Players will once again assume control over 47, a professionally trained killer feared the world over for his previous “jobs.” The legends that have grown around 47’s work have literally likened him to Keyser Soze for his ability to kill and disappear without detection. He took and fulfilled tasks given to him by his employers, a secret international organization called The Agency. However, after discovering his origins in the first game, 47 decided to retire from the business and take up a more peaceful existence. As Hitman 2 starts, it’s apparent that he’s managed to start a new life as a groundskeeper for a small Sicilian church. Seeking penance for the lives he’s ended and the destruction he’s wrought, he frequently attends confession and donates large sums of his blood money to the church.

Fortunately for 47, his skills haven’t degraded in the slightest. As a matter of fact, everything surrounding the sanctuary turns into a base of operations. A scarecrow turns into a practice dummy for garroting. His living quarters becomes his communications center, where he contacts The Agency and receives information about his next mission. The tool shed on the grounds doubles as an equipment room. Here, he can store weapons and items from past missions, as well as prepare for his next assignment. The weapons list has been increased, with more than 25 different wieldable arms available for enemy destruction. Everything from 47’s trusty HardBallers and piano-wire garrote to submachine guns and sniper rifles will eventually adorn the walls of the shed as potential options to take on operations.

This also means that you won’t have to go in and blow everyone away. Instead, removing those guards in the immediate way of your target will usually ensure the most success within missions. This is dramatically brought to life with the inverse kinematics worked into Hitman’s engine, which literally measures the direction and force of a bullet’s impact upon a body and makes it react accordingly. So, a thug shot in the head with a sniper rifle is going to have a different reaction than one shot in the chest with a shotgun. This also applies to the bodies as well, allowing you to pick up and drag someone by the arm or foot towards safer, more undetectable areas.

Vocal delivery within the title is very nice, with 47’s somber, direct tone leading the way for the rest of the actors. There is a decent mix of dialogue that mixes English with other languages, but for the most part, this comes across seamlessly and conversationally. An orchestral overtone with choir underscores the action, with swells occurring during dramatic moments of cutscenes and battles. Additionally, sound effects are very well done, and match nicely with onscreen action.