The Hitman series of games has long been a shining example of emergent but still scripted gaming which until recently was quite exclusive to the PC world of gaming. Released in 2018 by IO Interactive, Hitman 2 (quite unsurprisingly) continues the plot from where the last of the new Hitman games left off.

Like it's predecessor (and unlike the original games), Hitman 2 continues the new model of episodic chapters to forward and develop it's plot.... and a healthy dose of multiplayer and leaderboard tracking (in the form of Contracts and other user-generated content), which adds a vastly different dimension to the formerly single-player focused gameplay.

The Setting

The player avatar is Agent 47, who is sent around the world eliminating high profile targets under the aegis of ICA (International Contract Agency) working in close collaboration with his handler, Diana. From an early age, Agent 47 was identified as a skilled assassin with no recall of his past and his skills were honed by the training of the ICA.

Obviously, his work involved taking contracts as dictated to him by his employers, but the game allows for a bit of discretion as to how these hits would be carried out. In some of the previous games, events involving the employer powers would trap Agent 47 and Diana into playing the parts of pawns in a larger power struggle with unintended consequences for the star assassin/handler team.

In what was quite a nice touch for the beginning of the game, the tutorial was set in the actual training of Agent 47. A scripted training mission given by ICA in a dummy training arena.. which was quite hilariously mocked up in many places! Still, a nice and amusing take on the training/tutorial that is required by all games!

... with the same objectives that you would require to accomplish in the "real-life" missions.

The Game

Hitman 2 superficially looks like any other 3rd person over the shoulder shooter.... and it is definitely possible to run and gun the every level and just smash your way in, kill the targets and then smash your way out again. Of course, you will be heavily outgunned and the game engine really isn't optimised for that type of gameplay. Plus, you will definitely be missing out on the fun and point of the Hitman series!

The ICA metagame (logistics and mission ratings...) heavily emphasises the silent and deniable killing of your targets. This means that you will roam around the large level arenas, learning the guard and target routines... tactically taking out enemies and civilians to gain their disguises and thus their access to restricted areas, slowly escalating and laterally moving through the level whilst remaining undetected... slowly setting up a lethal trap, which when triggered results in a satisfying completion of the puzzle... with a quick and hasty exit for the extraction point whilst chaos reigns!

The above sequence of events is an example of such a takedown.... encouraging a defector scientist to board the extraction plane and then triggering the ejection seat sending the hapless target through the roof and out into the night sky! Much more satisfying than ramming the gate and gunning everyone down! This lethal trap was the crowning end of subtle takedowns and slowly gathering the information and intelligence required to get the scientist into the right position for the unscheduled flight!

In true Hitman style, this wasn't the only possible way to neutralise the scientist...

This is the true beauty of the Hitman games... the beginning of the level, when you arrive at the scene with only the target and some loose intelligence that you might have purchased before deployment. Armed with your wits, a coin and a garroting wire you take in the sight of the fortress before you... it is a puzzle, waiting to be cracked open... there is nothing more satisfying than lining up all the pieces and having your plan fall into place in a successful execution!

At times, just like it's close cousin Deus Ex, it can be just easier to game the "game" and take out each civilian and guard one by one until there is only the target left in the vicinity (both games are amusing body stacking simulators!). At these times, it is definitely cheesing the game in a bad way... and you pay for it by missing out on some fun cut-scenes and hollow feeling of a mechanic being abused.

If I had one complaint, it would be that there was such a heavy emphasis on "achievements" which were gained by having certain in-level conditions being met (which included the manner of the final takedown). I guess this was done to increase the probably of level replay... but I really quite disliked this aspect of the game, as I found it to be a bit of a immersion breaking mechanic which incentivised the player playing the game... rather than playing the story.

Visuals, Sound and Performance

Even though there was some consideration required for the bottom feeders of the gaming world (aka. consoles gamers!, the game still looks pretty nice when the graphics options are bumped up on the PC. Crowds are crowded and properly populated with believable numbers of people, and it is a real pleasure to navigate the fairly expansive levels looking for chinks in the otherwise impenetrable layers of security that surround the targets.

There is something quite pleasing and voyeuristic about observing a target whilst in disguise in close proximity, trying to figure out a way to get to them. The sound design is okay, nothing spectacular, but more than adequate. This isn't a game where the sound will help you with your situational awareness... however, it does lend itself to creating the atmosphere of the level. For instance, in this above shot... it is a replication of a high class party, complete with a noisy crowd, a loud band... and a fashion catwalk!

Performance of this now two year old game was no problem for a decently powered PC. My review hardware is decent, but decidedly average as far as gaming components are concerned.... however, it had no trouble rendering the game with no hitches at a decent level of detail, keep in mind, our gaming PCs tend to be more powerful than most consoles!

Conclusion

All in all, Hitman 2 was quite an enjoyable romp in the body of Agent 47 again... and the larger story narrative is still quite enjoyable to follow. However, I did find that I disliked the episodic release of the game... I would have preferred a single release date, and in the end... that was how I ended up buying it, as a single packaged release when all the episodes were finally released.

I'm still not convinced about the multiplayer/leader-board and user generated content that has been added to the otherwise satisfying single-player game. I see that this sort of thing is a bit of a trend in games... but it is really something that I can do without. I play games for their single player aspect, and I don't feel the need to showcase that satisfaction on a leaderboard. In many ways, the leaderboard does make a comparison metric out of things that make Hitman a chore to play...

The real beauty in Hitman games is the slow scoping of the level and interactions... slowly laying the pieces into place before springing that final lethal trap. This sort of thing is not the sort of thing that is quantified on leader-boards... but more like a marvelous appreciation of a clockwork puzzle!

Review Hardware

Played at 1080p (144Hz) on:

Intel BX80662I76700 Core i7-6700 Prozessor (3,4GHz)
6GB EVGA GeForce GTX 1060 SC GAMING
GIGABYTE Z170N-WIFI
Ballistix Sport LT 16GB DDR4
Samsung 960 EVO M.2 512GB
S4 Mini Case (NFC Systems)

Splinterlands (aka the best blockchain game out there!)

Humble Bundle

Have you heard of Humble Bundle? It's a place to get some really great deals on Games, e-books and comic bundles. However, if you sign up for a Humble Bundle Subscription (12 USD per month) you get some really nice bonuses!

1. A 100+ USD bundle of games delivered direct to you each month, redeemable on Steam, Uplay or direct download (depending on the game). This includes recent Triple A games!
2. Access to the Humble Bundle "Trove", a list of 60 games (and growing...) which are free to play as long as you remain a subscriber!
3. Additional Discounts on the Humble Bundle store, with the choice of supporting charities, Humble Bundle or developers in whatever percentage that you wish!

Humble Bundle Subscriptions, it's a no brainer for the dedicated gamer!