Xbox

Hitman 2: Silent Assassin

Silent Assassin doesn't seem like that long of a game, but the missions take forever. The missions are fun though. They seem to just suck you right into the mob world. The game had some great spy techniques and intelligent, but bad looking, enemies to use them against. With over 20 hours of game play full of assassinations and terminations, it will keep you occupied for months to come.

Hitman 2 Silent Assassin is an extremely realistic experience, brought to life through cinematic sequences, convincing voice-overs, and impressive graphics. The in game options and control mechanics make playing the game enjoyable and challenging. If this sounds like your type of a game, then we Highly Recommend you pick it up, and if you’re not quite sure we Recommend you at least rent it.

With amazing nonlinear gameplay that is unmatched in other stealth/action games like Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty and Splinter Cell, Hitman 2: Silent Assassin stands as one of the most unique and absorbing titles for the Xbox system. Eidos and IO Interactive's (the game's developer) near flawless assassin simulator will provide months of entertainment for anyone with a strong enough stomach to handle the game's dark and brutally violent themes. Now snatch up those double ballers and grab that bottle of chloroform - it's time to go to work.

Visually, Hitman 2 looks quite nice. Character models are well animated and the environments are thoroughly detailed. Little touches, like the dual shadows cast by you and a target as you choke him to death, add to the immersion factor of the game. There was only one issue with the graphics, a minor clipping problem. Characters would occasionally fall into walls when shot and it is possible for the main character to walk though a solid tree branch. Although it's not a game breaker, one has to wonder how it slipped through given all the obvious effort that went into the game.

Released late last year for PS2, Xbox and PC, the sequel to Hitman: Codename 47 was successful enough for a third installment to be confirmed by Eidos for a scheduled Spring 2004 release with a $43 million dollar budget soon after it hit store shelves. Hitman 2: Silent Assassin is a third person stealth-em-up that tries a number of things to differentiate itself from the ever-increasing crowd of Splinter Cell wannabes and Solid Snake rip offs. On the whole, they are very successful, with the good far outweighing the few flaws. With a Gamecube version on the way and the Xbox, PC and PS2 versions probably starting to hit bargain bins in game stores everywhere, it's time to revisit one of the most stylish games of the 2002 holiday season.

The diverse mission design combined with a vast assortment of weapons, gadgets, and stealth tactics makes Hitman 2 one of the best action games of the year. If you can get past the awkward controls you will love it on the Xbox, otherwise you may want to experience this game on the PC where the mouse/keyboard combo gives you greater flexibility and more precise control. Whatever system you end up playing it on, don’t miss out on this amazing title.

In the realm of action/strategy titles out there nowadays, there are definite frontrunners. Metal Gear Solid 2 and Splinter Cell come to mind for many people, but Eidos is looking to change all of that. Hitman 2 offers an intense experience in varied environments that are filled to the brim with beautiful spectacles, and a churning undercurrent of ambient life. Because of this depth, and the gameplay structure, Silent Assassin is able to serve up a thinking person’s shooter – but that could be either good or bad depending on how you like to play your gun-wielding executioner characters.

Hitman 2 surclasse allègrement le premier volet de la série. Plus riche, plus beau, plus jouable il s'avère juste indispensable pour qui aime un tant soit peu ce genre de titre. Vivement la suite !

The developers have admittedly made some basic errors, but I suspect this was probably due to financial reasons - I'm not accusing them of ignorance. Indeed, they have eliminated the two most criticized features of the original, namely the lack of any saves and the ridiculously off-topic jungle levels. In this industry, like most others, you have to be grateful for what you get, and what IO have offered is steady progress. Hitman as a franchise is officially a success, so it'll be interesting to see what they offer up next...

Hitman 2 makes for a fine stealth-action game on the Xbox because of its clear focus on assassinations. As we've seen from Antonio Banderas and Jean Reno, the life of a professional hitman can be both adventurous and slow-paced. The fact that you can run through the game in just a few hours and kill everything in sight is balanced by all of the fun waiting for you if you try the more realistic stealthy gameplay.

Since the last quarter, the market has been graced with a moderate presence of espionage/stealth-oriented games (namely Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance and Splinter Cell).Hitman 2 lies in between. Exceptionally methodical, marginally epic in scope, and an absolute blast and challenge to play from start tof finish. Gamers who've been searching for a unique deviation from the typical action format should definitely consider giving this game a shot.

Fans des ersten Teils bekommen also neues Futter, das sie keinesfalls enttäuschen dürfte. Freunde klassischer Shooter sollten erst einen sehr langen Blick auf das Spiel werfen, bevor sie zugreifen - nicht jeder bringt die Zeit und Geduld auf, die Hitman 2 früher oder später auf jeden Fall fordert. Außerdem empfiehlt sich das Probespiel nicht zuletzt, um herauszufinden, ob Ihr mit der Steuerung zurechtkommt - sowohl die PS2- als auch die PC-Version lassen sich besser handhaben. Die PC-Fassung sieht überdies dank vielfältig einstellbarer Grafikoptionen nochmal deutlich besser aus.

The most exciting, creative and lucrative job in the world, that's what our bald-headed 47 has. As a hired killer he travels all around the world to eliminate his targets. The first episode of the Hitman series was actually one of the most frustrating games I ever played, but this time IO Interactive wanted to come up with a game that wasn't just for hardcore players. A wise decision, but did they succeed by delivering Hitman 2: Silent Assassin?

Hitman 2: Silent assassin is a tense game that does a few things wrong, and so many things right. This isn’t a game you want your kid to get a hold of, and self-actualized hippies and religious zealots should stay far, far away. Some may find this game too difficult on the easiest setting, but a dedicated gamer will beat it the first time in about a week (a couple hours per weekday, and a solid weekend). A hardcore gamer will need about a weekend. The multiple mission paths and unlockables included here make for some good replay value. If you’ve beaten MGS2 and Splinter Cell, consider getting this game and getting your murder on… or you could go back to playing Halo, yet again.

The graphics are very solid and some lovely lighting effects add to the sense of tension and adventure. When a well-choreographed plan comes off, Hitman 2 is a thoroughly satisfying game, but there are moments when it's unforgiving nature has you reaching for the "off" button - but only after much swearing and pad hurling. The free reign turns out to be The Silent Assassin's Achilles heel, as well as part of its appeal, which is why it gets an overall 4 GiN gems.

The undeniable genius of Hitman 2 is that you play an assassin stalking his targets in ?real life? scenarios. But can it rise above the massive flaws of the original game? Hitman 2: Silent Assassin?s main character, Mr. 47, is the kind of bald-domed badass that makes you want to shave your scalp. Unfortunately, he controls like it, too. Eventually you?ll learn to tame these jumpy, highly complex controls, but they?re quite tricky at first. Still, they?re a solid improvement on the first game?s godawful handling.