Hitman 2: Silent Assassin - GameCube

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Hitman 2: Silent Assassin (GameCube)
Also for: PC, PS2, Xbox
Viewed: 3D Third-person, over the shoulder Genre:
Adventure
Strategy: Stealth
Arcade origin:No
Developer: Io-Interactive Soft. Co.: Io-Interactive
Publishers: Eidos (GB)
Released: 27 Jun 2003 (GB)
Ratings: 15+
Accessories: Memory Card

Summary

A massively popular game for the PC format, Hitman’s only disappointment was that it was never ported across to consoles. However, Eidos and developer Io-Interactive has rectified this for the sequel, bringing Hitman 2: Silent Assassin to PS2, Xbox and of course, GameCube.

In the second episode, we meet our intrepid assassin in a church on the Isle of Sicily. Codename 47 has been attempting to distance himself from his past, burying his career along with his identity. But his place of solitude is quickly discovered and Codename 47 is blackmailed into rejoining the criminal underworld of assassination. This time it's personal.

It's not an original story, but it's one that suits the setting of the game brilliantly. The tale spans some 20 objective and action-based missions, in which you must virtually travel the globe, meet with NPCs who speak in their native tongues (there are subtitles), guard your own life against hundreds of skilled assassins, and become accustomed to a library of deadly weapons such as sniper rifles and lethal explosives.

In the beginning, gameplay is simple. Armed with a small knife and several other non-lethal weapons, the initial level is very much a training exercise designed to help players become accustomed to game’s play mechanic. This is made easier thanks to Nintendo’s own ergonomic controller. Players can even choose between first and third-person perspectives.

Naturally for a game of this type, later levels become increasingly challenging, level design becomes complicated yet dynamic, and enemy AI becomes cunning and unforgiving, but it's all part of a manageable learning curve.

With a revised ranking system, a greater variety of game styles, and an invaluable mid-mission save feature, Hitman 2 is superior to its predecessor in many ways.