The first game captured everyone's attention for a long time. People came up with countless theories about what it all meant—who Jacket was, what 50 Blessings was, and how everything happened. The second game answered all of those questions and even added a few more mysteries.
The gameplay is fast-paced and incredibly satisfying. Sometimes you storm in, bashing, slicing, and shooting everything in sight. Other times, you need to peek around corners and bait enemies you can’t just rush head-on. You die quickly, but you restart even faster. The game introduces a whole host of new characters with unique abilities, new weapons, new locations, alternative endings, and hidden secrets. There’s also a new difficulty mode that flips the map upside down, reduces the number of bullets in guns, and halves the ammo every time you drop a weapon.
Here are the new characters:
- The Fans: A group of four criminals who idolize Jacket’s actions and wear animal masks like him. They act as copycats but primarily target drug dealers.
- The Son: The son of the Russian mafia boss. After his father’s death, he tries to expand the mafia’s influence. Gameplay-wise, he combines all four Fans’ abilities into one character.
- The Henchman: One of the Son’s enforcers who wants to leave the criminal life behind. The Son promises to let him go after completing a few more hits.
- Detective Manny Pardo: A hardened detective and one of the most memorable characters in the game. He was responsible for hunting down the Miami Mutilator but is frustrated by the media’s obsession with masked vigilantes, believing that the Mutilator is far more dangerous.
- Indie Journalist Evan: A journalist trying to turn his life around and support his family by writing a book about masked vigilantes. He’s friends with Manny Pardo, who would prefer Evan focus on the Miami Mutilator instead. Evan’s gameplay is unique—he’s a pacifist who doesn’t have to kill enemies to complete levels, though he can if necessary.
- Jake: An overweight xenophobe who figures out 50 Blessings’ true nature and joins their cause. He’s also my favorite character in the franchise.
- The Beard: The store clerk seen in every shop in the first game turns out to be a veteran and Jacket’s best friend. His gameplay is distinct—he has access to multiple weapons and a knife but cannot pick up or drop other weapons. He must restock ammo through ammo boxes, which only provide about 30% of full capacity.
- The Actor: An actor who plays Jacket in a movie adaptation of his massacre. He has very few levels.
In conclusion, this is an incredible game—one of the greatest I’ve played in a long time—but there’s even more to explore. The community has created an enormous number of fan-made campaigns, so many that you’ll likely get tired before playing them all. Seriously, this game is a must-buy!
