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StarrySkies

The Starry Sky selection screen of the editor. The blue lit buildings of the Miami skyline ebb and flow like waves.

The Level Editor is a feature in Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number.

The level editor allows for the creation of custom levels and campaigns using assets from the main game. These levels are shareable though Steam Workshop with the caveat that they can be completed. Level Editor files have limited mod support and any 'mods' files bundled in them can also be shared through Steam Workshop.

Players on the GOG version of the game have access to the editor and can create levels, however they will not be able to post it to the Steam Workshop and need to share and download any levels manually. Versions of this game on consoles lack the ability to use the editor completely.

The Beta started on December 10th, 2015, and received its first public update on December 23rd. A second public update was released on March 1st, 2016 with a hotfix on March 10th, 2016. On May 3rd, another public update incorporated Steam Workshop support, allowing players to upload and download new levels through Steam.

Basics[]

Before attempting to make any sort of workshop level or campaign, it's important to understand the capabilities and limitations of the Level Editor.

To use mods in your game, they need to put in the mods folder. This folder, called "mods", can be found in \Documents\My Games\HotlineMiami2 and needs to be created if it isn't there. To use mods in your level, you need to navigate to \Documents\My Games\HotlineMiami2\Levels\Single/Campaign\ and create a folder called "mods" inside your level folder.

Most sprites can be thrown into a level/campaign mods folder and will download automatically alongside the published level, however menu/HUD, weapon and music mods need to be downloaded by the player manually.

Software[]

HLM WAD Explorer

HLMWADExplorer being used to view Tony's sprite sheet. This can be extracted from the game's data or replaced using the program itself.

Without any official tools for editing sprites, music or any game files, these are necessary to do any sort of modifications to your game and/or workshop:

  • HLM WAD Explorer, for basic access to sprites and modifying them, as well as for changing music.
  • HLMWadEditor, for modifying .meta files which allows more customization when it comes to sprites.
  • Any text editor, for changing level files, allowing the use of several, normally inaccessible, player characters, enemies, furniture, etc.
  • Any image editor, for modifying the sprite sheets obtained thanks to the WAD Explorer or WadEditor, as well as making covers.

Guides[]

Due to the amount of inaccessible content by default, it's useful to have these guides at hand whenever they're needed. Thanks to Yossarian the Assyrian for making these!

Level Settings[]

In the Level Settings the playable character can be selected as well as the music that will play on the level. It is also possible to set cosmetic effects to the level, such as rain and the background effect. The level borders may also be set to prevent the player from going outside the playable area. It is also now possible to add additional floors, requiring the use of a Floor Transitioner Trigger.

Characters[]

Gamer'sEditionSpreadsheet

Official sprite sheet of the characters.

The Level Editor features the following characters:

Jacket: The main protagonist of the first game is playable, alongside an updated sprite and the ability to fight without a mask. However, his playstyle differs slightly. Whilst still being able to use every mask from the previous game, many of the abilities had to be altered or even outright removed based on the fact that many of the masks' abilities had no practical use in-game, or the mechanics they worked off of don't exist. Another absent feature is Jacket's ability to take hostages. Jacket can only fight Russian Mobsters, despite the fact that he also fought the Police in the first game.

Biker: Biker also has an updated look, his playstyle has been updated to allow him to kill thugs with his cleaver. He can only fight against Russian Mobsters.

The Butcher: Martin Brown. He's able to fight Policemen and Teens, while he also has a vehicle, a golf cart, which is only ever shown in Caught where it is used by the Cop in the intro.

The Fans (Corey, Tony, Alex, Ash and Mark all collectively count as the character 'The Fans'): The Fans can fight against Russian Mobsters and Gang Members. Being a group of multiple playable characters, the editor allows for free choice, or restricting the player to a certain character. Their weapon range is the same across the board. A few of the fans can be forced to start differently by modifying the level files, like Alex without Ash, Mark without his MP5s and Ash with any character.

The Cop: Manny Pardo. His playstyle is heavily gun oriented, being able to execute enemies with them and usually does so faster than with his normal stomp. He can fight against Policemen, Gang Members, and Colombians.

The Cobra: Jake. Only able to fight Russians. Able to choose between his three masks or he can be forced to not use one.

The Writer: Evan Wright. His playstyle is identical to the main story. He can fight Russians and Gang Members, also gaining the ability to whack dogs. However, he can't stop thugs without killing them, which requires him to enter rage mode.

The Henchman: The Son's right-hand man. Can only fight Gang Members and plays almost identically like default Jacket.

The Soldier: Beard. His playstyle is comparable to his main story counterpart. The player is able to choose between a Shotgun, Light Machine Gun, Sniper Rifle, or Flamethrower when beginning a level. Each weapon comes with spare ammo and can be swapped out for a bayonet knife by right clicking. Beard can also be forced to only use the knife by editing the level files. Beard can only fight Soviet Soldiers.

The Rat: Richter. Unlike the first game, Richter does not start with a Silenced Uzi, leaving him as a "vanilla" character, with the exception that he is less adept at gunplay than Jacket. While the Release versions of Richter function properly in the editor, they cannot be accessed without modifying the level files of your level. He can only fight Russians in his normal outfit and he can fight Guards and Prisoners in both of his Release versions.

The Son: Boss of the Russian Mafia during the events of 1991. He can choose between his three techniques that play similar to The Fans, but he has a slower melee swing speed for several of the weapons and slightly slower executions. More versions of Son, like the Blood Money, Apocalypse and ability-less version, are available only by modifying the level files. Can fight Colombians and Guards in most of his versions, but the Apocalypse version can only fight Demon Mobsters.

The Hammer: A character exclusive to the editor. He has a "vanilla" playstyle, which means no unique advantages or inconveniences. Although, he has the most diverse enemy pool, being able to fight the Mafia, Gang Members, Colombians, Guards and Policemen, making Hammer a pretty open character.

Each character can only use weapons and fight enemies that they have sprites for (for example The Cop can only fight Gang Members, Colombians and Policemen). Some characters have the ability to select something affecting gameplay at the start of the level (usually a mask), the characters with this ability are:

Jacket (can select all Hotline Miami masks).

The Cobra (can select the following masks: Jake, Irvin and Dallas).

The Fans (can select any of the playable characters within the fans).

The Soldier (can select the following weapons: M16, Shotgun, Heavy Machine Gun, Sniper Rifle and Flamethrower).

The Son (can select the following playstyles: Bodyguard, Dirty Hands and Bloodline).

When selecting a playable character with this ability, by default the player will be able to pick the playstyle, however it is possible to force the player to use a specific playstyle by manually placing down the character on the map with the desired playstyle.

Each character has their own vehicle, acting as an end-level trigger. Therefore, one must be placed in every level so the level can be completed.

Enemies[]

Main article: Enemy Behaviour
Enemy Behaviour

Enemy Behaviour options in the level editor.

Various types of enemies and their behaviours can be selected in the Level Editor, enemies can have the following behaviours:

Static: Stands still until the player is within their line of sight, not alerted by gunfire.

Patrol: Makes a 90 degree turn left when their path is obstructed.

Random: Walks around randomly, occasionally stopping.

Idle: Stands still until the player is within their line of sight, not alerted by gunfire.

Dog: Always patrols, moves along walls if possible.

Thug: Always patrols and takes several shots to take down.

Dodger: Stands still until alerted by the player, unlike other static enemies they can be alerted by gunfire. Only killable with melee weapons.

Bosses are partially available in the Level Editor, however they can only be added by modifying the level files and are known to cause crashes. Use with caution.

Enemy Factions[]

Various factions of enemies are also available in the Level Editor, playable characters can only fight enemies that they have sprites for. The Mafia, Gang, Colombian, Police, Soldiers, and Guards factions are available by default in the Level Editor. Prisoner, Hallucinatory Demon and Tutorial Enemies can be fought, however they require modifying the level files to do so.

Level Design[]

The Level Editor allows level designers to place various objects to design levels, the types of objects available are:

Floors: Floor tiles make up the base of the level, providing the player with multiple types of floor patterns and color subsets.

Walls: Walls are used to block movement, projectiles, and enemy line of sight, like floors these are used in every level.

Door: Doors act as a way to move between rooms. They act as walls until opened.

Glass: Glass, being transparent, blocks movement, but still allows the passthrough of projectiles and provides a line of sight., glass is often used to allow enemies to see the player from another room.

Items: Items are decorative assets that are usually used to make levels look more realistic, while most do not have any effect on gameplay, some do block movement.

Weapons: Called 'Misc' in the editor, weapons can be placed around the level for the player to use, only weapons the player character has sprites for can be placed.

Community Content[]

Content Dumps[]

Levels and Custom Assets (by Character)[]

Sprites[]

Enemy Reskins[]

Mafia Mods[]
Gang Mods[]
Police Mods[]
Colombian Mods[]
Guard Mods[]
Soldier Mods[]
Prisoner Mods[]
Dog Mods[]
Tutorial Enemy Mods[]
Misc. Faction Mods[]

Faces[]

VHS Covers[]

Sounds[]

Music[]

General Music Mods[]
Campaign Soundtracks[]

Miscellaneous[]

Blood and Effects[]
Walls and Tiles[]
Weapons[]
Cars and Other Vehicles[]
Items, NPCs, and Large Compilations[]

Raw Assets and Tools[]

Tools[]

Sprite Dumps[]

Other Assets and Information[]

Alpha and Beta Features[]

Alpha features:[]

Please take note that this version of the editor is unstable and relatively untested.

  • Selecting Manny Pardo, Jake, Evan, and sometimes The Fans will result in the level completely crashing.
  • A lot of items aren't finished.
  • Many Items will crash the game, when selected.
  • Many Walls from the games are not available. (ie, white brick walls, or indestructible mirrors/windows)
  • Corner wall textures for the Sewer Walls, Wood Walls, and Movie Set Walls will not be placed.
  • If too many walls are added, the game will crash.
  • Many tiles from both games are also not available.
  • The guns tab does not have any weapons that can be placed.
  • Triggers can not be made. (For example, the elevator explosion in Casualties, or the "Get the Girl" objective scene in Final Cut)
  • Biker, Jacket and H.M. Hammarin are unusable.
  • Lethal knife throws will automatically turn the sprite into a mobster.
  • No outro/intro/sprite editors.
  • No cutscene editor.
  • No campaign editor.
  • If you use The Pig Butcher, Richter or The Soldier, you won't be able to finish the level.
  • Saves made in the alpha build will not carry over to the full version.
  • The floor tiles tend to disappear while using the Rewind function and while renaming the level.
  • Some songs are unlisted, such as iamthekidyouknowhatimean's Run. Other songs are incorrectly labeled; for example, selecting Jasper Byrne's Voyager will instead play Carpenter Brut's Le Perv, and Scattle's Bloodline is listed as Pursuit.
  • If the player lowers the volume while in a level, the game will crash.
  • Adding doors will occasionally result in a crash.
  • If player replays the level the floor tiles will disappear, leaving only walls, items and enemies.

Beta Features:[]

Steam users running Windows are able to access the latest release of the level editor by opting in to the editor_beta patch in the game's Steam properties box. Beta-created content doesn't work perfectly with new versions of the editor, due to various sprite sheet changes and game updates.

  • Create new scenes/levels for the game including furniture, enemies, weapons, and NPCs.
  • Custom intros, outros, and cut-scenes for levels.
  • Custom campaigns.
  • Custom VHS covers for levels.
  • A maximum of 7 floors/areas per level.
  • Unlocked floor transitions. (No longer locked by location; can spawn the character anywhere within the map when transitioning)
  • Locational weapon spawns. (Weapons spawn in the environment, rather than being limited to an enemy)
  • Character Implementation:
    • Biker: Has the ability to kill Thugs.
    • Jacket: Ability to use all his masks from the original game. (It's possible to restrict his mask usage to one or none)
    • H.M. Hammarin: The only character with full sprites for every enemy type.
  • Re-addition of the Drill, Pot, Silenced Uzi, Cleaver, and Throwing Knives as usable weapons - only usable by Jacket (first two) and Biker (last two)
  • Environmental Effect Filters:
    • Rain
    • Darkness
    • Daylight
    • Sunset
  • Dynamic backgrounds:
    • Standard (Red-Aqua-Fuchsia)
    • Jungle (Lime colored trees)
    • Storm (Maroon, Black, with thunder)
    • Waves (Purple-Aqua-Fuchsia waves, as seen in Dead Ahead)
  • Custom level borders.
  • Third-party mod support using the HLM2 Wad Explorer.

Accessing the Alpha Level Editor and transferring Alpha Levels to the Updated Editor[]

The developers left the old alpha version of the editor in the retail version of HLM2 and it can be accessed via exploits. A modded .exe containing the alpha build must be downloaded, and put it in the game directory. (Works for both Steam and GOG edition)

ALPHA EDITOR .EXE DOWNLOAD

If you've made a level with the Alpha Editor and want to transfer it to a newer version of the editor, please follow the steps below. Please note that this method hasn't been extensively tested, and may produce unstable results. It's highly recommended that you make a back up of your level if you haven't already done so.

  1. Launch the game and access the editor.
  2. Create a new level without renaming anything.
    • During creation, set the beta level's character to match the character selected in your alpha level. The music you selected for either of the levels doesn't matter.
  3. Save and exit the level editor. Whether you keep the game open or shut it down is optional.
  4. Navigate to \Documents\My Games\HotlineMiami2\Levels\single. You should see a single folder with a bunch of random numbers, letters, and dashes.
  5. Open this folder and copy over everything from your alpha level into the beta level folder.
    • Don't copy over your alpha .hlm file to the folder. (If you did it right, then you should have something like this.)
  6. Next, rename your files to replace the currently existing files. Once done, access the editor and load up your game.
    • Please note that the creator name won't be yours upon loading up the level in the beta editor. This can be changed manually in the level selection menu. If your level name is still the original 'untitled', it can be changed without affecting your level's layout.

Adding Covers for Levels, Campaigns and the Steam Workshop[]

Adding covers for Levels and Campaigns uses the same process:

  1. Navigate to \Documents\My Games\HotlineMiami2. If the folder covers doesn't exist, create it in the directory.
  2. Add whatever covers you would like to use in this folder.
    • Please note that level covers need to be 34 pixels x 57 pixels and campaign covers need to be 41 pixels x 65 pixels. Both must be saved in PNG format.

Workshop covers require a more complex process:

  1. Make sure the level/campaign is saved and completed before adding the Workshop cover, saving the level/campaign after the cover is added will replace it with a screenshot of the level.
  2. Close out of the game and navigate to \Documents\My Games\HotlineMiami2\Levels\Single/Campaign\ and find your level/campaign.
  3. Find the screen.png file and replace it with your own cover renamed to screen.png.
    • Make sure the cover has square dimensions(512 pixels x 512 pixels, 256 pixels x 256 pixels, etc.) and make sure the cover isn't more than 1MB. If the cover is more than 1MB, it can corrupt your level entirely and you'll have to remake it.
  4. After the screen.png is replaced with your own cover, go back into the game and immediately publish your level/campaign.

Tips[]

  • Hammer vs Soldiers

    Hammarin fighting various Soldier enemy types.

    When making a level for H.M. Hammarin, if you save, quit the editor and start editing the level again, you'll gain access to Soldier enemies. Knocking over and executing them with anything but the Knife, or killing them with a blunt weapon, will turn them into a black square. If you punch the Soldier Thugs or Dodgers, they'll turn into normal Soldiers.
  • Normally inaccessible player states, like Henchman with a bag of money or Jake with a briefcase, can be used to make "sneak levels", in which the player must move through patrolling enemies unspotted because they cannot attack.
  • The weapon table from Beard's intros can be found in the item section and can be placed inside of a level, which allows the player to change weapons in the middle of the level.
  • Normally, tiles will blend into eachother at certain parts of the floor, making them look uneven. Applying the Soldier camera to the level will fix this.
  • When a Soviet or Gang dodger are punched by the Pig Butcher, they'll turn into the black teen from Midnight Animal.
  • Jake, Biker, Tony and Beard don't flip their sprite after attacking when unarmed or with a melee weapon.
  • Nearly all sprites in the game are reused between characters. Some are less blatant, like Son resuing Jacket's executions from the first game for his own, while other, like Guards being a nearly 1-to-1 recolor of the Police, are easier to spot.
  • Guards will use Colombian legs whenever they hold any firearm. Keep this in mind whenever making a level using both of these factions.

Trivia[]

  • During the beta editor's 3rd update, there was a bug that prevented furniture from being placed rotated; any furniture that appeared rotated once placed in the editor would revert permanently to its original rotation upon the level's next playthrough. This bug stuck around for the 4th update and was soon pruned in a hotfix following said update.
  • H.M. Hammarin is actually a real Swedish musician, and he was added to Hotline Miami 2's level editor for players to mold their own characters out of Hammarin.
  • Several characters were planned to be able to fight more factions, judging from left over sprites and code.
    • Jacket still has sprites for Police weapons on his sprite sheet and is able to use almost all the weapons they have correctly, with the exception of the 9mm, revealing that he was at some point planned to be able to fight the Police in the second game before the concept was scrapped.
    • The Russian Mafia sheet contains unused leaning head bashing animations, revealing that the Pig Butcher was supposed to fight the Mafia (although this might be a remnant from the first game, where the sprites for the Pig Butcher can be found inside the game files).
    • Police and Colombians have some code left over in the game which allows the Fans to execute them without the game glitching out.
    • Colombian Dodgers have sprites and coding for Evan to knock them out. However, the regular Colombian enemies do not respond correctly to being non-lethally taken down.
    • Most of Pardo's melee executions work against the Russian Mafia without glitching out, though his gun executions and stomp execution spawn the default sprite instead.
  • Music mods were made intentionally hard to mod and install so that Dennaton Games wouldn't face any legal issues if modders used copyrighted music. Why weapons.png and other sprite sheets also face this problem is unknown.
  • JakeDallasGlitch

    Jake, with the double barrel glued to his hand.

    The Double Barrel Shotgun from Midnight Animal can be found in the item section and functions as intended with every character that can use the double barrel. However, picking it up with Jake while wearing the Dallas mask breaks the character, leaving him completely defenseless after he uses the two shots.
  • It is unknown why Beard has sprites and coding for him only using a knife. It might be a remnant of an unused concept, to keep consistency, or simply made for fun.
  • Despite being featured on the Misc tab, the Acid is never available to be added to custom levels without modding.
  • Several characters are coded so they don't flip their sprite after a melee/unarmed attack. However, the Son doesn't have such a feature and after an attack, his face scar will jump from his left eye to the right.
  • Some sheets were made earlier in development, when the game was still made in GameMaker. While these look considerably more high quality and more detailed to their peers(The Fans, Pig Butcher, Gang and Tutorial Enemies), they are near impossible to recolor after being converted to the Abstraction engine, which broke their color palletes.
  • If, for any reason, a mask, technique or weapon isn't unlocked, it won't be able to be used in the editor, unless forced. The only option available will be those unlocked by default (Zebra, Jake, Bodyguard and M16/Shotgun).
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