Warner Bros. Interactive invited us to play the first mission of Hitman 2 at Gamescom 2018. It’s the same Miami mission we got a brief glimpse of when the game was announced, but we came out of it with a full Hitman 2 gameplay video for you to watch.
You can watch me silently eliminate the two targets in the video below.
It may not be evident in the gameplay video, because I’m such an amazing assassin (please ignore the unconscious witness and the multiple times I got caught on camera), but Hitman 2 isn’t just “more Hitman.” Well. it is “more Hitman” but also “better Hitman.”
IO Interactive worked hard on improving and adding new gameplay features. The Hitman 2 gameplay I recorded doesn’t show most of them, but we did get to see them in action in a different, hands-off demo.
As a long time fan of Hitman, the new feature I’m most excited about is the briefcase. It may sound trivial, but being able to carry a sniper rifle in an inconspicuous briefcase is a hallmark of the series. It’s also handy when going for these Sniper Assassin challenges.
Judging by the Miami mission I played, there a going to be a lot more video cameras around, so finding and destroying any video evidence is crucial. Luckily, another new feature helps you locate where the evidence is stored without searching every square inch of the level.
Agent 47 can now use his special instinct vision to follow a camera’s wiring. It doesn’t look like you can follow them all the way to the source, but you will be able to get a notion of the general direction you should search. It’s helpful without making the whole thing too easy.
We also learned that if you’re caught on camera in a restricted area, guards will arrive either to escort you out or to take you down. It’s a neat little touch that demonstrates how the AI was improved for the second season. They can also spot you in mirrors now, which is impressive.
Speaking of AI, Agent 47 can now use the random people around the level to his advantage by blending in with the crowd. You can see in the Hitman 2 gameplay video just how packed The Miami level is – more people than I saw in any of Hitman’s levels so far. From now on they won’t just be potential witnesses, but also a tool for you to use to infiltrate or lose your pursuers.
Another way to sneak past guards is hiding in vegetation. High grass or bushes can now conceal you while you crouch, though I’m not sure if you can also use it to hide bodies.
Either way, this new ability will surely be useful in the newly announced Colombia mission.
With all its improvements, Hitman 2 marks a new beginning for the Hitman series. It is the first game in the series released under its new publisher Warner Bros. Interactive. However, according to the developers, it’s also going to be the final Hitman game.
Starting with Hitman 2, everything “Hitman” will be under one roof – no more separate titles, only new content.
To emphasize this bold new direction, IO Interactive is bundling the first season of Hitman together with the second. If you buy Hitman 2, you get the complete first season for free.
Essentially, you can start the game by playing the Paris mission of season one, and play all the way to the end of Hitman 2. What’s cool is that all past content, from Paris to Hokkaido, Japan, will enjoy all the improvements that are coming to season 2.
If you own the first season and don’t feel like moving on to the second one right away, you’ll also be getting the upgraded Hitman experience free of charge.
Hitman 2 is coming November 13 for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
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