DuDe
Emu64 Staff
K, that’s my first attempt at a PC game review... Wanted to make this one a "mini review", but by the time I was done, i wrote nearly 7000 words, so I guess I’ll call it a "full review" then 
Hitman 2: Silent assassin is the sequel to 2000’s Hitman: Codename47, an action game that had some great ideas incorporated in it, but was heavily harmed by its awkward camera system, and sluggish controls. The follow up fixes all of those issues, and the outcome is a highly enjoyable action game, in which every mission has multiple paths to solution.
The game starts with 47 retiring from his gritty work, and trying to live a peaceful life in a small monastery in Italy. But just as 47 thought that his life has turned for the better, the monastery’s priest, 47’s friend, is kidnapped by mob gangsters, that want 47 as a henchman. And that’s where 47’s quest for bringing good ol’ padre back begins.
The first thing that you would notice when you would start the game are its incredible visuals. The game draws some wonderful architecture, starting with the beautiful monastery in which 47 lives, and continuing with locales like Moscow’s metro system, a mansion in Italy, and a big Japanese castle. Although some outdoor textures may get repetitive, the overall effect is stunning. Weather effects, like rain and snow, surely don’t harm the experience.
The models have been bumped up quite a bit in the sequel as well. They are pretty well textured, and have a nice variety of facial expressions and idle animations. The game also incorporates the now famous "rag doll physics", which make dead bodies look realistic when they are dragged. In most of the instances, the effect is great; you shoot at a guy that sits in a chair, and he will continue sitting on it, his body twisted backwards. If you shoot him from the side, he will fall of the chair. Yet on some occasions, the outcome is awkward; a body’s hand will be left hanging in the air, or an ankle twists in a weird angle. But overall, the effect is quite nice.
The sound in H2:SA is well done. The voice acting, although somehow inconsistent in its quality, is still much better than in the first game. The sound team has had some great weapon effects recorded for the sequel, and each of the weapons sounds unique. The muffled sound of the silenced 45 SD shot, and the hollow thump that you will hear as the bullet will hit the unsuspecting guard, will make you evilly grin. The musical score, performed by the Budapest Orchestra, is very moody, and adds to the overall gritty effect of the game.
The gameplay is probably the one thing that has received the most tweaks in the two years that had followed the release of the original game. The menu system is much, much more accessible now, and different actions (dragging a body/taking the body’s clothes/taking the ammo, etc) can be pulled quickly by simply tapping the Action key, and the up or down keys. A welcome change from the awkward system of the original. The game also adds a nifty "look through the key hole" feature, which lets you check the inside of the room you’re about to enter, by peeking through the key hole, although you might wanna be cautious about it, since it draws a lot of attention from near by guards.
Hitman 2: Silent assassin is the sequel to 2000’s Hitman: Codename47, an action game that had some great ideas incorporated in it, but was heavily harmed by its awkward camera system, and sluggish controls. The follow up fixes all of those issues, and the outcome is a highly enjoyable action game, in which every mission has multiple paths to solution.
The game starts with 47 retiring from his gritty work, and trying to live a peaceful life in a small monastery in Italy. But just as 47 thought that his life has turned for the better, the monastery’s priest, 47’s friend, is kidnapped by mob gangsters, that want 47 as a henchman. And that’s where 47’s quest for bringing good ol’ padre back begins.
The first thing that you would notice when you would start the game are its incredible visuals. The game draws some wonderful architecture, starting with the beautiful monastery in which 47 lives, and continuing with locales like Moscow’s metro system, a mansion in Italy, and a big Japanese castle. Although some outdoor textures may get repetitive, the overall effect is stunning. Weather effects, like rain and snow, surely don’t harm the experience.
The models have been bumped up quite a bit in the sequel as well. They are pretty well textured, and have a nice variety of facial expressions and idle animations. The game also incorporates the now famous "rag doll physics", which make dead bodies look realistic when they are dragged. In most of the instances, the effect is great; you shoot at a guy that sits in a chair, and he will continue sitting on it, his body twisted backwards. If you shoot him from the side, he will fall of the chair. Yet on some occasions, the outcome is awkward; a body’s hand will be left hanging in the air, or an ankle twists in a weird angle. But overall, the effect is quite nice.
The sound in H2:SA is well done. The voice acting, although somehow inconsistent in its quality, is still much better than in the first game. The sound team has had some great weapon effects recorded for the sequel, and each of the weapons sounds unique. The muffled sound of the silenced 45 SD shot, and the hollow thump that you will hear as the bullet will hit the unsuspecting guard, will make you evilly grin. The musical score, performed by the Budapest Orchestra, is very moody, and adds to the overall gritty effect of the game.
The gameplay is probably the one thing that has received the most tweaks in the two years that had followed the release of the original game. The menu system is much, much more accessible now, and different actions (dragging a body/taking the body’s clothes/taking the ammo, etc) can be pulled quickly by simply tapping the Action key, and the up or down keys. A welcome change from the awkward system of the original. The game also adds a nifty "look through the key hole" feature, which lets you check the inside of the room you’re about to enter, by peeking through the key hole, although you might wanna be cautious about it, since it draws a lot of attention from near by guards.
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