Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number

[Alfons]

His post before that one was shit.

FFS. Do you people take everything literally? The analogy is to compare level complexity, that's it.

...what?? it can't be "that only with guns". the whole point with the hospital is that there's no way to fight back.

Sure it can. In the hospital level you go in the wrong time you lose because someone sees you, in HM2 you go in the wrong time you're dead because someone sees you and you can't do anything about it.

You clear a pocket of enemies, wait for the perfect moment in the next pocket and go. There is no flow, you have to wait for the perfect moment. In HM1 you can make things up as you go. More cover and less gun enemies make it so that even if you fuck up you can dodge bullets and continue playing. You can just play instead of hiding and waiting for the perfect moment to go.

 

[AN4RCHID]

bull crap. the levels are all designed to accomodate fast execution and in fact you need to play fast to get a decent rank. enemy patrols always start at convenient points for rushing, you just have to get the timing right through trial and error, same as in the original. watch any S rank LP video and it will not be hiding and waiting.

if you had said the game encourages playing more conservatively for beginners, I would agree. thinking it can only be played that way = git gud.

 

[Alfons]

Fast execution. You mean standing near a box and letting off a shot and letting all motherfuckers run towards you. That's another thing the original did better. You didn't alert the entire planet, making that tactic not as good.

enemy patrols always start at convenient points for rushing

What a crock of shit. Gun guys are almost always close enough to all have a shot at you, close enough to know you let off a shot, but far enough apart for you to go and matrix their ass. Which results in you popamoling them to oblivion.

 

[AN4RCHID]

protip: you can shoot the bad guys before they shoot you.

 

[Alfons]

No shit? Good to know. I'll utilize that new found knowledge when I'm facing a wall of bullets from the 7 other guys,

 

[Gulnar]

What a terrible analogy. HM1 had bar none the worst levels in either game (hospital), as well as the more poorly designed "boss fights". HM2 had more variety, some of which was not as good as the core game, but which still helped the overall pacing. Anyway, the Pardo levels, Russian mob levels, and fans levels were as good as anything in the original.

Pardo levels?
Really?
Also, while hospital isn't fun, you can't say that is the 'worst level in either games', since it's so incredibly short. Have you tried DEAD AHED on hard? Or even any of Beard levels on hard? Or First Blood on hard?

 

[AN4RCHID]

Incredibly short? It takes longer than almost any other level thanks to forced slow walking and forced waiting.

I've played the game on hard, yes.

 

[Vibalist]

If the hospital level took you a long time to complete you must have died quite a lot. I think I completed it in two minutes or less, the first time.

 

[Silva]

That's the thing with hospital level: If you're among the 2% of lucky people who completes it on first time, it takes 2 min.

If you're among the 98% that dies in it, it takes forever and may well be considered one of the worst levels ever designed in videogame industry.

 

[Vibalist]

Lucky 2%? Really? I've played the level 3 times now, it has never taken me more than 2 or 3 minutes to get through it. If you time your runs and have just a minimal awareness of your surroundings, you'll breeze through it.

 

[Alfons]

Regardless of how shit the hospital level is, and it is shit, it is still one level. Arguing that because of the existence of that one level HM2>HM1 is completely fucking asinine.

 

[skacky]

I'm having a ton of fun with the editor. It's buggy and will eat your face if you don't do everything right, but it's very easy to use and satisfying. I made two levels so far (the Fans level was more of a test and will be a level with Jacket in the end).



EDIT: Here's an unedited playthrough with tons of deaths of the second level I made. See video description for weird stuff.

 

[Vibalist]

Awesome!

 

[Alfons]

Is there a way to put external audio files in the editor?

Unfortunately, I still expect 99.9% of user created levels will look something like this:

 

[Vibalist]

That's just like every other mod community. Loads of crap and a few gems. As long as a few people make good content then it'll be worth it.

 

[skacky]

Is there a way to put external audio files in the editor?

I don't think so, no. I'm a bit disappointed there isn't any tracks from HM1 available. I would have loved to use Miami Disco, Knock Knock or Hotline.
This shit is so addictive I'm working on a small campaign for Jacket, with 10 levels. So far I have three: Night Call (the Fans level I posted earlier, which I re-purposed), Red Strobe (music producer's club) and Meltdown (office/penthouse, posted above).

 

[Outlander]

Is there a way to put external audio files in the editor?

Unfortunately, I still expect 99.9% of user created levels will look something like this:

Is the AI that stupid (compared to HM1) in the game or you can dumb it down with the editor??

 

[sweeneezy]

I loved HM1, I haven't played 2 based on the word of friends. I'm debating grabbing it for the editor now, but I'd rather wait and see if theres that much support for the editor or not. They mentioned there was some sort of way to string levels into a campaign right? That would probably tip me over the edge to buying it.

On the topic of the Hospital in 1, it served a purpose for the message of the game. From what I can tell, the message of HM1 was basically the story didn't matter as long as you were having fun. The hospital separates the two halves of the game where there is no story and where there is a story. In the beginning, the story is nonsense gibberish with a few hints. The only point is the fun gameplay and feeling good with the pumping music and bright colors, no story just gameplay.
The hospital is 100% story, and it shows how not fun that is, because the hospital level is not fun and everyone knows it's not fun, it's a little Gone Home thrown in to show how different it is.
After that theres the Russian Boss fight and then the Helmet levels, which are story AND gameplay, and they are just as fun as pre-hospital, showing how little the story affects the gameplay because you have the same amount of fun with.

 

[skacky]

You can create campaigns with intros and outros, cutscenes, etc. I haven't looked too much into yet as I'm making normal levels for now. I'm shitting these pretty quickly; I made three yesterday and today.

Spoiler

Early level set in a restaurant. I wanted it to be a Chinese restaurant but there's no such sprites unfortunately. It's pretty easy and simple. One floor, 20 enemies, no thugs and the dogs are confined. The bar and the dinner area are the most troublesome.


A level set in a music producer's club, inspired by Execution and the first screen of Hot & Heavy. Features a couple of large rooms.


An attempt at creating an outdoor area + a Neighbors-style level. Cramped indoor areas and lots of enemies. The last floor is very much inspired by Biker's flat in HM1.

 

[Strayed]

Goddamn you skacky, making me feel inadequate



Video quality isn't that good, and the level isn't too great either considering I mucked up a few enemy placements. For testing it's okay I guess.

 

[Vibalist]

These levels look really good, skacky ! I'd happily play those, keep up the good work.

 

[Strayed]

Second created level, much better than my first attempt I think. Weird how Richter can't use a fire axe in created levels, but at least he gets the Uzi from the first game. (If you place it somewhere anyway).



Also, skacky do you have any tips on building levels? I'd like to be able to make better stuff than what I'm able to at the moment.

 

[skacky]

Depends on what you're asking and wanting to improve. If it's cosmetic, varying floors and areas can help a ton. You can also use edge textures to great effect, and they work very well in doorways to separate floor materials.

I also made that one yesterday. Probably my best so far, and Frantic Aerobics fits it like a glove!

Spoiler

 

[Strayed]

Depends on what you're asking and wanting to improve. If it's cosmetic, varying floors and areas can help a ton. You can also use edge textures to great effect, and they work very well in doorways to separate floor materials.

I think what I want to improve the most at the moment is enemy placements and variation. I almost never find any opportunity to use special enemies properly once I've finished an area, so I feel I end up with a pretty formulaic placement of normal dudes.



An office building with mostly normies, one dog, and some dodgers. A proper multi-floor thing too. Sort of.

 

[Alfons]

Why do you guys keep doing levels that use the characters that have no special abilities? That crossfire part is tailor-made for the dual wielding bear guy.