The ‘normal’ protagonists play with the minimum of gimmicks, the action is as fast, flowing, but deceptively, sharply strategic as it ever was. When not playing as members of the gang, things are, largely, good. And, as the game bloats on into its over-extended running time, an overall loss of focus becomes the real problem. The thing is though, those various narrative tangents bleed directly into parallel problems with the game design.

A smart and rather satisfying scenario, even if, as it goes on, the story seems to grow pathologically terrified of coherence, throwing in new characters, curveballs, and sub-plots whenever things seem in danger of coalescing into gratifying completion.

A savvy, often semi-satirical discussion and reinterpretation of the first game, using the repercussions of violence and corruption as its canvas. At the centre of it, there’s a new gang of animal-masked lunatics, influenced by Jacket, and out for a similar spree of partly purposeful kicks and killing. There’s a pressured actor starring in a lurid film adaptation of the first game’s events. There’s a hardboiled, fearless journalist researching his next crime book. There’s a no-nonsense, greasy, up to his neck cop. Ostensibly set a few years after the first game (but jumping around a fair bit along the course of its deliberately disjointed delivery), you follow and play multiple different characters affected by the aftermath of original protagonist Jacket’s rampage. The problems stem from - or are at least facilitated by - HM2’s new narrative structure. Whether delivering aggressive, scratchy dancefloor stuff or smooth, calming ambiance, it adds an immeasurable amount to the experience. Just as good as the original's line-up of leftfield, synthy electronica, it's both more eclectic and more extreme at both ends of the spectrum.

Hotline 2's soundtrack is probably the best part of the whole game.

Hotline miami 1 vs 2