Hitman 2: Silent Assassin

"It's the Mario of shoot-em-ups"

Hitman 2: Silent Assassin has one thing lacking in many games today - non-linearity. It's what's made the GTA series such a hit, and what makes games like Mario and Zelda such a joy to play. A lot of games these days follow a tight plot, whether good or bad, and this can really restrict gameplay. This is precisely what happened in Metal Gear Solid: Sons of Liberty - not only did the story start to take over from the actual gameplay, but a lot of the game was spent getting from A to B. Hitman 2, on the other hand, manages to blend an interesting story with a great variety of missions, allowing you to tackle each task freely. Assuming the role of clone number 47, who got up to all manner of mischief in the original Hitman: Codename 47, unfolding events cause you to take up your garrote once more and enter the grim world of the hitman. Touring the world, you'll perform all manner of hits in Russia, India, Japan and more, and along the way you'll pick up a wide collection of arms to hang in your shed (true).

It could be said that these hits in themselves aren't that varied. True, many of the missions merely ask of you to get to point X, and whack person Y. It's how you do this that really makes Hitman 2 special: you can, of course, take out your shotgun and massacre everyone in sight - you're bound to get your target sooner or later. Or, and far more satisfyingly, you can sneak past security, garrote someone - complete with horrifying animation - and take their clothes in order to get close to your target and kill him silently. And there are many variations in between, such as sniping your target, or even setting up a car bomb. In a sense, Hitman 2 is the Mario of shoot-em-up's, allowing you to do things your own way. Except without the turtles, of course.

This variety extends into the weaponry on offer. I haven't seen a game with more tools of death-dealing. There are several pistols, shotguns, submachine guns, sniper rifles and even melee weapons on offer. Running around with an axe in a chef's outfit has a certain appeal to it. All the guns have their own uses, and silenced weapons are invaluable if you want to remain undetected. What's really impressive is the ragdoll physics - powerful weapons can really send people flying. It has to be said, though, that there are no discernible death animations to speak of, and shooting someone in the leg will just cause them to crumple on that particular leg. In fact, there aren't many throwaway details in the game - you can't sneak up on people and hear them discussing the weather, for example, and although there is a nice variety of cries and shouts (all in their appropriate language) the locals don't seem to have much character, and are particularly mute in terms of screams. Maybe this is just because I'm used to Halo, but it would be nice to actually have the goons shout in pain when I popped them - the enemies seem happy to die without too much of a fuss.

In fact, the whole audio aspect of Hitman 2 is rather under whelming. The weapons sound satisfying enough - though the silenced guns sound a bit like a squeaky hinge - and the voice acting is good enough, but nothing really immerses you that extra bit. The musical score, while very good, isn't really diverse enough, and it seems that there's one 'climactic' piece that cuts in at appropriate times, and for the rest you have your background music that plays according to the country your supposed to be in.

The visuals are, on the whole, quite good. People are nicely detailed and well formed, and the animations are brilliant. From the casual gait of 47, to the disgustingly realistic garroting of an unsuspecting guard, animations are done with style and realism. Even a little thing like preparing the fibre wire is intricately detailed, with individual finger movements accurately animated. The presentation is somewhat scuppered by 47's ability to 'glide' across the ground - the control scheme of one stick to control the direction of the camera and the other stick to control movement means that if you get the right angle, 47 will float like some possessed effigy. This problem seems to stem from the fundamental mechanics of the control setup, and games like Splinter Cell have shown that a more fluid control system is a possibility with a more separate camera/movement dynamic. Despite these niggles, the graphics are nice and crisp, and don't fall to pieces in the close-up cut scenes. It should also be said that the in-game cut scenes are very well done, and a few more would have been welcome.

There's a fair amount of replayability for those who are perfectionists. At the end of each mission you're given a rating based on your stealth and aggression, themselves comprising of various statistics such as the number of people you butchered, and how many times you were spotted. These ratings range from 'Mass Murderer' to 'Silent Assassin', with 'Silent Assassin' being the best (depending on your style) and unlocking extra weapons such as the extremely useful silenced hard ballers. Although there aren't that many extra weapons to unlock, you'll likely want to retread old ground just to improve your overall rating, as well as to enjoy the levels again - you may even get the added bonus of achieving an elusive rating such as 'Ice Man' depending on your style.

Hitman 2, whether you're into shooting stuff or dressing up as a waiter and stabbing people in their backs, is a highly original title that has an unparalleled level of non-linearity and a wealth of playing options. All that holds it back from being a true classic is that extra ingenuity that, while not greatly missed, would have elevated the title from very good to brilliant. Rent it, and then decide - it won't disappoint.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 04/22/03, Updated 04/22/03