Now here is a sequel that is bigger and better on virtually every level. The story is more developed and there are much more cut-scenes. All are well done. There are more levels with greatly varied terrain and all sorts of obstacles. Each location that you travel to is a mini campaign of sorts with several missions that follow each other back to back. One of the locations, Japan, has you landing in a valley, sneaking past well protected check points and sniper towers to a castle's gates. Then making your way past the gate in the next mission and finally, in the third, taking out the head of an international crime syndicate in his castle. This high alpine fortress comes complete with patrolling guards, basements, and a courtyard with a helicopter. I couldn't help but notice a parallel to one of my favorite movies of all time, "Where Eagles Dare." Better yet, just like in that classic action movie, there is nothing preventing you from starting a castle wide shootout in one of the many corridors! Though, be careful, if your target escapes, you failed.
Another interesting addition that "Silent Assassin" has is your performance evaluation for the assignment that you have just completed. Unlike the first where you received a paycheck, which was only deducted from if you killed cops and civilians, here you are evaluated on stealth and aggression. This is a much funner system since in the first game many players inevitably saw the bug that when you have accumulated money by the game's later levels, you could essentially kill without remorse. Some levels didn't even have civilians or cops so you could turn them into your own killing ground, like Schwarzenegger did at the end of "Commando." Technically there is nothing stopping you here from doing that, but if you want the prized Silent Assassin rating and the bonus weapons that come with it, you'll have to be discreet. Ironically, when awarded the Silent Assassin bonus weapons that come in the shape of assault rifles and generally better guns, you can't really use them to get the rating on later levels. And there is no option to replay levels that you have completed, thus your new weapons end up being strictly for show. Though, they do come in handy on one particular level... I'll leave that for you to figure out.
Yet another change from the original is the option to switch from third person view to first person (invaluable in aiming) and the ability to save mid-level. There are three difficulty settings, on the hardest of which you have no mid-level saves, unless you're awarded them for tasks completed), and on the easiest you have plenty so beginners of the series might find this a more pleasant experience that the first game. And experts will be pleased with the fact that "Silent Assassin" is much longer with at least twice as many missions than the first and cool little features, such as being able to use a golf club as a weapon and the ability to peak through keyholes. Though it's a shame the mini-gun from the first game is strangely absent from this one. But no matter, the bigger weapons selection makes up for it.
If "Hitman" was engrossing with its premise and gameplay, then "Hitman 2: Silent Assassin" is dangerously addictive. Better in almost everyway. --- 9/10
Rated MATURE for violence
