[Introduction]
IO Interactive's "Hitman: Codename 47" once gave us a unique and wonderful feeling. In the game, you play as an unnamed assassin who can use 31 different weapons. He is assigned to eliminate corrupt officials, and on his way of lying in wait, there are more souls that fall under his bullets. Although the game was excellent, it still had some issues (which might be serious): clumsy controls, questionable artificial intelligence of enemies, and other various problems almost occurred in every mission. Thanks to the developers at IO for not ignoring these shortcomings. When designing the sequel to "Hitman", they prioritized correcting the defects from the previous work. "Hitman 2" is almost complete, and we recently had the chance to play the latest version of the game. Referring to the list of issues about the previous work at hand, we began to check whether IO Interactive has truly resolved those issues from the previous game.
The story in "Hitman 2" takes place several years after the events of "Hitman: Codename 47". The character you play as has given up his old job and becomes an ordinary gardener at a monastery in Sicily. The hitman confesses his past sins to the priest in the monastery every day, and gradually begins to adapt to this peaceful life—until one day, this tranquil life is disrupted because the priest is kidnapped by the Italian Mafia. The hitman decides to rescue his friend, so he resumes his former identity. His first mission is to infiltrate the home of the local gang leader to rescue the kidnapped priest. Diana, the hitman's contact from the previous game, will also appear in "Hitman 2". Although different actions during missions will produce different results, Diana will still introduce the brief situation of each level before starting each mission. Since you have received the mission briefing, you can view the map of the current level after entering the game. The map will display the location of your target, potential danger points, and retreat areas, so you won't enter the enemy's territory without knowing anything.
Before taking action, you must first purchase the required weapons. In "Hitman 2", you can choose the items you need before each mission starts. In addition, there are many supply points in each level where you can obtain additional ammunition provided by your agent. Your arsenal includes all the weapons from the previous "Hitman" game and 10 new weapons. Of course, the iconic weapon of the hitman, the Hardballer .45, will also appear, and now you can attach a silencer to it. Moreover, when the hitman holds it, it has the style found only in John Woo movies. If you want more powerful weapons, you can choose from MP5 SD6, MP5A4, Beretta M92F (optional silencer), Colt Python, Desert Eagle, PSM 5.45mm, Ruger .22, AKS-74U, M4A1, Uzi, SPAS-12, M60, Barrett M95 .50cal, and Dragunov SDV. If you want to act secretly, garrotes, combat knives, crossbows, sedatives, and axes are all essential weapons.
After entering the game, the first thing we noticed was the slightly modified interface of "Hitman 2" and the new alert meter at the top left corner of the screen. The alert meter is somewhat similar to the exposure meter in "Thief". If you haven't been discovered by the enemy, this rectangular meter will remain empty. However, if others start to notice your actions, it will gradually fill up. If you make suspicious moves in front of the enemy, the alert meter will turn red, and the situation around you will become like being in hell. Clearly, this new feature effectively solves the AI problem from the previous game. Many players who played the previous game should remember a mission in Hong Kong, where the pale-faced character you played could easily infiltrate the enemy base just by wearing the clothes of a thug. This situation will no longer occur in this game; the enemy's artificial intelligence in "Hitman 2" will be far more complex than in the previous game. Meanwhile, the new alert meter will help you accurately understand how interested others are in your actions.
Unveiling the final ending
In "Hitman 2", if only villains had the advantage, it would seem somewhat unfair. Fortunately, every level in the game provides you with multiple different paths to accomplish your mission. The lack of replay value was also an issue that plagued the previous game, but in "Hitman 2", the branch route system completely resolves this problem, and we clearly felt it during our gameplay test. For example, there is a mission that requires us to rush into a hospital in India to assassinate the target undergoing heart transplant surgery. Of course, entering through the front door with firepower is a more direct method to complete this task, but doing so may cause some problems because the character you play as has developed a certain sense of justice. If innocent people are mistakenly killed, the game will end quickly. Other ways to solve this mission can be reasonable (disguising as a doctor, directly entering the operating room and killing your target) or unconventional (finding the frozen heart for transplantation, then substituting it with a heart-shaped bomb - apparently, nothing cures heart disease better than this).
In subsequent missions, you need to find a way to enter the home of the gang boss. Although entering from the roof is simpler, it is still quite challenging. Triggering the fire alarm and then dressing up as a firefighter to enter the building is a safer method. Alternatively, you can disguise as a pizza delivery boy. If you're brave enough, you can mix your weapons with the hangers in the laundry shop and walk in through the front door confidently. Despite the lack of multiplayer functionality in "Hitman 2", the different methods to solve problems in single-player missions greatly extend the game's longevity.
Otherwise...
The open nature of "Hitman 2" means you can play according to your own personality. Players who prefer direct approaches and those who carefully plan every step can both enjoy the same fun. There is also an option to play in first-person mode, which makes some parts of the game that require strict actions easier to pass. "Hitman 2" is essentially still a third-person perspective game. In the version we tested, the designers at IO have made significant improvements to the controls. The camera behind the character will no longer lag—moving the mouse to the left will make the lens respond quickly according to your input and closely follow your movements. Because the development team is simultaneously working on the PlayStation 2 version of the game, IO Interactive simplified the control scheme to easily meet the requirements of the Dual Shock controller on PS2 and the keyboard and mouse setup on PC—it seems that complicated operation settings are no longer needed in "Hitman 2".
The hitman in "Hitman 2" also has the ability to move while sniping and hide in corners to observe the surroundings. The game also includes a save-anytime function—a feature strongly requested for improvement by fans of the previous game—and background music performed by the Hungarian Symphony Orchestra in opera style. Overall, "Hitman 2" clearly carries the shadow of its predecessor. The developers carefully listened to opinions about the previous work, and the final improvement results will certainly satisfy fans of "Hitman: Codename 47". "Hitman 2: Silent Assassin" is planned to be released at the end of March, but the publishing company Eidos claims that to resolve the last few annoying bugs in the game, the release time might be delayed. To learn more about "Hitman 2", you can check out our newly released game screenshots and animations.