shooter

Hitman 2 is an okay game. That sums it up. The innovation is OK, the controls are OK, the graphics are OK. It's just an average kind of game. A lot of people seem very hyped over the "thinking" aspect of the game. That is - you can't just go in shooting. That's partially true, although brute force remains very effective. (why else would you be armed with AK47's and submachine guns?)But stealthy games have been done before, and done better. In Hitman 2, it's usually pretty obvious what you need to do to accomplish a mission.
Don't get me wrong, it's still a good game. The enemy AI is pretty good - they know when you're in the wrong place wearing the wrong disguise. And for that matter, it's pretty cool to be able to change into any enemy's clothes to disguise yourself. So I encourage you to rent this game; it's fun for a while. But save your money. There'll be better games.

Having not played any earlier versions of this franchise, I did not know what to expect. What I got when I bought it was an excellent 1 player experience for those who like to shed a little blood in their gaming. Hitman 2 creates a realistic tension that is unfortunately rare in FPS or action games. When it is possible you will be detected, your heart beats furiously and you can feel it as the vibration feedback unit of the controller pulses in your hand. The best thing about this game is you can approach it any way you wish, but you just may not be successful. While not recommending an open-it-up and blast away approach, it can work on some levels. However, you will be penalized in your overall rating if you are not using enough stealth and cunning. Overall, this is one heck of a game that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys FPS adventures.

Gameplay: 8.5
You can change from 1st person to 3rd person at any time, and it will depend on your current circumstances which one is more advantageous. Excellent camera, excellent AI, sharp graphics, the controls are tight, and there are numerous and varied locales for your exploits. The storyline is weak, but who cares? The action is what matters. No multiplayer and sometimes confusing objectives status are only real drawbacks.

Replay: 9
There is a learning curve, but it is not too steep. While your mission always has the same general objective- to kill- the different locales around the world, the different weapons one can use, and the varying levels of difficulty in each circumstance will keep you coming back for more.

A lot of people tend to compare Hitman 2 to Splinter Cell, but the two really have very little in common. Although Splinter Cell is a very good game, I would say that Hitman 2 is actually more enjoyable. This is probably because Hitman 2 offers a greater degree of freedom; you're given a target and a couple of guns at the start of each mission, but how you complete it is entirely your own decision. You could go in with guns blazing or play the entire mission without killing anyone but the target, all of which greatly increases the game's replayability. The graphics are also beautiful, with some of the best textures and water effects I've ever seen in an Xbox game. On the negative side, the story is a little recycled (save the world from a terrorist with a nuclear weapon AGAIN) and a couple of the missions are almost ridiculously hard due to poor AI (as in overly paranoid guards or disguises that don't work no matter what). These are just minor flaws, however... At twenty bucks for a Platinum Hits edition of the game, it's a steal.