Hitman 2 Review: 5 Ups & 5 Downs

Ups...

5. Missions Are Dynamic & Ludicrously Addictive

Though the game comes with "only" six missions - and the first is a disappointingly boxed-in affair - the back-five are among some of the finest the series has ever served up.

What really makes Hitman 2 so fun to play is the freedom granted to the player as they approach each assassination, and it's entirely possible for two passes through a level to be almost completely different. You can be stealthy, you can be Rambo, or you can switch-up between the two if you make shrewd use of disguises and cover.

In addition to the NPCs and environmental objects you can interact with to enact your will, there are also a number of optional Mission Stories within each mission, tangential side-stories which you can pursue in order to make your eventual kill that much more satisfying.

Given that some of these stories can take you up to an hour - especially in the game's demanding final mission - seeing them finally payoff is intensely rewarding.

The series sure has come a long way from its more frustrating and restrictive earlier days, that's for sure.