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Lacedaemonius
Jan 18, 2015

Rub a dub dub

Working Title: Ultraviolence At a Million Miles an Hour

Introduction "For Those Unaware"
So, Hotline Miami. In a sentence, it's a top-down gently caress 'em up.
Slightly more verbose, it's a love letter to Miami Vice's stereotyped vision of the 1980s written in a potent cocktail of blood and adrenaline, all in perfect harmony with a world of fluorescent colors and pounding synth. You kill a lot of people in the most graphic manner the 16-bit top-down perspective allows, and have a whole lot of fun doing it. Then you drive home, witness some events that may or may not be happening, wake up and do it again. Tome & cKnoor did a nice LP of it, which you should absolutely watch first if you're not familiar with the game.

Hotline Miami 2 is a direct sequel and continuation of the first game, and one that builds off it considerably. The gameplay is pretty much the original but bigger, better, and tougher, while the story focuses on a bunch of characters the were in some way directly connected to or otherwise affected by Jacket from the first game. The game is also considerably harder. The game is supposed to play like this but usually ends up like this. It's a game that's almost too big for itself, both in narrative and raw game design as we'll see before too long. So strap in for high octane ultraviolence/storytelling!

The LP, Rules, Errata
I'll keep this concise. The LP will consist of a full playthrough of the game on normal and ball-busting hard difficulty with a minimum of commentary. I'll try and keep to a minimum of 2 updates a week, but should have everything tied up relatively quickly (fatal last words, eh?)
As for thread rules, I have 3:
1. Don't be a meanieface
2. Use spoiler tags
3. Please don't be a meanieface

:siren:THIS LP ASSUMES YOU'VE EITHER BEAT HOTLINE MIAMI 1 OR SEEN THE LP OF IT:siren:
:siren:THIS LP ASSUMES YOU'VE EITHER BEAT HOTLINE MIAMI 1 OR SEEN THE LP OF IT:siren:
:siren:THIS LP ASSUMES YOU'VE EITHER BEAT HOTLINE MIAMI 1 OR SEEN THE LP OF IT:siren:

Playable Characters (in order of appearance)

Martin Brown
Famous actor who portrays Jacket in the slasher flick "Midnight Animal", a made-for-Hollywood dramatization of the events in the first game. Shot on set by the actress that plays Hooker while recording a scene for the film.


The Fans
A group of friends and vigilantes that venerate Jacket and perpetrate their own copycat crimes in the hope that the calls will return and direct them. They're composed of Corey the Zebra, Tony the Tiger, Mark the Bear, and the Swan twins Alex(#1) and Ash(#2) (Ash is male, he just loves lip gloss). All except Tony are murdered by an unknown assailant during the assault on Russian mafia HQ. Tony is executed by Pardo in the SWAT intervention that follows.


Manny Pardo
Hard-nosed detective and Lose Cannon Cop Who Doesn't Play By the Rules!™ on the trail of the serial killer "The Miami Mutilator". Notorious drunk driver and friends with the writer, Evan Wright. Died of boredom waiting in his house waiting for a SWAT assault that never came.


Jake
Fat redneck and anti-Russian activist, earnestly believes the South will rise again. Received the same mysterious calls as Jacket. Killed by Russian mobsters after murdering several.


Evan Wright
Self-employed writer and former war correspondent. Currently researching to write a book about Jacket AKA "the mask maniac". Killed in the nuclear exchange between Russia and the US.


The Henchman
Long-time hitman for the Russian mob, now retired. Found a big ol' bag of money at his last job. The money was stolen by Mary and he was executed by the fans while under the influence of hallucinogens.


The Soldier
A soldier in the special forces group "The Ghost Wolves". Hates the war and is eagerly awaiting retirement. Revealed to be Beard, killed when San Francisco is destroyed in a nuclear holocaust.


Richter Berg
Another individual coerced into murdering Russians by the mysterious phone calls. Primarily concerned with taking care of his dying mother. Died in the nuclear exchange between Russia and the US.


The Son
Son of the Russian mob boss Jacket killed in the first game. Dedicated to wiping out the Colombian mafia and retaking control of the city. Jumped off a building to his death after slaughtering the fans in a drug-induced haze.


Minor Characters

Richard
Richard from the first game, will randomly appear to the various characters to offer perspective.


The Ghost Wolves
A feared and infamous special forces squad comprising of only four operators and a commander. Despite their small size, there are numerous tales of their daring and almost superhuman feats, from single-handedly slaughtering whole battalions to conquering fortified bases without support. They're comprised of, in picture order:
The Soldier, Barnes, Daniels, Unknown (never named/pictured), and the Colonel.

Lacedaemonius fucked around with this message at 05:55 on Sep 26, 2015

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Lacedaemonius
Jan 18, 2015

Rub a dub dub










Lacedaemonius fucked around with this message at 10:28 on Oct 30, 2015

idonotlikepeas
May 29, 2010

This reasoning is possible for forums user idonotlikepeas!
Seems okay to me! I never played these games; have been considering picking them up between the LP of the previous one and this.

Nuclear Pizza
Feb 25, 2006
Excellent start Lacedaemonius. Eagerly expecting the rest :).

some plague rats
Jun 5, 2012

by Fluffdaddy
I never actually finished this because compared to the first one it just didn't feel like much fun to play at all. I know it's older than god to bitch about how getting shot from offscreen over and over sucks rear end but holy poo poo it sucks rear end

Lacedaemonius
Jan 18, 2015

Rub a dub dub
Act 2's up! We get to play as two new characters, take on the role of knight in shining armor, and then get murdered in cold blood!


Also I'll be adding a characters section post-haste which should make things easier to follow.

E: Happy September 11th!

Kaboom Dragoon
May 7, 2010

The greatest of feasts

Out of interest, where did you get the unmasked pics of the Fans? I thought Alex was the only one we saw unmasked during the game?

dscruffy1
Nov 22, 2007

Look out!
Nap Ghost

Kaboom Dragoon posted:

Out of interest, where did you get the unmasked pics of the Fans? I thought Alex was the only one we saw unmasked during the game?

The unmasked fans are available in the level editor, if the HM2 wiki is to be believed.

Lacedaemonius
Jan 18, 2015

Rub a dub dub

Kaboom Dragoon posted:

Out of interest, where did you get the unmasked pics of the Fans? I thought Alex was the only one we saw unmasked during the game?
You're correct!

Any suggestions for featured artists/tracks? I'm having a drat hard time narrowing it down. Yes there will be Castanets

Lacedaemonius
Jan 18, 2015

Rub a dub dub
Just added the free prequel comic books! Probably should have included them in the original post, but whatever they're here now. It's a steam link but they're also available on gog!

Qvark
May 4, 2010
Soiled Meat
Excellent LP, looking forward to act 3.

Lacedaemonius
Jan 18, 2015

Rub a dub dub
And here's Act 3, where things start to get exciting! I'll update the characters section soon to account for the changes.


E: Characters section's updated!

Lacedaemonius fucked around with this message at 22:58 on Sep 13, 2015

Philippe
Aug 9, 2013

(she/her)

God, this game is just such an improvement on Hotline Miami's already impressive gamefeel. The little animations in the cutscenes, the incredible music, and the should-be-clashing-but-doesn't color scheme; all combine to form a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.

My favorite thing is probably at the end of every level, when you suddenly wake up from your coke high, the music drones, and you see what you've done, wandering through your earlier destruction.

The story isn't that difficult to follow, honestly. The callbacks/forwards work fairly well to establish the framework of a story, and I never feel that the game is cheating with its storytelling.

Cheez
Apr 29, 2013

Someone doesn't like a shitty gimmick I like?

:siren:
TIME FOR ME TO WHINE ABOUT IT!
:siren:
This has nothing to do with anything important in the game itself but it really pisses me off when the screen distorts during the fast forward effect when the "tape" is stopped.

Five
Jan 6, 2009

You need the use the flamethrower, obviously.

idonotlikepeas
May 29, 2010

This reasoning is possible for forums user idonotlikepeas!

Five posted:

You need the use the flamethrower, obviously.

Yes, this. Did you really imagine we'd ask for anything else?

Cryohazard
Feb 5, 2010
The soldier's the Pizza Guy from the first game, right?

George Rouncewell
Jul 20, 2007

You think that's illegal? Heh, watch this.
I never finished this game though i loved 1. There's just too much "getting shot from outside your field of vision" poo poo which means you have to memorize every level to finish them.

Also this quote because lol:

swamp waste posted:

I loving dont like it and there is so much of it. Somehow there are more guys than it seems like there should be. Fat, nimble black men bodyslam through doors, unpack themselves from shelves, shimmy through air ducts, yearning to punch me in the face. My bugeyed fuckup hero cant harm them with a machete but can somehow pick out the only empty shotgun from a pile of gore-soaked shotguns. This is someone's fantasy, but not mine. A thug with severely limited powers of object permanence whips around and performs a sick 180 noscope headshot on me through many panes of glass. The background music has looped four times already.

Lacedaemonius
Jan 18, 2015

Rub a dub dub

Crane Fist posted:

I never actually finished this because compared to the first one it just didn't feel like much fun to play at all. I know it's older than god to bitch about how getting shot from offscreen over and over sucks rear end but holy poo poo it sucks rear end

Illegal Username posted:

I never finished this game though i loved 1. There's just too much "getting shot from outside your field of vision" poo poo which means you have to memorize every level to finish them.

Also this quote because lol:

The game will try to trick you into playing it like a tactical shooter, which is a huge problem because if you have time to get shot from across the map you're not going fast enough.

Five posted:

You need the use the flamethrower, obviously.

idonotlikepeas posted:

Yes, this. Did you really imagine we'd ask for anything else?
Oh I knew the flamethrower was coming, I just didn't realize it was coming to every level.

Cryohazard posted:

The soldier's the Pizza Guy from the first game, right?
Also the bartender and video store guy, he's just called 'Beard' for short.

Lacedaemonius
Jan 18, 2015

Rub a dub dub
:siren:I hosed up!:siren:
I missed a book in the intro of the fans first level of Act 3, so here's the transcript if you've already seen the video.
Galaxy Film once again received heavy critique over latest blockbuster...
...sparked a controversy over the film adaptation of Miami Maniac murders.

sorry about that

Hoss Corncave
Feb 13, 2012
Does anyone else think that after the courtroom scene, the Fans are standing outside the courthouse in the bottom right corner with picket signs?

GenderSelectScreen
Mar 7, 2010

I DON'T KNOW EITHER DON'T ASK ME
College Slice

Hoss Corncave posted:

Does anyone else think that after the courtroom scene, the Fans are standing outside the courthouse in the bottom right corner with picket signs?

Actually, it is them.

Lacedaemonius
Jan 18, 2015

Rub a dub dub

Hoss Corncave posted:

Does anyone else think that after the courtroom scene, the Fans are standing outside the courthouse in the bottom right corner with picket signs?
It is, I'm specifically avoiding mentioning little tidbits like that until the second playthrough, so if you look closely through the other videos you can find more of the sort. Biker's also at the courthouse.

Hoss Corncave
Feb 13, 2012

Lacedaemonius posted:

It is, I'm specifically avoiding mentioning little tidbits like that until the second playthrough, so if you look closely through the other videos you can find more of the sort. Biker's also at the courthouse.

Ah, my bad. Sorry about that. I'll refrain from doing so from now on. As for the other thing, I thought so.

Lacedaemonius
Jan 18, 2015

Rub a dub dub

Hoss Corncave posted:

Ah, my bad. Sorry about that. I'll refrain from doing so from now on. As for the other thing, I thought so.

Don't worry man, this isn't the spoiler gestapo and finding/sharing those little easter eggs is half the fun. Unless it's AERIS DIES I don't give a drat, and will give even fewer damns once the ending's posted.

Lacedaemonius fucked around with this message at 23:51 on Sep 14, 2015

Quiet Python
Nov 8, 2011
Detective Pardo legitimately terrifies me. The fans caused a horrific amount of carnage during their exploits, but there were five of them.

Pardo leaves their body count in his dust...and he does it alone.

Pittsburgh Lambic
Feb 16, 2011
A note about Detective Pardo's first level, "Homicide:"

All the signposts you can shoot and knock over depict characters from the early access game Nuclear Throne. The ones you knocked over were, in order, Crystal, Eyes, Yung Venuz, Fish, and Melting.

Cheez posted:

This has nothing to do with anything important in the game itself but it really pisses me off when the screen distorts during the fast forward effect when the "tape" is stopped.

In the game's defense, VHS players do have a tendency to do that when paused, especially lovely and/or worn-out ones. I remember when I was really young and we first got a DVD player, and was really impressed that it was able to pause without the scene looking all jittery and torn up.

Pittsburgh Lambic fucked around with this message at 04:57 on Sep 15, 2015

Cheez
Apr 29, 2013

Someone doesn't like a shitty gimmick I like?

:siren:
TIME FOR ME TO WHINE ABOUT IT!
:siren:

Pittsburgh Lambic posted:

In the game's defense, VHS players do have a tendency to do that when paused, especially lovely and/or worn-out ones. I remember when I was really young and we first got a DVD player, and was really impressed that it was able to pause without the scene looking all jittery and torn up.
But it's stopped, not paused. The screen is blue even, like a lot of VHS machines do when not showing what's on the tape.

Hoss Corncave
Feb 13, 2012

Lacedaemonius posted:

Don't worry man, this isn't the spoiler gestapo and finding/sharing those little easter eggs is half the fun. Unless it's AERIS DIES I don't give a drat, and will give even fewer damns once the ending's posted.
Ah, cool. I am looking forward to how the ending is viewed by people.

Quiet Python posted:

Detective Pardo legitimately terrifies me. The fans caused a horrific amount of carnage during their exploits, but there were five of them.

Pardo leaves their body count in his dust...and he does it alone.
It's also the fact that he constantly looks tired and/or psychotic. Also, because he's a cop he can justify the people he kills as within the law.

Gideon020
Apr 23, 2011
That final assault track I also remember hearing when doing the final hack in HackNet. It's a really great track.

Pittsburgh Lambic
Feb 16, 2011

Cheez posted:

But it's stopped, not paused. The screen is blue even, like a lot of VHS machines do when not showing what's on the tape.

I see what you mean now. Yeah, there's no technical justification for that.

marshmallow creep
Dec 10, 2008

I've been sitting here for 5 mins trying to think of a joke to make but I just realised the animators of Mass Effect already did it for me

Quiet Python posted:

Detective Pardo legitimately terrifies me. The fans caused a horrific amount of carnage during their exploits, but there were five of them.

Pardo leaves their body count in his dust...and he does it alone.

I also dislike him more than the fans because while they are/were misguided murderers, he's using the law to protect himself from repercussions. He even punishes their sole survivor for doing essentially the same thing he does regularly but minus a badge.

Lacedaemonius
Jan 18, 2015

Rub a dub dub

Gideon020 posted:

That final assault track I also remember hearing when doing the final hack in HackNet. It's a really great track.
Link? I can only imagine how awesome a hacking game with Carpenter Brut is, but alas there's nothing on the master list.

K-ParAdoX
Jul 12, 2004
...but.this.phone.is. always.off.it's.hook...
Hi all, I plan on watching these and playing along, but for whatever reason this game crashes as soon as I open it. All my sound and graphics drivers are updated, and according to System Requirements Lab, I should be able to run it no problem. I don't know what's going on. I feel bad since a friend gifted it to me, and wanted us both to be playing along. Any ideas?

Lacedaemonius
Jan 18, 2015

Rub a dub dub

K-ParAdoX posted:

Hi all, I plan on watching these and playing along, but for whatever reason this game crashes as soon as I open it. All my sound and graphics drivers are updated, and according to System Requirements Lab, I should be able to run it no problem. I don't know what's going on. I feel bad since a friend gifted it to me, and wanted us both to be playing along. Any ideas?
Windows 10? Also repost in the Hotline Miami general as well so more people will see.

In other news, Act 4's here! Hope y'all enjoyed that flamethrowin' because it doesn't look like it's coming back for a long time.

Gideon020
Apr 23, 2011

Lacedaemonius posted:

Link? I can only imagine how awesome a hacking game with Carpenter Brut is, but alas there's nothing on the master list.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBPhtgVfmII

Here's a link to another player doing it.

Hoss Corncave
Feb 13, 2012
It's not just the tide coming in on the intro to the Soldier's stage, but also the fact that Rust is a really great music track that just fits with the feeling that no matter what the Ghost Wolves' plans are after the war, each successful mission they carry out is merely delaying their seemingly inevitable demise.

Also, I find it amusing that on day 2 of the Hotline Miami mission in Payday 2, Beard is the first civilian you run into in the apartment block and can take hostage. I kinda feel like he'd be able to stop the entire Payday gang if he tried.

Philippe
Aug 9, 2013

(she/her)

My favourite little thing is that the subway graffiti reads "KUK" (Swedish for "cock").

Pimpmust
Oct 1, 2008

I did a double-take when I read the location for those missions. "Wait, what? Oh, this isn't gonna end well for anyone is it"

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K-ParAdoX
Jul 12, 2004
...but.this.phone.is. always.off.it's.hook...

Lacedaemonius posted:

Windows 10? Also repost in the Hotline Miami general as well so more people will see.
Windows 7. Thanks for the link!

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