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Hitman 2 review

Hitman 2 is the most recent instalment in the long running series from IO Interactive. Players again take on the role of Agent 47 as he hunts down the mysterious shadow client and takes apart his militia.

If you’ve played the previous Hitman from 2016 you’ll feel right at home straight away with Hitman 2 as it plays in almost exactly the same way and if you liked Hitman then you are going to like Hitman 2. Although there are many similarities between the two, Hitman 2 does bring some new features along with it.

You can view the official Hitman 2 launch trailer below:

The locations on offer are diverse and cover many parts of the globe including Miami, Bangkok, Mumbai, Vermont and Columbia to name a few. Each location has a very unique feel and there are almost zones within zones with each feeling distinct from each other. For example, the first mission is set at a race track. Within this environment are offices, garages, VIP lounges and crowded public spaces and I’m barely scratching the surface. Each area offers its own unique opportunities for gaining new tools to use, disguises to wear or in my case people to kill by mistake.

You can approach each mission in any way you choose. You can get in close, snipe from far away or arrange any number of accidents for your luckless targets, the world is literally your weapon. Each map includes stories that you can uncover and these give you what is essentially an assassination by numbers and usually ends with your target dead or you in a perfect position to execute the hit. These offer a great way to explore each level and carry out your hits, you can, of course, chose to completely ignore them and do your own thing.

Hitman 2
© IO Interactive / Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment

In order to remain unnoticed disguises are of great import in the Hitman games and Hitman 2 is no different. Different outfits allow you to pass unnoticed in different parts of each level but if you are wearing the wrong outfit prepare yourself for trouble. Although I do like this mechanic it can sometimes seem a bit odd that people don’t see through your disguises. For example, in Mumbai, no one noticed that the tailor whose outfit I had stolen was now being worn by a six foot tall, bald, albino assassin rather than a five-foot tall Indian chap.

Upon completion of each mission, you gain mastery points for the particular mission which unlocks new ways in which to replay the same mission, offering even more options to do as you please and new equipment to take in with you. This offers great replay value for each mission, especially when combined with the story kills within each mission. The completionists out there will be in hog heaven. My favourite extra piece of gear to unlock so far has been the fish, yes that’s right a fish. The fish is a non-lethal weapon that you can use to subdue people who may be getting in your way.

You can view some fish takedowns below:

Elusive targets are back in Hitman 2, you can see info on the first target here . You only have a limited amount of time to complete these missions and you only get one attempt. If you miss out time-wise or you fail in your attempt then you don’t get another try which makes these missions feel special and important. Also making a reappearance is Sniper Assassin mode putting you in the role of a sniper taking out various targets over a surprisingly large play area.

What really sets Hitman 2 apart, for me at least, is the new game mode ‘Ghost mode’. Ghost mode pits you against another human player in a race to take down the same targets. You play in your own worlds but you can see the other players ‘ghost’ and what they are up to. Whilst the base game is all about taking your time and planning the perfect hit, Ghost mode felt very intense for different reasons and the need to get the kill before your opponent so you can nab the point made for a very refreshing change of pace, it definitely makes you a lot more reckless in your approach.

Visually the game looks really nice with lots of detail in every area. The crowded areas are just that with countless members of the public in each scene and I was pleased to see that there was no drop in frame rate or any stuttering. The soundtrack and effects in the game also help to make each area feel alive and distinct from the others.

In summary Hitman 2 is another great game in the franchise. There is definitely an element of if it’s not broke then don’t fix it and the single player campaign missions play out in a similar way to Hitman. Ghost mode is a brilliant addition and offers a much welcomed change of pace to the methodical approach of the main campaign and let’s not forget that fish!

Hitman 2 was reviewed using a promo disc provided by the publisher

Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment Developer: IO Interactive Release Date: November 13th, 2018 Reviewed On: Xbox One Also Available On: PS4, PC/Steam

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