After the episodic release of the last Hitman, Agent 47 is preparing himself for a couple of new missions. Hitman 2 will drop the episodical approach in exchange for some exotic locations all over the world. We already landed in Miami a couple of months ago but now it’s time to discover the secrets of Colombia. Do you have what it takes to take down the Kartel?
Welcome to Colombia
The first thing I noticed during my gameplay session was how good the game looks. It’s still a pre-alpha version but it’s already shaping up to be a gorgeous game. After a great introduction video, explaining my purpose in Colombia, it was time to enter the sunny paradise. Well, paradise might be an overstatement here since Colombia really seems to be in trouble. It’s my mission to take down three different targets, all connected to shady businesses. While the top gets richer by the minute, the village itself has to deal with less prosperity. Just by walking around, you’ll catch up with conversations and learn what goes on in the minds of the villagers. Hitman 2 offers an open approach. You’re tasked to eliminate all your targets but you’re entirely free to pick your own personal approach. Walking around in the environment is the best thing you can do, since you’ll learn a lot of interesting things from the local community.
Discover the stories
While walking around, you’ll often trigger a so-called Mission Story, these were called Opportunities in the older demo. The Mission Stories set you on a path to kill one of your targets and can be considered cinematic deaths in the game. Since you’re never forced to follow the rules, you can also try to kill the targets guns blazing but most fun are these Missions Stories for sure. In Colombia, I followed one of the easier ones. The final game will offer several Mission Stories leading up to the death of one target so the replay value is extremely high. I needed to take down one of the Kartel’s leaders in his fancy mansion. I heard he wanted a new tattoo, so I thought it was time to find the artist.
Once I found the tattoo artist, I had to take him down unseen, steal his outfit, and enter the mansion. Taking down the tattoo artist showed me the freedom of choice once more. I found him standing in a bar and had a couple of options. I could poison the drink or I could lure him outside by throwing a coin at the door, forcing him to step out of the bar. Whatever I picked, I needed to succeed as I could only enter the mansion dressed as a tattoo artist. It’s amazing to see how much you need to do before you can actually land your kill. If I wanted to enter the mansion dressed as the tattoo artist, I also needed to drop my gun outside in order to get through the security. Hitman 2 really puts you into the shoes of a hitman so you’ll really need to adapt to your environments and target each and every time. It’s amazing that the team added this many possible paths while you never lose control over your actions.
Find your own style
It’s clear that the developers want you to follow the Mission Stories since these result in the most rewarding deaths of your target. Following these stories and clearing them as you’re supposed to, is perhaps the best way to play Hitman 2 but again, you’re never forced to do so. Since my hands-on session was timed, I eliminated my remaining two targets with a bit more freedom. I approached them both in similar ways. By taking down one of their guards, I dressed as one of their own and tried to sneak as close as possible to my target. Once I was in range, I killed them using my silenced gun. Needless to say, this approach turned a lot of heads and I literally had to fight my way to freedom. Yes, you can play Hitman 2 as a third person action shooter but it’s clearly not meant to be played like this.
I managed to kill both targets and I managed to escape Colombia in safety but I wasn’t satisfied. Hitman 2 allows you to take your own path and use your own personal style but it’s meant as a stealth game. I killed three targets and only one using the Mission Story. If I would have got the time to replay this level I would certainly do so. I managed to kill my last two targets but it was far from satisfying. It’s clever to see how the developers push you in a certain direction even though you never knew you wanted to go there.
Early Conclusion:
I really enjoyed my time with Hitman 2 and the Colombia map offers a lot of possibilities. It’s a shame I didn’t follow all the Mission Stories because killing my targets without proper preparation didn’t feel right. I can’t wait to replay this level and pick a different approach and I certainly can’t wait to discover the other locations. Hitman 2 is right on track to become one of the best in the franchise.
