Hitman 2: Silent Assassin Interview

One thing we all like to do here at AT is find new and innovative ways to pull pranks on one another. Gone are the days of the outright rubber band wars, the paper ball fights, the hurling of hostile words over screens to those we wanted to annoy. Nowadays, the prankster requires stealth, cunning, and ingenuity. The old Water Balloon Whoopie Cushion is one of my personal favorites, but when people are on their guard, how do you get to them? These situations are taken to the extreme in EIDOS's offering of Hitman 2: Silent Assassin. In this game, the player retakes the role of the bald badass Agent 47, a very lethal individual who uses guile, wit, stealth, and a host of badass weaponry to execute hits on any poor, unlucky soul who deserves it.

I enjoyed the original game immensely, and when we got an opportunity to speak with Clayton Palma, one of the producers from EIDOS, I was very excited. Here's what came of it:

You’ve been drinking quite enough for one day. Come on let’s get you home.

Let me look at those teeth. Don’t worry I was a dentist before I became a hitman.

Action Trip: When compared to the previous game, where and when does exactly Hitman 2: Silent Assassin begin? Can you reveal a bit of the story players will find themselves in?

Clayton Palma: After the events of the first game, Agent 47 (the Hitman) seeks refuge in an old monastery in Sicily. With the weight of his guilt on his shoulders, he confesses his sins to the only man he trusts, the priest Vittorio. A powerful crime lord discovers his location and kidnaps Vittorio in order to blackmail 47 into taking out some enemies. The Hitman is forced back into his violent trade in order to save the priest.

As the story unfolds, 47 picks up contracts in exotic locations around the globe like Russia, Japan, Malaysia, and India. The themes of religion, redemption, and repentance provide a stark contrast to the ultra-violent action in the game.

AT: One of the things I really enjoyed in the previous game was the strategy aspect of gameplay. Does Hitman 2 maintain the emphasis of gameplay on tactics?

CP: Most definitely. Planning out your course of action and then executing it cleanly is very important to successfully accomplishing the hit.

There are multiple ways to complete a mission and the levels are much more open-ended in design. The stealth element is back in full force, more so than the first game. Sneaking, silent kills, hiding dead bodies, donning disguises - it's all back and made better and more sophisticated than before.

The fruit of all this focus on stealth is our new ranking system, which rates the player at the end of each mission and also gives him an overall rating. The rating is based on the number of saves used, shots fired, innocent casualties, enemies alerted, etc...It is a very detailed report that keeps track of most of your stats in the game. With this system in place, the truly best Hitman players can compare their stats with each other, and those who achieve the Silent Assassin rating will truly have bragging rights.

AT: What can you say are the most obvious enhancements in terms of enemy AI?

CP: Enemies have a more realistic reaction to any suspicious act that the player does. For instance, disguising yourself as one of the guards isn't totally full proof. When you run around like a lunatic or get too close to them, the AI will definitely get suspicious. You have to play the part to attract the least amount of attention to yourself.

In a firefight, the enemies will be formidable foes. They will use any available cover and take potshots at you.

Lastly, all the enemies now speak their OWN language! This was one of the criticisms from the first game that we have addressed:

AT: Is chatting with various NPCs an important aspect during the missions?

Indoor target practice.

Speak ‘friend’ and enter.

CP: We've downplayed the conversation elements during missions, though there are still some instances when you need to get info from a contact. As a silent assassin, Hitman should be in and out without ANYONE noticing him at the scene of the crime.

AT: Besides putting on disguises and sneaking around discreetly, what else can our "Silent Assassin" pull off in order to successfully complete a mission?

CP: Sometimes, direct contact with the target isn't entirely needed. The player can also choose to use sniper rifles from a distance in some cases. The game engine allows bullet penetration through doors and windows. Also, a well-placed car bomb will do the job; and distraction items like the pager-and-phone combo works wonders on isolating overly curious guards.

AT: Give us a sample of some of the new weaponry and items we'll get to use throughout the game. Out of all the available weapons and hitman-times in the game, what can you say is your personal favorite?

CP: I'm a big fan of "up-close and personal" kills, and nothing's more personal than a clean strangulation on an unsuspecting victim using the fiber wire. However, just to give you a sense of the impressive weaponry in the game, we have multiple pistols ranging from silenced Beretta's to 47's trademark dual Hardballers. Assault rifles, submachine guns, and shotguns provide midrange firepower, while sniper rifles like the Dragunov and WA2000 let you take out targets from very impressive distances. To be honest though, even with Hitman 2's staggering arsenal of death, the best "hits" are accomplished using unconventional yet ingenious methods. Without giving anything away, poison works wonders when eliminating specific people, and bad guys needing heart surgery should ALWAYS make sure that their doctor is the one performing the operation:

AT: Explain a little bit more about the significant inventory changes.

CP: We have eliminated the pre-mission shopping from the first game. All equipment is placed on each level and acquired during play. The player is then able to carry over weapons from any of the previous levels if he so chooses.

AT: The original game had a few snags that annoyed most players out there. One of these was the excluded save game option. Also, players didn't get to keep any items after a completed mission. Have you made any changes regarding such issues?

CP: Both issues have been definitely addressed. Players can now save and load the game at ANY time. The number of saves is limited by the difficulty setting. As far as weapons and items, the player can store any equipment he finds within his Weapon Shed, where it is readily available for the next missions. Hitman can only carry a set amount of weapons at a time - usually only one rifle in addition to the pistols. Players will have to analyze the mission requirements and bring along the appropriate weapons to use. For instance, sniper rifles will be useless in the confines of an office building, but silenced pistols are godlike.

AT: What sort of improvements did your in-house Glacier engine allow you to make in Hitman 2?

CP: We feature real-time lighting and shadows, with the possibility of breaking lights and switching them on & off. Hitman 2 will have more detailed character models and textures, impressive weather effects, and a host of bells and whistles to satisfy the hardcore gamers.

AT: What's the current development status of Hitman 2? Are there any plans for Hitman 3 perhaps?

CP: We are putting the finishing touches to the game, so expect it in stores very soon. We believe we have a very strong franchise with the Hitman series, and we fully expect 47's adventures to continue after Hitman 2: