Difficulty:

Just Right

Time Spent:

100 or More Hours

The Bottom Line:

"Best in series"

Did Hitman: Codename 47 feel lacking at all? Like it was an excellent idea, but was executed in a far from perfect manner?

Play this game. Seriously. Those issues that plagued the first game: pretty much all fixed. Controls are tightened, being disguised doesn't make the game a cake-walk (due to the new tension meter), there are far more options to complete a given mission (for the most part), etc.

What else is added into the mix is a great variety of missions in very different locations, a rating system that gauges your success (which also inspires you to see if you can obtain the "silent assassin" rating) and most importantly we learn more about our "hero" 47 whose cold-and-yet-extremely-likable-demeanor brings even more life to the game. The story itself is improved as it is a tale of a somewhat emotionally disconnected individual yearning to find something different in himself, which is the whole motivation for all the missions: to find his kidnapped friend. And after all is done, 47 only comes to a realization that, well, I don't wanna give it away, but it makes him feel like a really fleshed out character with an actual motivation unlike so many empty characters from other lesser games.

There are many missions in this game, the most seen in the series, and almost all of them offer several options to executing your objective (whether if it is assassination, rescue, planting bugs, etc). Of course the best option is opting for the "silent assassin" style (in which there are still many ways to attaining it on some missions), which basically requires: not being detecting and killing no one but the target. I mean after all, you're a professional, not psychotic gun man action hero (though you can play the game like that, it just isn't as gratifying).

Of course this game isn't without issues. For instance, the A.I. wasn't improved that much and it is still really easy to literally kill off every armed guard within a single doorway even on the hardest difficulty. Another issue is that gun play isn't that gratifying because the weapons seem too lack the certain "umphfffff" of other games, but it's just passable. But then again, if you really want to enjoy this game, you shouldn't be tripping alarms or being a madman, so these issues are somewhat forgivable.

Just play this game if you haven't already.