levels. Other than that though, everything else has been improved. Hotline Miami's unique style is more detailed and the soundtrack is once again amazing. The addition of multiple playable characters makes the gameplay and mask system even more diverse and unique. The story and character writing is excellent, elaborating on the events of the original game without ever fully explaining it, expanding the universe without ruining it's mystery. Overall, the game is still great, but I think the original is better due to tighter level design and an overall better selection of levels.