This review is an unedited version of the review written by Zombie Dredd and published in the Tech Magazine: Issue 68 April 2019.
The enigmatic, bald-headed and psychopathic Agent 47 is back (again). Hitman 2 is the sequel to the 2016 series reboot, and is both familiar and fixed. Not that there was much to fix from the game, but thankfully the episodic element has been removed for the latest iteration.
This time around, all the missions are available to you from the beginning and can be played in any order you prefer. I would suggest (and the game will too) still sticking to the campaign to fully enjoy the story. Although, the story is not the game’s strongpoint.
That honour goes to the game’s stealth and assassination opportunities, as well as its pretty spectacular settings. Across six varied missions, Agent 47 must kill to reveal the story of his past. Achieving the goals required for mission completion is largely up to the player. Get close-up and personal to deal with a target, or poison their food. Make the death seem like an accident or be prepared to be outgunned when discovered. However, nothing is insurmountable when something goes wrong, but ensuring you blend in via disguise or simply staying out of sight is the real key to success.
The campaign is played out across a number of varied settings which include a Miami race track, the streets of Mumbai and even a small suburb in America. Each setting offers different ways to achieve your goals (which if it wasn’t clear before is to assassinate targets). Information gained in side stories during missions will further help you mould your plans. It might dissuade you from selecting or picking up specific gadgets in pursuit of your mission. Or it may even open up further details to find the disguise best suited to infiltrating a building. Observation and (to a degree) the ability to adapt on the fly is the key to being a successful hitman.
Alongside the main campaign are a variety of additional modes and limited time events, ensuring Hitman 2 has plenty of content. The multiplayer Ghost Mode sees you competing against another (online) hitman to see who can achieve five assassinations first. Contracts are community missions and can delight and infuriate in equal measure – depending on the community member designing them.
For those who believe that sniping is the ultimate assassination experience, the game offers the Sniper Assassin mode. It is playable as both a solo experience and co-operative one. Assassinate assigned targets in a limited time taking distance and, wind and bullet drop into account.
And if all that (along with the replayability) isn’t enough, owning the original 2016 Hitman gives you access to those missions with the updated Hitman 2 engine.
Being a person of little patience means Hitman 2 will not a game for you. If you can watch, plan, wait and strike, and Hitman 2 is one of the most rewarding experiences you will have in gaming. And in an age of run-and-gun games, that makes it all just a little more special.
Score: 8/10
Available for: Xbox One, PS4 and PC
Distributed by: Gamefinity and available at all retailers of games
- You can subscribe to Tech Magazine here.
- You can purchase the game via our affiliate here.
