I hope the rest of the gaming world is paying attention to what Hitman 2: Silent Assassin has accomplished. Everything that’s right with this game boils down to this: You make your own choices. This not only applies to gameplay but also the story. Assume the role of #47, a genetically engineered uh....well, hitman. Have a look at the cover of the game, you’ll see 47 is not someone you’d steal lunch money from. His bald head, Bond-esqe suit and dual pistols pretty much give you the right idea. As 47, you journey around the world fulfilling various contracts on the lives of heads of state and military as well as a few crime bosses here and there. While this plot might sound a little static, it’s nothing but. The beauty of Hitman 2 is that the game allows you to approach these missions however you want.
Generally, the game tries to nudge you towards using stealth. It gives you the ability to knock out (chloroform!!) ANY character and take their clothing. And what is becoming the standard in most “stealth” games, Hitman 2 has a system of alarm for each enemy character that may or may not spot you, forcing you to make use of those disguises and taking care how close you get to guards and who sees you. If this isn’t your style, feel free to run in, guns fucking blazing. That’s fine too. After completing each level, the player is evaluated on several criteria including bullets fired, people killed, the amount of stealth used and the amount of agression. While I found sneaking around and silently killing my targets fun, sometimes you just want to go psycho and kill everyone. I believe I was officially ranked a “Psychopath” in a few levels. I’ve never been as comforted and creeped out at the same time.
A variety of weapons awaits you in Hitman 2 from the dual pistols to various shotguns, sniper rifles, a fucking crossbow and my favorite the fiber wire. Yes, fiber wire. You know, that REALLY thin wire that strangles the victim while it slices their throat? Yeah that one. As you use this weapon, the controller actually vibrates slower and slower as the person you just killed enters their death throes. Aw-fucking-some.
If you in any way enjoy violent games (if you don’t why the fuck did you click something that said “Hitman”?), this is absolutely the game for you. It’ll take you a damn while to get through as the difficulty isn’t exactly the most forgiving thing in the world, but it’s worth it.
