Hitman 2 Xbox One X Review

Hitman 2 feels like an expansion than a fully realized sequel. This isn't a bad thing as IO Interactive has provided 6 new sandbox missions where players can construct elaborate plans to eliminate their targets. Each one is a playground of options where you can make layered plans for complex stealth kills and leave without anyone noticing. Hitman 2 delivers the same experience from the 2016 revival, allowing players to use identical skills to uncover the wealth of possibilities available.

Hitman 2 has 6 sandbox style levels that are full of gadgets, costumes, and paths for the player to discover. The developers took a minimalist approach to the gameplay, providing a limited amount of weapons to choose from but ample opportunities of how to utilize them and leaving room for a lot of experimentation. Given the level's strict timed options players have to act quickly. Some choices are only available through specific means and once the time passes they're gone forever.

Like any good stealth game Hitman 2 demands patience. The slightest misstep and you can end up starting a domino effect that ruins the entire mission. It's not enough to just kill your target, you have to do it with style and finesse. Autosaves are generous, especially on the easier difficulties, and you can manually save anywhere unless playing on the game's hardest difficulty; which limits you to one save.

Failure can be vexing but that's the point of Hitman 2. Fail or succeed and you're expected to try again to either beat your previous score or just to be the perfect assassin. Levels can be long but those who've experienced the first game will find the challenge of completing a full perfect mission an alluring difficulty.

The A.I. is just as easy to manipulate as the previous game. You can kill guards efficiently using classic methods such as coin tosses, kill them from behind, hide the body, and repeat. It can feel cheap but it feels fantastic when a plan comes together. Manipulating the A.I. and forcing the chain of events to follow your plans is something that requires time, persistence, and most importantly commitment.

Each success missions ends with an extraction, where the player must reach a specific zone. However, certain sections are locked and require special requirements such as disguises. It's important to finally eliminate your target but without a proper escape, the entire mission could go up in smoke.

The story attempts to tie Diana and Agent 47 to each of these areas but doesn't share the same quality as the gameplay. Most of the time I had no idea why Agent 47 was in the area other than to kill this person. After which a short description is provided about the person and I was thrown into the world. By the third sandbox mission, I tuned out and just played.

The multiplayer mode is hit or miss depending on the player. Sniper Assassin returns and has tons of customization options available to the player. As before the player has to take out a series of targets using a scoped rifle. It's straightforward and can be played with another player.

Ghost Multiplayer is a new brand competitive mode where you and another player attempt to kill a specific target. Neither player can interact with one another but you can see each other. If a player kills a target they have 20 seconds to match the kill or the point is given the first player.

Hitman 2 can feel like an expansion of the first game but that's not an issue IO Interactive has done a fantastic job of crafting 6 new sandboxes that have the same quality and detail as the first season. Players will find a lot of options, most of them hidden through trial and error, that demand perfect timing and patience to execute. The story shallow and uneventful but the gameplay more than makes up for it. Hitman 2 is more of what fans loved about the first season.

Adam Siddiqui, NoobFeed
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