Hitman 2: Silent Assassin (Xbox Classics)

What limits the game's potential though is the continual stream of frustrations. The enemy's artificial intelligence, for instance, is sometimes very sadly lacking, and there are occasions when the pace drops to snail-like speed, without always generating sufficient tension to carry the player through. That said, when it hits top gear Hitman 2 can be tense, atmospheric and enjoyable. Graphically it's very polished, and those who enjoy games that reward solid thinking more than an itchy trigger finger will certainly find something to enjoy. But while undoubtedly a step forward from its predecessor, it's an ambitious game that still falls short of what could have been. Put simply, it's good, it's challenging, but it still leaves quite a lot of room for improvement. --Jon Foster

Hitman 2 revolves around a clone who works in the profession of "cleaning" but, after the bloodbath of the original game, Hitman: Codename 47, our hero, 47, is now religious and lives alone in a church with a priest in Sicily. Wanting to lure him from his lair to show off his skills, a Russian crime lord hires a group of Sicilians to kidnap the priest. This takes you into the first level of the game, "Anathema", a powerful opening level as you stalk around the mansion of the Mafia boss and murder him. The priest already having been taken by Russians, 47 has to cut a deal with his old agency that if they give him information on the priest, he will continue to assassinate important people, including army officers, members of the Yakuza - just to whet your tastebuds. To do this, you'll need a great deal of cunning as you sneak through each level, disguising yourself as certain people to get closer to your target. The game will take you from St. Petersburg, murdering corrupt ex-KGB officers, to locations such as India, Malaysia and Japan.

Each mission is unique and the way you complete it is entirely your choice, whether you strive to get a high rating by being as stealthy as possible or whip out your dual baller pistols and blast away everyone in sight. Both ways are fun, though the former is more satisfying. The arsenal of weapons are superb, ranging from shotguns, silenced pistols, assault rifles and a fibre garrotte. They'll always be variation and the guns are impossible to get bored of. The levels have so much replay level as you can find different ways of completing them or playing them again to get a higher rating and unlock a reward. You'll be playing Hitman 2 for months.

Just as an example of how cool this game is, you should have an idea of what the levels are like. In St. Petersburg, there's one particular level on the Kirov islands where you have to place carbombs in the limos of a Mafia boss and an ex-KGB officer. It's simply beautiful to watch the plan fall together. Following this level, there's another in St. Petersburg at a party where you mix in with the guests and try to assassinate another ex-KGB officer and try to get to his briefcase before a Spetznaz agent does, which calls for a little trap. In another brilliant level, set in Malaysia, there's a different approach. You have to dress up as a pizza boy and go down to a basement to kill a fat computer guy. Then you'll find yourself killing his naked brother in a jacuzzi with some girls. There's an idea of how varied this game is.

The physics of the game are awfully satisfying. Shoot a guy and his blood will splash onto the wall and he will slump lifelessly with perfect ragdoll physics into a pool of expanding blood. This isn't a game to show your parents but all the same, it's damned good fun and you should feel a feeling of refreshment afterwards, seeing as you've used your brain to complete a mission - by the way, it's possible now to save in levels, unlike the first game.

Another great feature of Hitman 2 is the soundtrack, composed by Jasper Keyd. Some tracks are powerful, others are creepy. There's great music in this game.

The Hitman series are my favorite games for their sheer originality and awesome gameplay. Please - buy this.


A Silent But Deadly Hit   December 23, 2003
Scarlettspiderg (Salford, UK)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

Hitman 2 is one of those games that may go unnoticed when players list their top games. Its gameplay is a that of a FPS mixed with the 3rd person perspective of Max Payne or to some extent Tomb Raider. Its graphics arent ground breaking but still look amazing and the control system works perfect.

The game even has a story (you play Hitman codenamed "47" and are lured back into the deceptive and dark underworld of crime) and theres something about being on the wrong side of the law that appeals to most gamers.

Theres a lot of weapons to choose; from handguns, semi-automatics and shotguns to sniper rifles, knifes, swords, crossbows and even golf sticks!!

And these add to the enjoyment and variety in the game (should I snipe the guard or get up close?). You can even swap clothing mid-level just to throw the enemy off. There are quie a few ways to beat a level and this adds to the lastability of the game, it should keep most gamers happy for a while.


Hitman 2   December 14, 2003
2 out of 3 found this review helpful

This game was made to be a stealth game and after Splinter Cell I wanted another. This isn't one. A stealth game is when you can't set off alarms, can't run and not be heard, can't just run into a place and shoot everyone.

Having said that the game is a great game. It is fun. That is all you can describe it as. The storyline is poor to say the least and the graphics dont compare to the top games. The weapons are great, there is a wide range for each level except for one somewhat boring and pointless level. You have no weapon, nowhere to hide and if anyone sees you, you're doomed. It is luck if you make it or not and your best bet is to run as fast as you can through the city and hope that no one sees you. The other levels are cool though. Even before you start each level you can practise your aim.

5 stars for gameplay but that one level knocks a star off. You might never complete it.


Stylish & Cerebral   December 6, 2003
2 out of 2 found this review helpful

This is the sequel to the computer game a few years back. But before I go on, I feel that I should point out that this is a very mature game. It has violent and disturbing content in large amounts. But its also incredibly fun.
The game starts you off a while after the events of the first game. 47 has now "retired", and wishes to live his life in a Sicilian monastery, peacefully. But as you can guess, this is shattered when his past catches up with him, (tending tomatoes doesn't make for a very exciting game), and once again he must enter a dark world of violence, to save his friend Padre Vittorio. But who gives a damn? On with the game.
After a very brief tutorial, which also shows Vittorio’s kidnapping, the player is thrust head first into the game. The controls are very easy to master, and for the inverted gamer (like myself) it’s easy to tweak them to fit your needs.
Graphically & sonically, this game is superb. They are so good that you are sucked right into the game, and the game’s classical score composed specifically for the game is also very good. The only things that detracts from the game’s realism is the fact that corpses tend to react somewhat vigorously to being shot (I’m talking flying about 10m backwards when hit with a pair of pistols!) This is the factor that makes this a 4 & not 5 star game.
Speaking of weapons, there is an absolutely huge range to choose from, ranging from crossbows to silenced MP5’s to scalpels to sawn-off shotguns to tranquillisers. They all looks great and are great fun to use; they’re all different guns, and not just a load of polygons with different sounds. And oh yes, the Hitman’s trademark Ballers are back two, along with his garrotte.
47 looks great too. The animations are brilliant, and some lovely graphics, like his red tie swinging in the breeze and the way he walks add some really effective sinister touches.
In terms of replay, it has to be one of the games strongest points. There are so many ways that a level can be completed, from killing a servant, taking his clothes and then serving your target a poisoned glass of champagne to going in, and massacring everyone in your way. After every level, you are rated on aggression and stealth, and given a title, from “mass murderer” to ”silent assassin”- the highest rating (try to get this rating at least once- it unlocks the silenced Ballers, which are fantastic.
In summing up, this is a terrifically gritty, violent, disturbing and entertaining game, ruined only by those bloody flying bodies…


Awesome   November 26, 2003
2 out of 2 found this review helpful

What I really like about this game is that you can play it so many ways. You can go in guns blazing or take the stealth approach. You're perfomance is rated after each mission so you have an incentive to replay a mission again to see if you can improve. The only downfall is that at times the soldiers seem unrealistic in their actions, some would just stand around even though you've just killed a soldier standing next to them. I'd recommend splinter cell if you're looking for good AI, but apart from that, the game is really enjoyable and addictive too!