Even though the publisher has changed, Hitman 2 has the same development team as its predecessor to carry on the revival of a once great franchise. The Gamescom presentation hosted by IO Interactive first pointed out that owners of Hitman 2 will get all of the content released for the first game for free. In addition to that, it will be updated to incorporate new gameplay features introduced in the sequel.
I was shown video footage of how some new elements changed the way you approached missions in the previous game. You can now carry a briefcase around, which is extremely useful in hiding a sniper rifle or any other tool you wish to take with you. You can now hide in foliage and maps will be changed to increase the density of plant life while cameras will now show you what they have recorded. In addition to new features, crowd density, main character models and enemy AI will all be improved from the original game. Owners of Hitman will get these changes for free. They have aimed to make Hitman 2 the definitive Hitman experience, and that is the reason the previous game will be included in its entirety and the latest one will be updated with new game modes and maps.
After the opening presentation, I got to play a mission from the upcoming title, set around a race track in Miami. My targets were Robert and Sierra Knox, heads of a robotics company that also supplies next-gen military tech. Upon starting the game, I immediately started looking for opportunities. I found out that Sierra was set to meet with a mascot in a pink flamingo outfit, who was blackmailing her. After taking his outfit and gathering the papers using which he was blackmailing, I went to meet her in an alley and killed her with a brick, before quietly walking out, in search of my next target.
Things got a lot messier when I faced Robert. I had planned on completing the opportunity to sabotage his car, forcing him to come down and take a look. But my plans failed as I got spotted multiple times and had left a trail of bodies behind. I had managed to kill Robert by sneaking up on him but was spotted in the process and things turned for the worse. Subject to chase and gunfire, I ran everywhere I could, fighting all of the enemies that came in my way before finally getting out in one piece and completing my mission.
Although I did not get to play the demo again, as expected there were many opportunities present in that mission that I could not start or experience. As I was playing the game. I realised that Hitman 2 is as true a sequel can get. It’s as if the developers said to the audience, “You want more Hitman, you got more Hitman” and I mean that as a compliment. The previous game that released in 2016 was favourably received and was a lot of fun to play, and I would be completely against changing any of its core loops. They can expand upon it by adding to the map variety, implementing more over-the-top and hilarious opportunities while also incorporating QOL features, that Hitman 2 seems to have already succeeded in.
The absurd nature of the things you can do in this game will not get old anytime soon, and I cannot wait to see what new maps as well as opportunities they have in store for the final release and after launch.
By: Parth Bagaria
