Hitman 2: Silent Assassin

"Hitman 2 is simply a spectacular game."

I have always been a fan of games like Hitman 2, and I enjoyed the game before it, Hitman: Codename 47, very much until I got to the jungle levels, where I put the game down in boredom.

I doubt I will be putting Hitman 2 down anytime soon, however. The developers seem to have figured out where the fun in Hitman 1 really was, and intensified it into what is now this game. (Note: Hitman 1 was never released for the XBox, only the PC).

There is a large difference between the demo of Hitman 2 I played on my computer and the one I picked up for the Xbox. The Xbox version sports better graphics, a smoother framerate, and is more stable than my medium-high end PC. These three reasons alone, and the fact that with some minor tweaking done in the options screen to lower turning sensitivity the controls become very easy to learn and use, is reason enough to purchase this game for the Xbox and not the PC.

The gameplay has been greatly enhanced, and much like the first missions for the original, there is more than one or two ways to go about completing any mission. The game begins with a short tutorial that makes sure you know how to do everything before attempting your first hit. The missions themselves are excellent, and the feeling of a hit done picture-perfect gives you a feeling simply not found in other games.

An impressive arsenal of weapons ensures that your assassinations will be done in style. Everything from a kitchen knife and fiber wire to car bombs and assault rifles can be used to complete a mission. If you find a weapon during a mission, and complete that mission with the weapon in your inventory, the weapon appears in your ''tool shed'' to be used in any missions thereafter. The option to go back and repeat any mission done before is an excellent idea, as well. You will have reason to do the missions again, anyway: figuring out how to do the perfect mission is a challenge, and after each mission you are given a score and a ranking based on your stealth (good) and your aggression (bad). A rating of ''Silent Assassin'' can unlock secret weapons to fill up that tool shed, which some players may want to do.

The music and sound in Hitman 2 are done very well, with a wonderful musical score that fits right in with the theme. Also, in Hitman, the Italians speak Italian to you, and the Russians speak to you in Russian. Subtitles and hand motions allow you to understand, and it is a nice touch.

I must say, all in all, Hitman 2 is a ''thinking man's shooter'' done shockingly well, and it's length and replay value make it worth the money. The process of searching a map, scouting an area, discovering the perfect way to go about your business (there is always more than 3 good ways to complete any mission, I've heard)... leading to the exhilaration of a hit done well: there is simply no comparing this game to others, in my opinion. As biased as I am, being in love with the concept of silent, efficent killing in games rather than the upfront, explosion-filled gorefests that are most other shooters (don't get me wrong, I like those too sometimes)... I simply cannot see how someone could go wrong with buying Hitman 2: Silent Assassin.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 10/05/02, Updated 10/05/02