Hitman 2: Silent Assassin (PC)

Well, this game is probably about as close to being a real hitman as possible. And not just any hitman: you're 47. You're a genetically enhanced man, made for only one purpose: to be the ultimate killing machine.

And so the story starts - you're now a gardener in a monastery, having given up the life as a hitman after what happened in the first game. And then suddenly a friend of yours (a priest living with you in the monastery) gets kidnapped and you're forced to become the illustrious hitman 47 again.

So now we get to the actual game.
For each mission you get to pick weapons with you. You collect more weapons as you pick them up during missions. Want an AK47? Pick one up. Want a golf club? Pick one up. The trick here is that you can only carry two big weapons - so no AK47 and a crossbow for example. But picking weapons IS very important! Be careful which ones you chose.

What makes Hitman2 so different from other stealth based games like Thief and No One Lives Forever is the ability to plan before you enter a mission. You'll get detailed information about the compound you're about to enter - doors, sewer entrances, guard patrols, etc. Everything is marked on the map. It's imperative that you study these well and try and find a way to complete the mission. While impatient players will manage to finish the first missions without using the documentation, later missions may become a lot harder. So try and be patient - as Hannibal used to say: "I love it when a plan comes together" and you will, if you pull it off.

The missions themselves are pretty varied - and they all requires a certain sense of cunning and tactics. Example: can't get inside without getting detected ? Why not mug the postman, delivering flowers ? Take off his clothes and put them on and enter the premises in disguise. Disguises work with many people - killing a guard and carrying his clothes will stop other guards from attacking you on sight. Just don't let them get too close or they will see through your disguise!

The original Hitman suffered from many problems - the most important being the "hit and miss" way of playing. You never knew what would happen and you often had to replay a map dozens of times before you got to get the hang of the routine. Luckily Hitman2 doesn't make the same mistake. For one, it is now possible to save (although the amount of saves if limited) and the detailed documentation makes it easier to plan missions which all gives you more control over the game.

So what about the graphics ? Well, Hitman 2 uses the same graphics engine as the original Hitman, but it has been seriously upgraded. The animations and textures are a lot more accurate and detailed and polycount has gone up too. And best of all: this will run fine on almost ANY PC - even at high detail.

Of course, there are a few things that Hitman 2 could have done better:

For one, it takes a whole lot of time to figure out how the game works. When do guards attack you ? How far can they see ? How come they detected a guard I killed when no-one ever enters the room I put him in ? This can be frustrating until you finally figure it out. But the first steps are always the hardest so, hang in there and you'll love the result.

Another problem is dropped objects. Some character drop mission related objects. Car keys needed to escape in the car for example. The mission objectives don't always mention who carries important objects and when you kill them (the objects are dropped on the floor), you don't often see them so it's very easy to get seriously stuck. A walkthrough can be very useful then.

All in all this is a very entertaining game though. If you like to plan ahead and efficient, then Hitman 2 is definitely for you. People who like to drop amidst the action and mayhem without planning may have a bit more trouble to keep up but, if you don't mind retrying, Hitman 2 should even appeal to them.

The graphics are good but the real satisfaction lies in the execution of the mission. It is possible to charge through the level like a bull in a china shop and complete it earning the title of "Mass-murderer". There is some, short term, satisfaction in that but you will really feel like you have accomplished something if you kill your target without laying eyes on him. It is very possible to do this in many missions and earn the coveted rank of "Silent Assassin". It is a short game and not very challenging to experienced gamers but it is a change from the normal and a good change at that. A variety of weapons (from hand-to-hand and pistols to long range custom made sniper rifles) looks good to someone on the outside but once you are in the game - unless you want a rank of mass murderer - you will find yourself sticking to silenced weapons. Whilst each mission is practically the same (infiltrate, eliminate, exfiltrate) the scenery does change and this breaks the game up so you don't feel like you are repeating anything at all.