Tips for toppling Hotline Miami 2

With its thumping soundtrack, addictive gameplay and violent streak, Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number is insanely moreish. It's also really, really tough. So here are our handy tips to help get you through it.

Click here for more excellent GamesMaster articles. Or maybe you want to take advantage of some great offers on magazine subscriptions? You can find them here.

Learning when to go in loud iscrucial. Shotguns may be good for clearing out the oddroom of white-suited evil doers, butthat first shell you fire will alert anyone within earshot. Thanks to some stingy reload times with the shotty, theres just no way youre going to put down more than three or four men before meeting your pixelated maker. Forheavily populated areas, the best tactic is always to go quiet. Lean on isolating enemies from their groups and taking them out with melee attacks. Oncethe crowds have been thinned outa little and youre only dealing with afew spaced out packs of goons, feel freeto shift the tectonic plates with ear-splitting gunfire.

Not every foe will go down at the mere swing of a baseball bat. Indeed, the barrel-chested heavies are impervious to all melee attacks well, unless youre playing as Tony (the tiger mask). The only way to kill these burly buggers is with guns. Shotguns usually stop them dead, yet if youre using a pistol or assault rifle, prepare to empty a large clip into these muscled menaces.

Bad dog! Pooches in Hotline Miami 2 arent just inclined to sick balls, theyre also partial to fetching the remains of your oesophagus. You dont want to let a dog get a good run at you; theyre absolute speed demons in full flight. The best tactic is observing their four-legged patrols, then pouncing when they turn a corner. If meleeing, smaller weapons (glass shards etc) are quicker and more effective at putting Fido down.

Not to sound like The Wires Avon Barksdale, but you gotta work the corners. Strategically luring in enemies by engaging, then swiftly breaking line of sight is the single most important strategy to master. Out in the open, youve got little chance against winning a tussle with multiple men, but by quickly peeking out from a corner and running back, youre granted an excellent opportunity to ambush baddies in quick, deadly fashion. This homicidal hide-and-seek isnt without risk, though. When dealing with armed opponents you have to be extra diligent only to pop out from your corner hidey hole for a brief time exposing yourself for even an extra millisecond or two is often all it takes to eat an unwanted bullet. Still, master the art of enticing enemies around corners and youll quickly start to make mincemeat of those posses who were once so intimidating.

Windows are not your friend. Passing by one instantly gives away your position to any dastards standing on the other side as they can easily see you, and in Wrong Numbers universe, there is no such thing as bulletproof panes. If you really must pass the glass, proceed with caution. The best tactic is to gingerly approach a window, knowing exactly where to shoot before exposing yourself. Its always a good idea to pan the camera around with the left trigger to get an idea of the layout of a level to spot glassy traps before you storm in.

Whod have ever thought the humble door could be such a lethal slaughtering device? With the right timing, a heavily swung wooden frame can flatten an opponent, giving you time to break out a crushing curb stomp or throat slash. The key to using doors properly is to closely observe enemy routes. In most smaller rooms, guards will merely circle the perimeter indefinitely. As soon as they pass the door, barge in, and youll instantly stun them for a few seconds. This is not only great for setting up a finisher, but also useful for putting armedbaddies on their keister. Despite all the swinging chaos, door takedowns are silent, too. Just be careful when tryingto deliver the killing blow: the animations for headslams and the like often take afew seconds, which is more than enough time for that floored fools buddy to clock whats going on and annihilate you.

Of all the delicious killing toolsat your disposal, theres none more adaptable or useful than the silenced pistol. Providing a one-shot kill for any enemy outside of heavies, this sneaky gun is perfect for clearing out dudes from range without any of their pals being alerted. Thanks to some limited AI, enemies wont bat an eyelid at their chums falling to the ground thanks to a muffled bullet. Oh so satisfying to fire and great for predatory playthroughs, youd be well advised to pick these pistols up after youve slain their owners.