IO Interactive triumphantly brought Hitman to the mainstream with the release of 2016’s sort of “soft reboot” of the franchise that desperately needed a shot of adrenaline after the lackluster release of Absolution, and now they’re here to deliver more of what they served up.
Hitman 2
Developer: IO Interactive
Price: $60
Platform: PC, PS4, and Xbox One
MonsterVine was supplied with a PC code for review
Hitman 2 kicks things off right where the first one ended, with 47 and Diana making a deal with some shadowy people who are being hunted by another shadowy person who has information on 47, but the other shadowy people also have information on 47, and everyone is double crossing everyone. Listen, your eyes will glaze over within seconds of the intro with the alphabet soup of words that’s tossed at you, but you’re not here for a plot. You’re here to kill really bad people in really bad ways.
People may remember part of what made the last release work was its episodic release that initially raised many eyebrows. It thankfully ended up working heavily in the games favor because it gave you time to repeatedly play through a level, understanding its intricacies before getting to jump into the next. This time however, we’re getting given all six maps right at the start, so while I really enjoyed the episodic nature of before, I selfishly am happy I don’t have to wait for new maps. Each of these maps are massive, from a vibrant racetrack in Miami to a quaint suburb in Vermont that’s a very clear throwback to Blood Money’s similarly themed “A New Life” level. Each level is a game of tug of war. As you tug a bit with 47 to see how far you can explore an area, the game stops you, you try to tug again from a different direction to see where you can make things fall apart. The series’ trademark sense of humor is still on display as well with moments like dressing as the most unamused pink flamingo mascot or making a robot malfunction to kill your target. This is all while finding equally hilarious tools of destruction that you’ll wrack your head around figuring out how to work them into the death of your target because, of course you need to find a way to kill someone with the fish.
Now Hitman 2 is the exact same as before with the last Hitman, right down to the UI elements but again for this type of game it works. I don’t need a crazy gimmick or fancy new HUD elements in my Hitman sequel, just give me more toys to play with and interesting locales to kill in, and Hitman 2 delivers in spades. The game’s main formula remains the same: drop in an exotic location, scout the area for your target, plan out their elaborate death, see your plan hilariously fall apart and improvise the rest. IO still knows how to craft these memorable locations that make you want to want around exploring every inch of it for potential death traps they’ve hidden throughout it. Replayability is still a big part of the series so running through a level multiple times is a must, not just to unlock equipment you can use in future missions, but because each new method of murder you discover yourself is still one of the best feelings you’ll get out of a game that only topped by seeing your plan executed flawlessly.
For owners of the previous game, you have all the missions seamlessly baked right into the Hitman 2 package so you’re able to replay the missions you know and love, but with some new toys; particularly the return of the series’ signature sniper briefcase. Rounding out the package is a series of additional game modes to sink your teeth into. Contracts makes a return and your mileage will vary wildly just like last time. Being able to make your own contracts or download ones from other players is still neat, but you’re relying on other players coming up with interesting ways to challenge you to kill.
The next mode is the sniper assassin minigame making a long awaited return from Hitman Absolution. In it, you’ll be perched atop a sniper spot overlooking a mansion with the goal of taking out a specific amount of targets without any escaping or time running out. I absolutely loved this mode when it originally debuted and I’m glad to see it return, with the addition of a cooperative side to it as well. Working with a random player is both satisfying and nerve-wracking at the same time since neither player knows when the other is going to mess a shot up causing both players to quickly clean things up. As fun as this mode is, the progression system doesn’t quite make sense in the co-op half of things. In both singleplayer and co-op, you’ll earn XP for playing which will increase your rank and unlock upgrades for your rifle. Now those rifle upgrades are separated between single and multiplayer which is fine, but co-op has two characters that both need to leveled up separately. This leaves you having to jump between both characters a lot, which I wouldn’t mind if their rifles at least felt significantly different, but they don’t.
The final morsel in this multiplayer package is perhaps the juiciest of them all. Ghost mode is new for the franchise and is probably the first proper competitive multiplayer mode for the series. In it you and another player will race to hunt down five targets, the caveat being that each player, while being able to see each other, can’t interact with each other’s game worlds. That means if I cause an explosion in my game, the other player won’t know exactly what happened, just that I might happen to be running really quickly from a spot. Being able to see each other, but not know exactly what they’re up to, adds a sort of delicious thrill to the game, especially since I wasn’t kidding when I said you’re racing to five targets. When one player kills the target in their world, the other has seconds to rush and take them out or risk losing out on a point. Do you go loud for the sake of catching up in points or let the moment pass and make it up with the next one? Scattered throughout the level are ghost crates filled with items that are for both players to help in their bloody business. The catch is that once you grab an item you’ll barred from grabbing another and the other player is stuck with the second choice. There are even items that you can use to mess with the other player. “Ghost coins” can be used to not only distract enemies in your game world, but the other player’s as well. See them hiding about to make their move? Why not toss a coin their way so all the guards turn their eyes their way? You’ll even get periodic updates on what the other player is doing like if they picked up a new disguise or weapon. There’s a lot of strategy to this mode and I hope IO further fleshes it out because it’s a blast to play.
The Final Word
Hitman 2, while feeling more like “Season 2” than a full blown sequel (and likely was internally) is still a hard package to pass up when you’re getting more of what’s easily the best iteration in the series
– MonsterVine Review Score: 4.5 out of 5 – Great
