Hitman 2 Review - Does 47 Need to Retire? - MojoPlays Review

Despite the odd episodic release, “Hitman” was one of 2016’s best games. The game demanded players to think strategically, using their surroundings to eliminate drug lords, shady businessmen, and Gary Busey. The only problem with the game was its dull story. Now, here we are two years later with “Hitman 2”, and in that time, IO Interactive went through a management buyout, declaring themselves as an independent studio. With Warner Bros Interactive as their new publisher, has IO Interactive made a successful sequel in such a short timeframe? “Hitman 2” picks up right where “Hitman” 2016 left off. Agent 47 and Diana Burnwood must hunt for the mysterious “Shadow Client” while popping off the heads of his most crucial allies. As Agent 47 travels across the globe, he’ll slowly unravel the identity of this enigmatic figure while slowly learning about his past. And that’s pretty much all you need to know before getting into spoiler territory! Much like its predecessor, “Hitman 2’s” story doesn’t really do anything interesting, but it chugs along without hindering the experience. So, it’s alright. If you played through a good chunk of the previous “Hitman”, then you’ll feel right at home with “Hitman 2’s” gameplay. It’s the same old song and dance - roam the area, observe your target, and find your window of opportunity. However, you’ll have to be at your most cunning. You can’t go eliminating bodyguards and recklessly racking up casualties unless you wanna get penalized and lose XP. Much like its predecessor, “Hitman 2” boasts a multitude of ways to eliminate targets, encouraging you to go through multiple playthroughs. Each method is unique in its execution (no pun intended) as well as how one might acquire the proper tools for the job. Although, you’ll have to choose your methods carefully. Every level follows a strict schedule of events, and if you spend too much time trying to find an item or frequently change disguises, you’ll have to improvise and figure out a new strategy. “Hitman 2” will do almost everything and anything it can to keep you on your toes. Time is of the essence, and you need to make sure you can assemble a solid plan on the fly without compromising your presence. Schedules aren’t the only thing you’ll have to worry about, either. “Hitman 2” will force you to constantly be aware of your surroundings and calculate every move you make. Think you can quickly take out these guards unnoticed? Are you close to a container where you can quickly hide the bodies? You’ve been compromised! How are you going to lose the heat? Yes, “Hitman 2” is a ruthless and cruel mistress, but the difficulty still feels fair. Discovering all of the kills isn’t the only reason to replay missions either. Completing challenges will not only increase your overall rank, but it’ll also net you different weapons to spawn with. You may also gain access to other starting locations, which might help you plan your assassinations easier. On paper, these don’t sound like major rewards, but they can make for some interesting playthroughs. If you find yourself enthralled in a certain part of the story, IO Interactive has included a sort of “recommended missions”, for lack of a better term. After completing a level, the game will present you with a subset of missions that will reveal more details about your targets and their backstories. It’s a nice addition, and yes, I am enticed to go back in the near future to uncover these stories. Surprisingly enough, “Hitman 2” also includes a couple of multiplayer modes. Sniper Assassin tasks two players with taking out bodyguards and three targets without alerting unsuspecting bystanders. While we can enjoy the challenge this mode brings, you can only play on one map. So, it’s a tad disappointing. The other multiplayer mode is the competitive Ghost Mode, which is still in its beta phase. Two players enter a level and must take out a target before the other one does. However, they can’t interfere with each other’s worlds, and they must take out their target unnoticed. The first to five eliminations wins. It’s an interesting concept, but some players may find it to be a stale experience and go back to the single player content. During our time with the game, we were also given a code for the Legacy Pack. For an extra $20, not only will you get everything “Hitman 2” has to offer, but you’ll also be able to play through all of the missions from “Hitman” 2016. Basically, you’ll get both games under the “Hitman 2” umbrella. If you didn’t get to play “Hitman” 2016, you may want to look into this offer. However, if you already own the full version of the previous game, you’ll be able to download the episodes onto “Hitman 2” free of charge. One last thing we want to bring up is achievements. “Hitman 2” features one hundred and eighteen achievements, which may provide a significant boost your Xbox Gamerscore or Steam account. As for PlayStation owners, you might be disappointed to find that among the massive trophy list, not a single one is a Platinum trophy. Not. One. As irksome as this is, it is pretty hard to hold “Hitman 2” against it when it does everything else so well. Still, it’s worth mentioning for the hardcore trophy hunters. Overall, “Hitman 2” is almost the same as “Hitman” 2016, but that doesn’t make it a bad thing. It features more challenges, more ways to kill your targets, and more levels to test your intellect. In other words, it’s just more “Hitman”, and I couldn’t have asked for anything beyond that. Yeah, the multiplayer isn’t up to snuff, but “Hitman” has never been about the multiplayer to begin with. That being said, “Hitman 2” is a must-play if you want something that’ll test you, require you to think, and have fun with its own ridiculous antics.