Pros: because I wear them at night
Cons: so I can, so I can
The bottom line: watch you weave then breathe your story lines
Ah, the hitman, such a fascinating subject. The hitman is a mercenary, one hired by a private-sector security company and done so for the sole purpose of carrying out executions for big business moguls and assorted tyrants. The hitman is anonymous, often independent, discreet, skilled, and sometimes brilliant. Scratch that: always brilliant. The hitman is prepared for anything: a master of the sciences, his knowledge is augmented quite nicely by his talents in marksmenship and the martial arts. He is an unstoppable killing force - perhaps the apex of humanity. To be a hitman is to be what Francis Dollarhyde could not.

Of course, as gamers, many of us are fat, lazy slobs with little inclination to exercise or even move, period. To expect that kind of expertise and physical perfection of us is to cross the line that divides sanity from madness. Because of this ineptitude (and I know that some of you are "fit", and I really don't care), the only way a gamer will ever pick off mafia bosses and terrorists with sniper rifles, is through the medium to which they are almost irretrievably chained. This is where Hitman 2 comes in. Playing as Agent 47, the guy who no gamer will ever be and who could probably kill every gamer in a manner of seconds without much retaliation, the player is thrust into a world which he will never see -- but definitely one that he will remember.

After the events of the last game (presumably), Agent 47 finds himself in a little known villa in Italy, repenting his sins at the local church. When the priest, a friend and mentor to 47, is kidnapped, the 'retired' hitman is forced to co-operate with the agency he once worked for in order to gain information. So as 47, it is the player's job to carry out whatever deeds the much-shrouded Agency sets before him, confined by a conscious uncharacteristic - but unintrusive to - his line of work.

Most missions have a couple of objectives set at the beginning as the manifesto is being relayed, although a few anomalies append the list during the mission itself while others alter the contents. These tasks can be anything from stealing a document to killing a terrorist. Although many missions set an order for the completion of each task, a few allow some leeway - usually the better ones.

If you happen to recall GoldenEye and Medal of Honor's stealth missions, understanding Hitman 2 will be a lot easier. The solitary difference here is that, while in either of those you would risk failing the mission by blowing your cover, in Hitman 2 you have a choice. Run and gun or play Solid Snake - it's up to you. You can even do a bit of both. It is this freedom that is one of the more alluring characteristics of Hitman 2; the ability to experiment, form multiple strategies, or simply go on a hunting spree. Even after 24 levels of the same type of gameplay, I still had (and have) an urge to replay each of them, opting for a better rating, more weaponry, or a cleaner getaway. This game has the lastability of an RPG, at least.

The gameplay engine itself is excellent, although not flawless. Maneuvering through the terrains of your Indias and Russias is made comfortable and precise by way of a control scheme that allows fluid movement and fast weapon changing and reloading. Sneaking and hiding techniques are also included - an obviously crucial element of stealth - and each is handled nicely. Thankfully, the AI doesn't defy logic by not seeing you if you're crouching in plain view. A lot of action games have been rendered bitterly easy by way of such fallacious AI.

Speaking of the AI, it is well programmed... in most cases. There are still some instances where shooting a guard will not alarm him, and yet other instances where facing some guards from far away will incite violent reactions. Otherwise, the AI stays sharp, offering various reactions to careless player movement - everything from turning around to survey the area, to actually changing their course to investigate a suspicious guard or unknown sound. In another commendable feat, guards will actually inform each other of what 47 is wearing if you steal someone's clothing and they find the body. If only all AI could meet such a standard, gaming would generally be a lot more pleasant.

Another awesome aspect of the gameplay is the ability to use the environment - buildings, ledges, cliffsides - to your advantage. Whether it is hiding behind a corner, crouching below the side of a stairwell, or sniping a soldier through a keyhole, the environment in each mission can prove very helpful. And it can also be an impediment as well. The crosshairs, for instance, don't tell the full story, as shooting a target from a perched position (as with a sniper rifle) may result in shooting the actual ledge itself. In other cases, dubious entry points can arbitrarily deny access to the protagonist, leaving him (you) stuck in what could be a room full of armed cultists or something. Then again, fine-tuning never was Eidos' bag.

Although offering no useless multiplayer mode or internet feature (because hell or high water, EVERY game has to be online compatible), Hitman 2 maintains a high replay value with its rating system, 24 missions, and strategic flexibility. In a true test of skill, achieving the coveted Silent Assassin rating can only be done by avoiding unnecessary aggression, finding and employing disguises, and usually indirectly murdering the target. While that may sound easy, with myriad guards and a high risk of being found out, the challenge is steep. I don't know what is achieved through consistent Silent Assassin ratings, but whatever the embellishments, the ego boost is enough for me.

Graphically, Hitman 2 makes a pretty steep compromise. In exchange for visual excellence, it has given us large levels with but one initial load time. Whether that makes it better is hard to say. On one hand, fluidity; not being hampered by load times or slowdown, is truly a beautiful thing. On the other, Silent Assassin looks like a Dreamcast game. The agent himself is laughable: so few polygons went into his model that I wonder whether this actually was originally a DC project. Textures can be bland too, and the draw distance has a weird obscuring effect that makes far-off objects look triangular and active. While sprawling levels and no slowdown or clipping is a great thing, when a game looks this bad and it's coming out of the second generation of the most powerful console, it's kind of pathetic.

It's not like this couldn't have been improved. I have a feeling that it's merely another instance of Eidos' aversion to fine-tuning: a rush job port from a weaker system, done so in a manner that undermines the capabilities of the XBox. It's a shame that an experience this grand is presented so poorly.

Sound, on the other hand, is excellent. The skills of the Budapest Symphony Orchestra are put to use here with amazing results. The haunting orchestra complements the reverberations of gunfire in such a way that the experience is almost cinematic. And the sound effects are equally pleasing. The palate consists of many realistic, bone-jarring, and intensifying effects including gun fire and shattering glass. If not for some laughable voice acting (see: Murder at the Bazaar), this would be the closest VG audio has come to perfection since Chrono Cross.

A magnificent albeit flawed game, Hitman 2: Silent Assassin is redeemed by its amazing gameplay and high replay value. I can't imagine anyone disliking it for its gameplay. Marred by crude graphics, it still comes highly recommended to everyone. Who knows, it may even convert a few graphics whores.