I gave up trying to understand reviewers a long time ago but I would guess the more critical writers wanted Hotline Miami 1.5 where you can still run from small room to small room frantically racking up kill combos. The levels are a lot larger with a lot more bad guys in this one. You have to be much more methodical. I imagine you can still find the optimal route to wipe an entire floor in one combo but it's going to take a lot more ingenuity to do it this time. Personally, I find it a much deeper and rewarding experience but I can understand how it might frustrate someone trying to bang out a review, especially if they were a fan of the first game and thought they knew what they were getting into.

Presentation-wise, it's insane. Massive step up from the first game, especially with the music, which I honestly didn't think was possible.