Hitman 2: Silent Assassin

"A little too much stealth for my taste but a really great game none the less."

Let me start off by saying that I’ve never really been a big fan of stealth games. I find it more fun to just plow my way through enemies leaving a trail of blood and limbs behind me. Hitman 2: Silent Assassin has changed my view on the whole stealth genre. I’d still rather be mowing down my enemies head on, but I find Hitman 2 a nice way to get away from all the carnage, or at least all the fast-paced carnage.

Gameplay - 10
The story is rather simple but complex at the same time. Your name is 47, just 47 and you were a top assassin until you retired. You plan on spending the rest of your days as a groundskeeper at a church (isn’t that ironic). But, things don’t always work out as planned. Your friend and mentor, the good minister, has been kidnapped. Outraged, 47 decides once again to pick up his dual ballers (his weapon of choice) and seek those that kidnapped him. Returning to his former life, he now relies on his old agency for help and information. Of course, they’re not willing to give it for free, thus the game begins. In return for they’re services, 47 must first perform a few tasks.

If you enter Hitman 2 thinking that you can just plow your way through enemies like I did, you’ll find yourself failing missions or even dying often as I did. I found out the hard way why they put “silent assassin” in the title, silent implying stealth.

For those of you out there turning away from this game for the simple reason that it is entirely in the third person view (like I was), let me put your mind at easy, you can switch to first person mode in this game. The controls are the standard Xbox first person controls. Use the left analog stick to move, the right analog to look and the right shoulder button to fire. Of course there is simply more to it then that but let me tell you the controls are simple to grasp with only minor confusion (just remember, in game “B” drops a weapon, not cancels out of a menu).

Graphics - 10
Pure beauty, this is realism achieved. The texture, the environments, everything in this game is just so amazingly detailed right down to the reload animation. The characters are equally as nicely detailed and authentic looking. The overall realism in this game is simply overwhelming. The game also features one thing that other games miss, switch to first person mode and you can actually see your feet, how’s that for realism.

The cut screens are as gorgeous as the in game graphics (usually it’s the other way around, but I find this fitting).

One particular thing I love about this game is the physics. They’re accurate but still flexible enough to please. For example, when you blow someone away with the shotgun (*grins*), the body doesn’t fly backward like you’d expect it to. Instead, the body might jerk backward, hit a wall and just lay there with his legs propped up against the wall. Trust me, it can get quite hilarious.

Also the blood in this game is more realistic then most games. It’s hard to describe, just something you have to experience for yourself.

The guards in this game are superbly done. They’re smart, but not too smart. Also, I love how they’re awareness of you differs on the uniform or weapon you tote. For instance, if you change into a general’s uniform, the guards will be less suspicious of you. Of course the double ballers are a dead giveaway.

Sound - 10
The voice acting comes across nice and clear and reeks of authenticity. I mean, who wants a Spanish padre sounding French? How silly would that be? The voice acting is right dead on with the characters they go with.

The music, unlike the voice acting is virtually missing, which is to be expected of a game involving this level of stealth. There is some music at times, but hardly noticeable, it just fits that well into its environment.

Also, the guards are very authentic. I mean, I’ve never been involved on any covert operation, but this is pretty much how I’d expect the guards to act. Saying stuff from the typical “hey you” to the “AHHHH!!” as you mercilessly riddle their body with bullet holes.

Replay - 9
Hitman 2 is definitely addictive, but I find that some missions are very much more frustrating then others. Retrying the mission time after time does get annoying. But if you find yourself stumped, just relax and explore the level (don’t worry about objectives but keep a watch out for the guards). Or, if you get really frustrated, I also find it helpful to just go on a mass killing rampage, this accomplishes nothing but at least it’s a nice break from all the sneaking around in this game.

At the end of the mission, the screen displays a summary of how you did. This presents stats such as the number of shots fired, head shots, innocents killed, guards killed but the one thing you might want to keep an eye on is your level of stealth. If you achieve the “Silent Assassin” rank one time, you’ll get a special treat. You’re presented with another treat once you obtain this rank a second time and a fifth time.

Closing Comments
Hitman 2 is a great game that deserves at least a rent. But, for those of you looking forward to an alternative to the PS2’s Grand Theft Auto 3 or Vice City, you may find yourself disappointed. Hitman 2 isn’t the same kind of straight forward shot-em-up, do anything game like the mentioned GTA games.

Overall – 9

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 11/24/02, Updated 11/24/02