Hitman returns with style in a more mainstreamed installement. The challenge of the game isn't to kill and survive like in the original but to do it silently, undetected, only killing your target, hence the title. You get to save your progress through each mission and they are harder to fail (the larger ones are also broken down into several segments). You don't feel the same tension and the game doesn't build up like the original, but all the settings are fun with some hilarious details. The soundtrack is more operatic and less moody to get you through the slightly less intricate missions this time around. You are not forced to choose the smarter path. You can even play like a pig and go through levels as a 'slayer' or a 'mass murderer' and still make it to the end of the game in less than 10 hours.

Hitman, is doubtlessly my favourite game franchise ever.
As my first experience with that genre, the Hitman series litterally turned me into a stealth weirdo.
I'll review the first four games at once for more clarity. (As I haven't played Absolution)

I still remember back in my college days, when I borrowed Hitman : Codename 47 from a good friend of mine. He said "You will see, it's an amazing game! Non-linear, and you can choose the way you want to complete your objectives and kill your targets! For instance, there is that mission in which you can disguise as a waiter and poison the food!"

(I didn't know yet, that much later when I tried that mission, I would just end up on the roof, and snipe the target from a little concealed window, because screw the poisonned food! Hiding on the roof like a coward was the way I did it.)

And I instantly loved that game. I was so much fun! I spent my evenings on it, struggling with the hardest missions, but enjoying them nonetheless. Eh. killing a drug lord with a minigun has its own benefits. Two weeks later, I gave the game back to my friend and said "Boy, it was epic."

You will easily understand how big my stupefaction was, when he told me they did a sequel called Silent Assassin ! I reacted like a fangirl : "I NEED TO PLAY DIS NAOW. NAAAAAOW !"

Besides, I'd like to thank my friend Liam sooo much for gifting me the whole Hitman collection for Christmas 2012. Liam if you read this, you're awesome and I love you.

Then I got the opportunity to try the second game, which improved a lot from the first. More freedom, an incredible amount of missions, and a really clever plot ! It's a must-have for all Stealth lovers around here, and some of the best Hitman missions are to be found in that second episode.

I mean, you can even murder evil twins, one of them eating crisps and pizzas in the basement of a Malaysian airport, the other relaxing in his jacuzzi at the top of a highly guarded skyscraper. How amazing is that, really !

I then, tried Blood Money, for the fact everyone recommended that game over the two previous ones. Graphically, it was a stunning improvement. But the gameplay was a lot deeper : body hiding, weapon customisation, beverage poisoning, etc... Blood Money is the core of all good stealth mechanics. And those custom newspaper articles at the end of each mission are hilarious!
Blood Money is worth gold, and I really recommend your to play it once.

I finally acquired Contracts, as known as Silent Assassin's spiritual sequel, which subtly links the events from the original game, with a certain chapter found in Blood Money's cutscenes.

Apart from Contracts being a much darker game than the others - although it fits the plot perfectly -, it's an awesome addition to the series.
Half of the missions are remakes of the memorable ones from Codename 47; and I do not allude to the "cheap" remakes based on graphical improvements. No, those missions had be redesigned completely, the objectives are the same, but the layout of the maps and the buildings have changed, and there's even more places to explore, and exciting ways to finish your job successfully.

Well, I could talk about Hitman for hours, or relate my funniest anecdotes, but the best you could do for now, is try by yourself and take control of the well-known Agent 47 for the best assignments of your life.

Hitman : Codename 47 - 16/20
Hitman : Silent Assassin - 18/20
Hitman : Contracts - 17/20
Hitman : Blood Money - 18/20

Codename 47 was a success, a success that needed a sequel. And what do the good sequels do? Fix what's broken, evolve what's working. And Silent Assassin does that...kinda. Unfortunately, not always right. The overall structure of the game remained the same - you have a map where you need to do something, preferably unnoticed, and then, usually, leave the area. But how you do it is slightly different. First of all, and that is important for more... kind, i guess, players like me, - you can knock out enemies with a chloroform instead of killing them. This also means, that now you can knock out innocent people in the area and use their clothes almost without any consequences. Almost, because knocked out people do regain consciousness (quicker on higher difficulty), and because there is a new meter. Yes, starting with this game there is a "suspicion" meter in play. And it's rather stupid, unfortunately. When you are seen by enemy/guard-type characters, their "suspicion" goes up. It's universal for the map and it can only be slightly changed by what you are wearing at the moment. But it didn't work as well as in later installments, with lots of smaller "if"s in play, where enemy/guard character could truly be described as "suspicious" and not "crazy and paranoid" and willing to shoot a hotel visitor just because he made a wrong turn (and yes, this can happen). What's also sad, is that the infamous jungle chapters from Codename 47, are here as well, only now you're in snowy Japan. Why would developers want to leave this kind of section in the game is still something i don't understand. But it's a solid game. Not yet as refined as Contracts and Blood Money, but not as raw and hardcore-ish as Codename 47. Definitely worth the play. P.S. Jesper Kyd's music is amazing as always. P.P.S. You can now save in the game, if that put you off in Codename 47. Amount of saves depends on the difficulty level. P.P.P.S. The game is ridiculous to play if you speak russian. Russian stereotypes in this game are amazingly funny. Game even starts with a very harsh russian profanity, it's the first thing you hear when you start the game.

Disguised as a chef and stood around the kitchen. A guard walks in and kills me. 10/10 would stealth again.

First game I ever played in the Hitman series. Great stater, the AI is a bit difficult but the concept and actual gameplay is fantastic.

10/10 would reccomend to anyone willing to play a sligtly older game.

Before playing, I recommend using this widescreen resolution fix.

A follow-up to Codename 47, Silent Assassin improves the gameplay by adding various features and fixing some problems from its predecessor. While the story is not so interesting, the gameplay is unique which keeps you entertained until the end. There's an FPS mode to make this game more interesting (and you can see legs too!). You can also save anywhere (most of the time), but limited to a certain number of times.

Bald people simulator 2002.

Old But Gold !
a Milestone in Computergame history!

Hmm...
*rubs chin*

Hitman 2: Silent Assassin is the first Hitman game I've ever played. It's the one that got me hooked to this fantastic franchise. Why? After all the game is buggy, unforgiving, and even frustrating at times. It isn't an easy way into the world of the contract killer 47, which is cold and unwelcoming, this game is a wild beast that won't be tamed.

And this is exactly why Hitman 2 is still my favorite installment of the franchise. It tells the bold story of a man in quest of redemption who falls back in spite of himself into the dark world where he belongs. All he needs is a target and a prize to do what he does best.

In short, the music is perfect, the gameplay is fluid, the kills oddly satisfying. This game is a diamond in the rough, if you're not playing it (or any of the other Hitman games for that matter) you're doing yourself a disservice.

You help a priest out doing small work around the church. You put away the hitman life until, one day the priest gets abducted from a mafia member and you must rescue him! You then start doing your blood money business.


Con
All weapons you see in the shed you cannot OWN THEM ALL

This game is a lot easier to setup for Windows 7 than its predecessor.

Hitman 2: Silent Assassin improves on its predecessor in a variety of ways. First off you now have a toolshed that you visit after every mission where you store weapons that you have collected from across your contracts.

Hitman 2 still follows the same formula as Codename 47 in which you go around the globe performing hits in open-world environments, with multiple paths to eliminate targets. The disguise system has been revised so that you can actually be detected, but only if you approach someone too closely or caught doing uncharacterly acts such as sneaking or sprinting. Hitman 2 introduces a new rating system, which encourages stealth to achieve the Silent Assassin rating to unlock new weapons.

This time around Agent 47 actually appears to have a goal in the story, in which his friend is kidnapped by the mafia. Agent 47 then comes out of retirement to work for the Agency in exchange for information on his friend's whereabouts. Although it quickly becomes apparent that it seems like just another hitman game performing contracts (Not saying the contracts aren't fun) without any goal until towards the very end of the game.

Graphics again, not amazing but it's an old game so who cares. 8/10 - A good sequel to Codename 47.

Good game, I have it on disk and now when I noticed that it's on steam I decided to buy it. Oldschool game and it has alot of memories !

Press ~ , then type GOD 1 and GIVEALL 1 in the console. And you're all set.

That tomato's pretty nicely modeled.

RECOMMENDED

For real men only.

I just killed a guy with a axe dressed up as a ninja 10/10 would dress up again

Keep your pea-shooter handy! Great game, I highly reccomend you get this game, and when I mean get I mean get your credit card in hand and purchase this game, if you pirate it I hope you kindly sufficate in sand as a monkey fondles you WHILE Agent47 Fiber Wires you >:D

Mon premier Hitman, et restera le meilleur. Pourquoi ? Car on a vraiment l'impression d'assister à une aventure grandiose (ce qui n'est pas le cas des autres), qui à chaque mission nous surprant dans une délicatesse rare avec un gameplay souple et fun. Coup de maître aussi pour Jesper Kyd et l'orchestre symphonique de Budapest. Respect !

Jeu d'infiltration, difficile en étant discret, mais avec de nombreuses possibilités d'approche de ses objectifs, ce qui le rend fun et finalement accessible. Vous incarnez un tueur à gages, qui désormais veut rompre avec le passé et effectuer de bonnes action malgré les évènements. Scénario et ambiance assassin assez bien rendus.