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:: Hitman 2 for GCN Review |
It’s a bit late, having been out for a couple months now. It may even be outdated. Nevertheless, here it is. The Hitman 2: Silent Assassin review. I had a chance to play the first one a while back on my less-than-stellar home computer, but that didn’t work out well (its six years without an upgrade). As a result, I didn’t have any expectations for this second installment [which is how I come to play most games, now that I think about it]. Either way, I found some free time in a hectic schedule to give it a go!
Well, maybe I wasn’t entirely truthful, as I did have a chance to play an early PS2 version of Hitman 2. It was plagued with glitches and evidently, many features that were not present in the final version, or simply were scrapped for the GCN. Of course, the PS2 version did hit retail earlier, and as a result the team behind the series took some time to adjust the game to the GameCube’s superior inner workings. The fruition of this was evident from the get go, as the load times were what can now be referred to as GCN standard. Sadly, the game requires and entire memory card 59 to save your progress.
The game begins with a cryptic cut-scene that gathers meaning as the story unravels. The first level, if it can be called that, is all about learning the controls and play mechanics. The surrounding is that of a Cathedral courtyard where Agent 47, the alias of your assassin, has found refuge after questioning his choice in profession. As peaceful as the setting is, you soon learn that the man who has given you refuge has been kidnapped in direct connection to your presence in Sicily, which also happens to be called home by a Mafia boss. Glancing at the demands, a half million dollar ransom, it becomes evident that you’ll have to go back to your violent roots to get anything accomplished.
The second level, your first mission, is largely focused on adapting to the sensitive control set-up. Naturally, the first stop was to go straight to the Mafia boss’s headquarters, his Villa somewhere on the same island as where you started. You begin outside a fortified wall with guards patrolling the perimeter and securing almost every angle leading up to the Villa itself. The objective? To kill the Mafia leader, and among other things, go to the holding room down in the basement to look for the kidnapped. There are many ways to approach this level, as every other in this game, which is a breath of fresh air as I’m tired getting weary of linear progress, as I’m sure many of you are. For example, I could put the anesthetics to the postman fast approaching the gates of the Villa, taking his clothes and disguising myself as a well-wisher. Or, you could nab that delivery boy around back, bringing food to the Villa kitchen [Mafioso’s don’t go grocery shopping]. But you need not go the non-lethal route. You might feel like taking them out with silenced weapons, if that’s your cup of tea. Take it a step further and simply barge in with guns blazing. Any way can work, and all are equally tempting to try.
The game features about 16 levels, give or take. These span Sicily, Russia, Germany, China, and Malaysia. I found most levels were really enjoyable, and highly repayable, but some were more one time things. Those happened to be the levels with little freedom in approach. No level can be completed the first time through because of the vague objectives. They are presented at the beginning of the level but then are inaccessible throughout, so it comes down to trial and error to make every move in the correct sequence. A downfall, if anything, as the bulk of the scripted events become tiresome after their initial successes.
In between continental stints, 47 makes his way back to his garden shack in the Sicilian courtyard for a breather. You will now have access to a previously locked shack that contains your weapons stash, a collection of weapons from the end of each level. The idea is that you must have the weapon equipped when the level ends, which is simple for pistols but a compromise for larger weapons, as you can only hold one. Thankfully you can trace your steps back and redo levels for the weapons you missed. These lethal tools and mounted up on the walls, complete with ammo, and are quite a site. You’re free to equip them and train on the various targets in the courtyard, such as a convenient assortment of watermelons set on a shelf, or an oddly placed scarecrow. Even local pigeons and the courtyard pigs, if your so inclined.
The most astounding feature of Hitman 2 is undoubtedly its physics. Not only do the enemies [or innocent] react to the various impacts, they can also be dragged along the ground with what must be the most accurate simulation of this event ever seen in the virtual world. I had particular fun watching enemies fly back 15-20 feet from the business end of my double “ballers”. And, call me cruel but in the second level I found I could drag some guards to the roof and plunge them down on their unsuspecting comrades. The weapon physics are right on, displaying the appropriate recoil to the weapon size, making it more difficult to consistently hit oncoming enemies as if it wasn’t difficult already, with the twitchy controls and all.
The visuals in Hitman 2 are more than sufficient. 47’s character model is well detailed, and only a nudge better than the other character models found throughout the game, that are great to being with. The textures on indoor levels are clean and crisp, right up there with the more graphically pleasing games of this generation. The outdoor levels suffer a bit with textures that wash into one another, but it’s not bothersome. The weapons are well modeled and can be viewed in a first person view, which is otherwise useless, and two other third person views. The game’s animations are all motion-captured and relatively smooth throughout, except for minor awkward movements seen from both 47 and the enemy. Occasionally, you can even spot guards in the default mo-cap stance, otherwise known as the frisking position.
The sound in Hitman 2 is a bit disappointing, especially since many games have now mastered the aural aspect of firing rounds. The music also lacks, becoming redundant to the point where you want to lower the volume, or…gasp…even mute. On the other hand, all the game’s dialog is well written and recorded in the various languages you will encounter during the game. Other than that, nothing spectacular in this respect, sadly.
I had a couple gripes when it came to Hitman 2. The B button, while being depressed, is used to cycle through the weapons at your disposal. During tight situations, having to scroll down 10 spots to find a more powerful weapon severely decreases your chances of survival in the higher difficulty levels. Some other method of selection should be implemented that isn’t so time-consuming. Also, the meter that indicates your heart rate [and the likeliness of being caught] is very inconsistent. At times, you can move right past a guard with the meter rapidly pulsating with no consequence, while another time the guard will see right through your disguise with no apparent cause.
So how did Agent 47 fair in his latest missions? Well, average to tell you the truth. The game doesn’t have much in replay value, except for a few levels that are fun to fool around in, and bonus items that can be unlocked by being extra silent during levels. Hitman 2 lacks the polish of the high tier games. Inconsistent play mechanics, not the most ergonomic controls, less than impressive sound, and vague objectives round out what is a relatively enjoyable game. It’s a rental to those of you who have ever watched a Mafia flick and said “Hey, I’d sure like to pay a friendly visit to [insert fictional name here]. Happy steak-outs!
Final Rating: 7.4
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| Reviewed by Koren Korok ::
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