Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number - Needs More *69

[Walruseal]

I think that it's as good the original, although I agree that it can be more so frustrating than feeling like you were developing at times, so maybe a little bit worse because of that. The music is amazing though, and it really felt like part of the game rather than just another soundtrack. I definitely appreciate the larger variety of characters and scenarios that you play in during the game, it adds some spice to the normal grab mask and shoot stuff routine. The added story is also nice, so it's not just level to level with a couple cutscenes and grabbing stuff from a guy in between, albeit hard to follow. Kinda on the wall about if it's better or not, more gameplay will probably help figuring that out.

 

[Poetic Nova]

Say, a question about this game.

Does it run better on AMD hardware compared to the first game? Can't play the first one without running into a BSOD, which I figured out that it had to to with incompatibilty with the hardware.

 

[Chriss_m]

Now, if he finds rape being added for shock value objectionable, then he must make that case.

Okay lemme... deconstruct this.
'Just for shock value' is not a judgement on controversy, it's an accusation of insincerity. He's not saying that they put it in there because they wanted it to be that way and that was their vision, he's saying it was a hollow gesture to be more edgy than other games, because obviously there was no follow through in the story to elaborate on it.

If you're going to go with "Shock of War" style narratives you need to show how broken the people are by the thing that affects them or it's not just controversial, it's a completely wasted opportunity because the audience can't get the proper connection to it. Murder is centered on the killer and who that death affected, but because rape is so absolutely personal, you can't write it the same way or it completely robs the story of the actual intended horror... which reflects on the creators as being too inexperienced or immature to handle the subject matter in a way that actually means anything.

THAT is the objection here and largely en masse.

I don't want to drag this on, but you've made some valid points here, so out of courtesy I'll address them. But I think I'll make this my last post. You can have the last word, if you wish.

It's an accusation of insincerity only if the creator has the intention of substantiating the scene. If it's merely there for shock value, it's no more insincere than a jump scare in a horror movie. Because rape is shocking - it adds horror, tension, and darkens the tone. All perfectly valid reasons to add such a scene.

You talk of a wasted opportunity, because the rape doesn't become the centerpiece of the story. But that's nonsensical (in the kindest way possible), and brings me back to this point of justification. It's their story, they decide what the focus is. You may indeed have wanted rape, and the victim, and the attackers become what the story was about, but they didn't, and that's okay. It's like arguing that you need to learn about the family, friends, values, of every person killed in the game, otherwise the murder of each random character is a wasted opportunity, and not really necessary to the game.

Again, if the writer of the review felt that the scene shouldn't have been included just for the sake of schock value (as he says), he must explain why it's wrong for the scene to be included for that purpose. Does it not shock? Is it not horrible? Does it fail in their intentions?

 

[Norithics]

It's an accusation of insincerity only if the creator has the intention of substantiating the scene.

... I don't... really even know what direction to take this. How insulting would it be to just assume that all creators are incompetent boobs who can't handle the subject matter they're showing us? Like at this point I would think that pretty much everybody is trying to be taken seriously, and if not, then they would clearly make overtures to this.

Does it not shock?

No, it doesn't.
It's gross, it's like seeing a kid show you their pre-chewed lunch, but to call it shocking is to imbue it with an implication of competence that isn't there. That's what's being said here- it's there to be OMGWOWTHISTHING and then it just isn't. It's like a teenager wrote "and then there was a girl who totally got raped and stuff!!1" It doesn't make you think "Oh wow that sucks for that person!" it makes you think "Oh wow that was poorly done. I've been taken out of the experience."

Also it doesn't have to be centrally about them, you could handle it well with decent dialogue. But again, not holding my breath here. :V

 

[Magmarock]

"A controversial scene of suggested rape, for instance, brings next to nothing to the story save for some shock value and pixelated pair of butt cheeks. It honestly could have been removed or altered and the story overall would have been identical."

Urrrrghhhhh. Stop putting the onus on developers to justify creating content for a game. They don't *need* any reason to put in anything they want to put in other than 'We wanted to put it in'. That's it.

I disagree. I'll try to keep this spoiler free and I haven't yet finished the game, but from what I have played so far, the girl who is raped in question re appears later on and lets just say does a thing. At first I thought it was shoe in but I kept playing to see if there was any relevance later on and I think there is.