![]() ![]() IO Interactive has given players the most intricate, rewarding, and darkly comedic puzzles they've ever made. At their heart, stealth games are really puzzle games and no genre title exemplifies this better than Hitman. Now there are just so many, and the information is displayed so cleanly and so teasingly that hardcore fans of Hitman will easily find themselves trying again in every map. The series is best played on repeat, and this year's game makes going back and retrying levels more fun thanks to well advertised and addicting challenges, like those seen in previous games. Over and over, this feels like a game made for the hardcore fans from a studio that knows exactly what they do well. Hitman 2's levels regularly introduce these sorts of touches that may read like nothing major to some players, but the longtime fans will appreciate them the most. One level in particular is so labyrinthine that it feels like nothing else in the series. Levels also do well to mix in new kinds of objectives too, like having to actually ensure the safety of some characters this time, rather than just going around killing people. Another new way to hide is brought to the series by allowing players to hide in plain sight among large crowds or even just a handful of others who happen to be close enough in the game's half-dozen globetrotting levels. Agent 47 has never had this ability, but now he finally does and it's extremely useful, especially in one particular residential level. The first is the oft-seen video game trope of hiding in bushes, tall grass, and other foliage. Simple yet major new mechanics make stealth traversal much more feasible. ![]() Dive a bit deeper, however, and it's clear Hitman 2 refines what was already the best Hitman game ever from two years ago - it now stands as the new superlative in the stealth series. On the surface, Hitman 2 will feel like more of the same, a second season, albeit not episodic this time. Really though, no one is coming to Hitman for its story, and that's perfectly fine because the gameplay is where it shines. Whereas Hitman was surprisingly one-note given the previous history for the series, this sequel is starting to connect red strings on a cork board all over the map again as fans will be used to, but it feels like the writing is more reined in this time, in a good way, leaving it all intelligible and even quite fun if you're a longtime fan and recognize a lot of the longer threads with which the soft reboot is toying. Twists, turns, and international political intrigue were the rudders of the previous game and the same tone carries over here. Agent 47 is still chasing the Shadow Client in the world's most dangerous matchup of cat versus mouse. These items can be purely cosmetic, like different costumes, but many are new weapons that make your deadly job slightly easier.The story in Hitman games has never been the focal point and has always been pretty convoluted over the years, but the 2016 reintroduction committed to narrative more than most of the series had before it, and the story in Hitman 2 picks up right where that one left off. This side content is reason enough to return to Hitman, but unlocking new items really takes the cake. From escalation missions that increase in difficulty with each playthrough, to elusive targets that require thought and discretion. For almost a year Hitman 2 has followed a monthly content roadmap, releasing a steady stream of quality content. Mucking about is great fun but working toward something is better this is the foundation of Hitman 2’s success. Mission stories act both as set pieces and extra story content, allowing you to learn more about the motives of your targets. ![]() There’s nothing worse than seeing all your work fall apart, whether through your own doing or that of the artificial intelligence.Īdding challenges takes that weight of the crescendo off of your shoulders, instead tasking you with the planning of the final outcome. So much of what makes Hitman addictive to play is the satisfying feeling the player gets when 20 minutes of planning comes together in a fatal crescendo of death still, you know what they say about best laid plans. What Hitman 2 and its predecessor, Hitman (2016) did, was focus this sandbox freedom into a series of challenges, feats, and mission stories that retain a sense of creative freedom, but in a more purposeful way. The series allows for an enormous amount of creativity, making almost anything a weapon. ![]() It’s the sandbox nature of the Hitman series that allows Hitman 2 to really shine. ![]()
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