Hitman 2: Silent Assassin

Lore & Background

Hitman 2: Silent Assassin was developed in response to criticism of the first game's difficulty and broken checkpoint system. Improvements were made to the AI, and many levels were made smaller and more focused. New items included chloroform for quietly taking down enemies and a crossbow for silent kills. The story follows Agent 47 after he has retired to a Sicilian church, but he returns to the ICA when his only friend, Reverend Emilio Vittorio, is kidnapped. The plot involves a nuclear warhead sale orchestrated by Sergei Zavorotko, brother of one of 47's genetic donors from the first game.

Gameplay emphasizes stealth through disguises, a suspicion system, and multiple mission approaches. Players can switch between third-person and first-person views. A post-mission ranking system rates players from 'Silent Assassin' to 'Mass Murderer,' rewarding stealthy play with bonus weapons. The game received generally positive reviews and was considered an improvement over its predecessor in every respect. It became the best-selling Hitman game in the original series prior to 2016's Hitman.

Reader's Guide

Hitman 2: Silent Assassin is significant for establishing the stealth-focused direction of the Hitman series. By removing action-oriented segments and introducing features like first-person view, incapacitation, and multiple mission approaches, it set a template that later entries would follow. The game's suspicion system and disguise mechanics became core elements of the franchise. Its commercial success, with over 3.7 million copies sold by 2009, made it the best-selling Hitman game in the original series. The game was re-released on Steam and GOG.com, and later included in the Hitman HD Trilogy for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Critics praised it for fixing problems of its predecessor, though some noted issues with artificial intelligence and mission briefings. The game's legacy includes its ranking system, which rewards stealthy play, and its encouragement of critical thinking over simple shooting.

Did You Know?

• The game introduces the option for a first-person view, which was not present in the first Hitman.
• Players can incapacitate enemies instead of killing them, a new feature for the series.
• The cover of the GameCube release erroneously displayed a '9/10 Electronic Gaming Monthly Gold Award' taken from the PlayStation 2 version's review.
• The game's story involves a nuclear warhead sale orchestrated by Sergei Zavorotko, brother of one of Agent 47's genetic donors.