The Abyss is a bonus scene in Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number. In this chapter, the player takes control of Evan Wright investigating a list of addresses on a floppy disk found on a dead 50 Blessings operative, Jake. It is the third and final scene to feature Evan as a playable character.
Unlocking[]
To unlock the level, finish the third floor of Withdrawal without dying. After you are taken by the 50 Blessings Manager, take the floppy disk when he goes to get 'coffee.' This can be done by pressing the action button, but you have to be quick in doing so as the Manager returns rather quickly. After he kills Jake and the scene transitions to Evan in the evidence locker, take the floppy again from the table as Evan to unlock the level and achieve STARE INTO THE ABYSS.
The Abyss[]
Intro[]
Evan Wright, having taken the floppy disk he obtained with Manny Pardo's help (and exiting the evidence locker to a burst of dream static) to a Copy Flash to print its contents, goes to retrieve the documents found on it from the Copy Flash store. The employee hands him a print out of the documents found on the floppy, which turn out to be a list of addresses (...NW 27th Ave... ...NE 101st St...). Before leaving Evan asks the employee for a map of Miami, but is told they don't sell maps and to try a tourist center a block away.
Abandoned Building[]
Evan meeting several hobos wearing 50 Blessings masks by a candle-lit 50 Blessings logo.
Evan arrives at NW 27th Avenue to find the abandoned 50 Blessings headquarters visited by Jake in Withdrawal. Several ruined beds, a water purifier system and a gym are now visible. The building has lead lined walls and a vault door, implying 50 Blessings planned to survive the nuclear war in there. Whether those plans ever panned out is unknown. It is possible this building in particular was abandoned because of the unwanted attention brought onto the organization by Jake.
He goes through the building, littered with 50 Blessings paraphernalia and various graffiti. Evan goes through the bunker until he reaches the back room, which contains several squatting hobos. The hobos are wearing many of the masks from the first game, including Richard, Don Juan and George; a large candle-lit 50 Blessings symbol is painted in the middle of the room. The hobos apparently mistake Evan for a 50 Blessings representative or other official come to kick them out, and he is told to leave or be killed. After exiting the back room, gang members have now occupied all the rooms and Evan must fight his way out to leave.
Music[]
- "Guided Meditation" by Old Future Fox Gang plays in the intro.
- "Abyss" by LipPi Sound plays in two different versions:
- The intro plays when Evan walks into the building and meets the personifications of the masks.
- The main track plays in the main level.
Dialogue[]
[Evidence locker dialogue without floppy taken.]
Pardo: So, did you find anything?
Evan: Well, no... Nothing substantial at least.
Pardo: See, I told you so. So, we're good now, right? No more favors.
Evan: Yeah, yeah... No more favors.
Pardo: I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help, buddy.
Evan: Yeah, me too. *SIGH*
[Evidence locker dialogue with floppy taken]
Evan: Hey, I found this disk... You know what's on it?
Pardo: Lemme see... Hmmm. Oh right, I think there was this list of addresses. A bunch of them were linked to the vigilantes. Meeting places, a couple of locations they targeted.
Evan: Mind if I take it with me?
Pardo: Look, I could get into a lot of trouble if I let you do that.
Evan: If you let me borrow it, we'll call it even, OK? I'll have it back to you by tomorrow, I promise!
Manny Pardo: You better not lose it, you hear?
Evan: Of course not! ... Well, I guess I'll be heading home now. Thanks for letting me have a look around, man.
[Evan exits a taxi and enters a Copy Flash]
Evan: Hi, I'm Evan Wright. I handed in a floppy disk with some documents. Are my printouts ready yet?
Clerk: I've got them right here, sir. Is there anything else I can do for you?
Evan: Nah, I'm fine, thanks!
Printout: "...NW 27th Ave..." "NE 101st St..."
Evan: Excuse me, you wouldn't happen to have any maps of the city?
Clerk: Sorry, sir. I'm afraid we don't sell maps here. There's a tourist center a couple of blocks down the street, though.
Evan: All right. Thanks again!
[in the back room of the bunker]
Rooster Hobo: You're not supposed to be here! We had a deal, didn't we?
Horse Hobo: We stay in here after dark, and you leave us be! Wasn't that what you said?
Evan: I'm not sure I-
Giraffe Hobo: Get the hell out of here, now! This is our place, not yours!
Rooster Hobo: Don't force us to do something we don't want to!
Trivia[]
- The masks scattered on the floor inside and outside of the back room are randomized.
- This is labeled a bonus scene, and is sectioned off from the main campaign with a burst of static.
- The back room strongly resembles the Animal Room sequences in Hotline Miami.
- Similar to the Bar of Broken Heroes, there are many surreal elements to this level (notably the dark brown Void from Midnight Animal, Final Cut, and Caught), but nothing that contradicts game events is hinted at in the dialogue.
- The Broken Bar's address is listed alongside the bunker's in the printout.
- If the Abyss is actually happening, it means that at least one of the potentially multiple fallout shelters 50 Blessings built is pillaged and would have to be refurbished for use.
- An earlier cover for the Abyss, calling it 'Shelter', can be found in the HM2 WAD files. Abyss and its assets are often called 'Shelter' or 'bunker' in the game files and Level Editor.
- The name of the scene is a reference to the Frederich Nietzsche quote from his book Beyond Good and Evil: "He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And if you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you."
- Furthermore "You better not lose it, you hear?" is possibly a double entendre about insanity.
- If the player exits the evidence locker without taking the floppy, then returns and takes the floppy, they can see both conversations with Manny and Evan.
- In the canon, Jake was killed by the Russian and consequently he never took the floppy, meaning this level is part of an alternate non-canon timeline.
- The “50 Blessings logo” the hobos surround is the same color and has the same general design as the one in the Fans hideout.
- Originally Dennaton planned for Evan's actions throughout his scenes (Such as using the answering machine in the intro for Subway and talking with Biker, as well as choosing to continue writing his book in the outro for Release) to affect the dialogue between Evan and the Hobos in a similar vein to the Puzzle of the first game. In a standard playthrough, Evan (much like the final game) is completely confused (much like Biker if the puzzle wasn't solved, and he didn't access the computer in Resolution) ultimately leading to this game ending with a nuclear war. However in an alternative playthrough; Evan would finally realize that 50 Blessings were behind the Masked Maniacs, using them as a pretence to start a nuclear war between the United States and the Soviet Union; allowing 50 Blessings to survive in nuclear bunkers, before later emerging and then "restoring America as the greatest nation" in the aftermath. With this knowledge, Evan would be able to prevent the December 28th Coup D'etat, and by extension the nuclear war - resulting in a happier, alternate ending.
- It's unknown if this alternate ending first required a additional scene to be completed, or just completely changed the outro sequence for Apocalypse.
- Even if this ending wasn't cut, it would not remain the canonical outcome for the series as it depended on Jake surviving Withdrawal (instead of being wounded, captured by Russian Mobsters, then executed in a Spa House, with his corpse shown in Hot & Heavy), meeting with the Manager, then taking the floppy disk before then being shot by said manager.
- This ending was likely removed as it went against the themes and philosophies present in Wrong Number, but also would've enabled the possibility of an actual Hotline Miami 3 game being made (thus making the canonical timeline of Jake's death by Petrov, and the nuclear war non-canon); the decision made to remove this ending was additional insurance by Dennaton to prevent any possibility of a sequel.
- "Don't force us to do something we don't want to!" is a reference to the operatives used by 50 Blessings who were coerced into committing violence against the Russian Mafia by threats of violence against them and their relatives.
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