Hitman 2: Silent Assassin
 As of late, video games have had a distinct advantage over movies; whereas, most movie sequels tend to suck, many of the recent sequels to popular game franchises have significantly improved upon their predecessors. Sony’s Playstation 2 has proven to be the ultimate video game sequel itself, heir to the legacy of the most successful home console in history; moreover, the Playstation’s greatest successes stem from quality sequels such as Grand Theft Auto III, Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec, and Final Fantasy X. Critics in the gaming press have widely criticized the lack of originality and depth in sequels, but Eidos’ newest Playstation 2 title is just what “the Doctor” ordered. Hitman 2: Silent Assassin is not only a quality sequel, but also an outstanding example of quality interactive design.
Hitman 2 sees the return of Agent 47, an assassin whose moral qualms about killing have led him to abandon assassination for the Catholic Church. The game’s rich story begins when Agent 47’s friends and spiritual advisor, Father Vittorio, is kidnapped by the local mafia. Pushing aside his reservations, Agent 47 returns to “the Agency” in the hopes that he may save his friend. Through a series of missions, you must guide Agent 47 to complete a number of assassinations on the road to recovering Father Vittorio.
Father Vittorio’s parish in Italy serves as your base of operations, allowing you to stock up on weapons and ammunition, save your game, and begin new missions. Mission briefings inform you of specific mission objectives, target locations, target appearance, and other integral information. In order to aid you in your missions, a number of weapons become available through the course of the game. Discovering new weapons during missions, such as the golf driver during the first mission, unlocks it for use in any future mission. Once you begin a mission, finishing the job requires skill and consideration due to the game’s open-ended nature. With plenty of interesting weapons, disguises, and intricate plans, Hitman 2 affords a lot of freedom.
Partitioning Hitman 2 into palatable missions was a smart move. Highly intense, each mission taxes your instincts and intellect. Careful planning during mission briefings is important and calls for creative problem solving; however, Murphy’s Law often takes a starring role, disrupting your strategy and forcing you to rely on spur-of-the-moment instinct. The result is an engaging balance between problem solving and action that is driven by the player. If you want to remain unnoticed and reap the benefits of stealth, go for it. If you want to rush toward your target with guns blazing, it’s up to you. Regardless of the strategies you employ, it’s comforting to realize that Hitman 2 allows multiple solutions to mission objectives. This open-endedness is the heart and soul of Hitman 2.
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Although the game does facilitate open-ended gameplay, it tends to emphasize stealth in the majority of missions. A large component in stealthy gameplay is the utilization of disguise. NPCs can be dispatched and their clothing used as a disguise. Other titles have made use of disguises, such as Raiden in Metal Gear Solid 2; but, disguises in Hitman 2 aren’t a guarantee that you will slip through areas unnoticed. Realistically, characters will suspect Agent 47 while in disguise if he comes too close to other characters or behaves peculiarly. The warning box on the top-left of the screen measures your degree of security. Should you be revealed, you’ll face attack from enemy characters.
Dealing with mission objectives is a challenge. Missions include a wide variety of variables from time to weather to the presence of innocents that realistically complicate gameplay. Gamers unfamiliar with Hitman and stealth gameplay mechanics will have difficulty solving the game’s complex problems. Nevertheless, it is this realistic difficulty that makes Hitman 2 a triumph. Complex, open-ended, multi-variable problem solving infrequently shows itself in games; fortunately, it shows up in Hitman 2 polished and playable.
While playing the game may require some learning for less experienced gamers, controlling the game shouldn’t prove difficult for any gamer. The left analog stick dictates movement, whereas the right analog stick determines direction. Weapon functions and action buttons are relegated to the geometric buttons. Camera movement and secondary weapon functions are left to the shoulder buttons. It controls like a first-person shooter; consequently, you’re given the ability to switch between first-person and third-person perspectives at will and in real-time. This makes the game highly accessible to FPS fans as well as picky gamers, such as myself, who revel in the ability to switch perspectives on the fly. With three platform versions to choose from (the GameCube version is currently in production), Sony’s Dual Shock 2 provides the Playstation 2 version of Hitman 2 a significant advantage with its ease of use and ideal button layout.
Assuming that a significant difference in graphical quality exists between the three versions of the game would be exactly that. Surprisingly, each version is nearly graphically identical. Running on the Playstation 2, the game looks fabulous. Textures are clean and crisp, environments host a good amount of detail, character models are fully realized, and the frame-rate remains constant. Few graphical faults can be found in the game, a noteworthy quality considering the list of graphically instable Playstation 2 titles to date. Hitman 2’s technical prowess can be attested by the ability to switch perspectives in real-time. Outstanding use of the Dual Shock 2 controller, coupled with solid graphics make the Playstation 2 version of Hitman 2 my recommended version to play.
Enriching the gameplay experience significantly, the audio design stands out among the best this year. Sound effects garnish every movement and action, equally emphasizing visual and audio stimulation. Just as realism is a primary focus of gameplay, so it is in sound. The game’s sound design establishes a level of quality on par with may motion pictures. Even more outstanding is the original musical score. Utilizing both a full symphony orchestra and a symphonic choir, the game’s composer, Jesper Kyd, has created a score that relays the emotional conflict of Agent 47, while heightening the intensity of gameplay. Clearly, Kyd’s score is among the most outstanding composed for an interactive title.
Final thoughts
From the moment the game loads, Hitman 2 exudes quality. Its visual and audio presentation is polished to the same degree as its thoughtful gameplay. Its complex, open-ended problem solving is to be commended for providing a fresh, challenging gameplay experience. With exceedingly high production values and carefully designed gameplay, Hitman 2: Silent Assassin is among the Playstation 2’s greatest.
Added: November 19th 2002
Reviewer: TBoy
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