Hitman 2: Silent Assassin

"Its time to don "That" suit."

Hitman was a hit (no pun intended) on PC featuring a new twist on the 1st person shooter. Requiring a more stealthy approach to the game play Hitman was a welcome change to the formula. Now IO Interactive brings us the next installment in the series on PS2, Xbox and PC.

You basically assume the role of 47, a cloned agent designed for killing prime targets with style. If you haven’t played the original Hitman then these details are a bit sketchy but hey ,that doesn’t matter. You see the
thing is, 47 has now retired but without giving anything away here, you are mysteriously called back into service to do what you do best. Killing.
Your objectives in this game are to basically eliminate a target using a wide array of styles and paths to achieve your goal. For example ,the 1st mission sees you having to eliminate a mob boss in his heavily guarded mansion in Sicily. When you begin this mission you are presented with various ways to gain entry to the mansion your 1st hurdle. As the title suggests the aim is to remain silent, so you can work your way around a la Solid Snake or mow every enemy down who gets in your way. Being stealthy has its advantages as you are able to don your victims clothes, in this case posing as a security guard will allow you access to the inside of the mansion. However in disguise you must behave correctly and not draw any attention to yourself as
you head for your target unnoticed. Also you must cover your tracks by hiding the body of whoever you took the clothes from as guards will find a naked dead body and raise the alarm that there is an imposter loose, making your disguise less effective. Wandering around the various levels in disguise really adds some tension to the game as you pray that your cover isn’t blown. Great.! Once you have
gained access to your target then it is rather a simple case of filling him/her with lead or remaining stealthy and sneaking up and strangling your victim to death This game though is more about the getting to and then escaping from your intended hits with the least amount of fuss.
Hitman 2 looks rather nice too, with plenty of interactive items and some stunning locations set in Sicily, Russia, India to name a few.each mission having pretty much the same goal but like I said its the execution and the problems that you overcome that are the main game play points here. All enemies correspond with the location that
they are from so in Russia you will find Russian soldiers patrolling the streets. Whereas in India you will find turban wearing guards.
Controlling 47 is also easy and instinctive with a one button menu system which allows for multiple commands. Camera control is also good, allowing you to switch between 1st / 3rd person viewpoints and 360 degree views around you (useful for looking around you whilst lock picking a door for example).
Hitman also features a wide variety of weapons to use ranging from sniper rifles, handguns etc to knives, poison and fibre wire. The use of these tools is entirely up to the individual style of the player, giving you scope on which tool is best for a certain job.
When booting up Hitman you are presented with an impressive classical score which remains ambient and tense throughout the game This is performed by the Budapest symphonic orchestra of all people and adds to the atmosphere nicely. Gunshots and ambient sounds are all authentic adding to the sense of really “being there”.

Hitman is an extremely involving game, depending on your style of play.The onus here is definitely on stealth but also allows the player to go berserker with the big guns, cool. Although the latter makes for a much tougher game especially on the harder difficulties Completing the missions is no walk in the park either as a crucial error can result in all Hell braking loose and a loss of any stealth, followed by a quick death . However you are able to save mid mission which is handy but I think that's cheating and takes away some of the tension . The sheer amount of ways you can complete the missions adds a lot of
replay value alongside the individual style of the player. If you are looking for a mindless 1st person shooter then Hitman 2 may disappoint you . If you are after something with a little more substance then I say Hitman 2 is for you .I have thoroughly enjoyed playing this game and you will to . Get it now and get killing . Enjoy.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 06/11/03, Updated 06/11/03