Hitman

[H-O-W-L]

I'd love to get the expansion pass, but since I only paid $20 for the base game it seems daft to spend twice that for two more levels. Not IOI's fault of course, but I've got to be a cheapskate in this economy.

Are you on PC or console?

EDIT: Just saw, you're on PS4. A shame. GreenManGaming puts the expass up for sale a LOT on PC.

[Noodle Lizard]

Yes, the PS Store is remarkably unforgiving!

I've gotten my wife into it recently, never played a Hitman game before. Sat with her while she tried to figure out levels like Miami and Paris. Wouldn't take any of my advice, which is fair enough, I suppose; it's a game to figure out for yourself. But she'd waste poison on the first drink she found, just because she assumed that's what it was there for, or needlessly snap the necks of non-targets she'd subdued because it made her feel powerful. She publicly lobbed a wrench at the flamingo mascot's head because she thought he was "up to something".

Grounds For Divorce: "Didn't respect the Silent Assassin ranking"

[Natnar]

i do hope in Hitman 3 that they actually do something with the levelling up points. Maybe every 50 or 100 levels you unlock stuff. Once you've got full mastery of each location there's not really much else that happens.

[H-O-W-L]

Yes, the PS Store is remarkably unforgiving!

I've gotten my wife into it recently, never played a Hitman game before. Sat with her while she tried to figure out levels like Miami and Paris. Wouldn't take any of my advice, which is fair enough, I suppose; it's a game to figure out for yourself. But she'd waste poison on the first drink she found, just because she assumed that's what it was there for, or needlessly snap the necks of non-targets she'd subdued because it made her feel powerful. She publicly lobbed a wrench at the flamingo mascot's head because she thought he was "up to something".

Grounds For Divorce: "Didn't respect the Silent Assassin ranking"

I'm going to be honest your wife sounds like what the kids these days refer to as an 'absolute chad'.

[Kryton]

https://youtu.be/km_DYozYh54

Good video about the AI and sandbox elements.

[rack and peanut]

Expansion pass for hitman 2 is about a tenner on Steam right now

[Kryton]

Slowly making progress in the Sniper/Silent Assassin/Suit only 'classic' achievements (not the game-mode).

That endorphin rush when you pull it off is incredible.
In fact I've rediscovered my love for this game now that I understand the mechanics more. I feel like I'm at a good skill level now and I can read the levels a lot more. Accident kills, distractions and knowing when to hide/run/kill is becoming second nature.

Player created contracts can be a mixed bag, but there's some gems and some good ways to tick off achievements - The Featured contracts are even better and make good use of the details in the levels.

Tonight I think I'm going to have a pop at some of my more disliked levels like Marrakesh and Hokkaido (I imagine trying to get sniper assassin on Hokkaido is hard fucking work).

Also I was thinking last night that there's still areas in most levels that I've not seen or explored, so I might plan a day of exploration and see what I'm missing.

--

Also the elusive targets in my opinion are a great idea, but handled incorrectly. It's not fair that people who bought the game in say 2019 will have missed previous ET's - so I think it would have been better to tie them in to the account, i.e they're all there from the start and you can only attempt them once. It's the same principle but saves fans missing out on targets and rewards.

--

Also not played multiplayer yet - is it any good? Ghost mode?

[Noodle Lizard]

Tonight I think I'm going to have a pop at some of my more disliked levels like Marrakesh and Hokkaido (I imagine trying to get sniper assassin on Hokkaido is hard fucking work).

That's kind of my problem with the Sniper Assassin challenge on a lot of these levels - it's really unrealistic. When you look up how to do SASO on some of the newer levels especially, it involves a convoluted manipulation of RNG and basically knocking out your target, walking right up to them and pulling out your sniper rifle to "snipe" them at point-blank range. Surely that's not what you're supposed to do, but on maps like Sgail there is absolutely no feasible way to properly snipe both targets.

Hokkaido likewise. You can just about manufacture a way to snipe the lady, but for the bloke on the operating table you basically need to either wander into the operating room and snipe him or snipe his replacement heart (at close range).

I like creating proper Sniper Assassin contracts myself, mind you, so it's not as if the option isn't there. Far less satisfying, though.

[Kryton]

That's kind of my problem with the Sniper Assassin challenge on a lot of these levels - it's really unrealistic. When you look up how to do SASO on some of the newer levels especially, it involves a convoluted manipulation of RNG and basically knocking out your target, walking right up to them and pulling out your sniper rifle to "snipe" them at point-blank range. Surely that's not what you're supposed to do, but on maps like Sgail there is absolutely no feasible way to properly snipe both targets.

I can snipe both targets within about 3 minutes of starting at the Chapel on Sgaill. Ignore the Constant and leave the level within I dunno... 5-6 minutes by Helicopter unseen. If you wanna know how I can tell you.


But yeah Hokkaido it's severely limiting, especially not even being able to carry a briefcase until unlocking everything at the end. It means bloody open carrying the sniper down corridors filled with people. I've yet to figure it out.

[Noodle Lizard]

I can snipe both targets within about 3 minutes of starting at the Chapel on Sgaill. Ignore the Constant and leave the level within I dunno... 5-6 minutes by Helicopter unseen. If you wanna know how I can tell you.

Please do! I think I watched that Mr. Freeze guy's solution and it was fucking daft. Impressive, like, but daft.

[Kryton]

Please do! I think I watched that Mr. Freeze guy's solution and it was fucking daft. Impressive, like, but daft.

Start at the chapel (which is the raised tower) near the effigy. Bring along a distraction tool and a briefcase with silenced sniper rifle.
Wait. Don't move but just aim left at the mansion. Soon enough both the targets will pass the windows on their relevant floor (one is one floor higher then the other).
One of them is dead easy and the other is slightly trickier if you're using a rifle that can penetrate targets since sometimes you might hit a person standing behind the target too.
This takes less then three minutes I think.

HOWEVER - the scripting is slightly bugged on the guards 'searching' you. Sometimes you may need to hide, sometimes not. Either way, go down the small set of stairs but ignore the next set of stairs and instead drop down near the sea into the grass via drainpipe.

Hide there for a second and then sneak past the guards, climb up the ledge outside the tunnel and there's the helicopter to escape. You may need to distract at least one guard near the chopper.

[Noodle Lizard]

Start at the chapel (which is the raised tower) near the effigy. Bring along a distraction tool and a briefcase with silenced sniper rifle.
Wait. Don't move but just aim left at the mansion. Soon enough both the targets will pass the windows on their relevant floor (one is one floor higher then the other).
One of them is dead easy and the other is slightly trickier if you're using a rifle that can penetrate targets since sometimes you might hit a person standing behind the target too.
This takes less then three minutes I think.

HOWEVER - the scripting is slightly bugged on the guards 'searching' you. Sometimes you may need to hide, sometimes not. Either way, go down the small set of stairs but ignore the next set of stairs and instead drop down near the sea into the grass via drainpipe.

Hide there for a second and then sneak past the guards, climb up the ledge outside the tunnel and there's the helicopter to escape. You may need to distract at least one guard near the chopper.

Ah right. Surely you wouldn't get Silent Assassin for that, though.

I think I need to lose my allegiance to getting SA almost every time, it's awfully time-consuming and I'm probably missing out on a whole lot of fun.

[Cold Meat Platter]

I remember getting silent assassin on all the missions in the original Xbox Hitman 2 and filling my wee shed with weapons I would never use. Great game. Stealing the surgeon that was about to perform surgery on the cult leader's scrubs , blagging into the theatre with him out for the count, opening the cunt up from the nave to the chops and buggering off before anyone was any the wiser.

[Kryton]

Ah right. Surely you wouldn't get Silent Assassin for that, though.

I think I need to lose my allegiance to getting SA almost every time, it's awfully time-consuming and I'm probably missing out on a whole lot of fun.

I thought you meant sniper assassin?

As for silent assassin - not sure if you know (or if it still applies) but guards accidents don't count as 'kills' and also poisoned kills don't count as bodies discovered, so maybe you'll find a way?

[Noodle Lizard]

I thought you meant sniper assassin?

As for silent assassin - not sure if you know (or if it still applies) but guards accidents don't count as 'kills' and also poisoned kills don't count as bodies discovered, so maybe you'll find a way?

Aye, I always aim for Silent Assassin regardless of the particular challenge I'm after.

I'm a lad of extremes - it's either a perfect Silent Assassin (with minimal subduing too, if possible) or trying to wipe out half the map for bantz.

[Kryton]

Aye, I always aim for Silent Assassin regardless of the particular challenge I'm after.

I'm a lad of extremes - it's either a perfect Silent Assassin (with minimal subduing too, if possible) or trying to wipe out half the map for bantz.

Ah right, fair enough man. I'll have a pop at it tomorrow. I know there's a way of killing one of the targets in an accident with one of those hanging cages. Not sure about the other, she's a bastard.

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

Hitman 2 is on sale for 12 quid in the Playstation store. I shall get stuck into it this weekend.

Is the season pass worth getting? It's also in the sale for 6 quid, which is dirt cheap, but my inner skinflint balks at paying half the price of the main game for a mere 2 extra maps.

[Kryton]

Hitman 2 is on sale for 12 quid in the Playstation store. I shall get stuck into it this weekend.

Is the season pass worth getting? It's also in the sale for 6 quid, which is dirt cheap, but my inner skinflint balks at paying half the price of the main game for a mere 2 extra maps.

Yep (if it's the one I'm thinking of with two new maps - the bank in New York and the Haven Island), I also think you'll get two extra sniping maps and some suits etc. Worth it in a sale at least.

[Bazooka]

Hitman 2 is on sale for 12 quid in the Playstation store. I shall get stuck into it this weekend.

Is the season pass worth getting? It's also in the sale for 6 quid, which is dirt cheap, but my inner skinflint balks at paying half the price of the main game for a mere 2 extra maps.

I've just grabbed it it too, I didn't buy the season pass, but it came with something like 7 extra missions including Mumbai etc?  I've not played Hitman since the actual Hitman 2.

[H-O-W-L]

Hitman 2 is on sale for 12 quid in the Playstation store. I shall get stuck into it this weekend.

Is the season pass worth getting? It's also in the sale for 6 quid, which is dirt cheap, but my inner skinflint balks at paying half the price of the main game for a mere 2 extra maps.

The extra two maps have legitimately the content of half the game. That's not to say the main game is anaemic -- just that they're bloody deep maps. The island will keep you occupied for a while, and if you like the core gameplay loop of Hitman being overlaying clockwork, the bank will keep you coming back for more.

I keep getting the itch to reinstall H2 just to play the bank, it's that good. Fuck reinstalling 100gb though. Cigs.

[Kelvin]

Thought this was funny, starting out as a lets play, then turning into something else.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-THi6dTSx4

[Noodle Lizard]

Thought this was funny, starting out as a lets play, then turning into something else.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-THi6dTSx4

Thanks, I enjoyed that!

---

I just recently got the expansion pass, so have been diving into New York and Haven Island. On a positive note, they both look wonderful - Haven Island is probably the best example of a "sprawling" map that they have (compared with Colombia, Colorado etc.) and the verticality of New York is something I hope they implement more often in the future (even if there's nothing especially interesting you can do with it). They're all well and good in and of themselves, but it's really becoming apparent to me how many things they reuse, and there are a lot of seemingly lazy/unfinished elements that bug me more and more. More often than not, Mission Stories just end in "being left alone in a room with the target" - in New York especially, I think that's what all Mission Stories lead up to, without many interesting ways of actually snuffing her out either.

Additionally, in New York, you can find two would-be bank robbers plotting their heist. You can open the door of the bathroom stall they're chatting in, dressed as a security guard, and they'll just keep on plotting without even acknowledging your presence. As far as I can tell, that whole thing doesn't go anywhere either - just set dressing. I know the insane amount of work it takes to even solve minor errors in video games, and Hitman is still incredibly impressive for what it is, but having recently replayed Red Dead Redemption 2 it always feels like a massive downgrade in quality across the board to go back to Hitman. Apples and oranges, perhaps.

[H-O-W-L]

, but having recently replayed Red Dead Redemption 2 it always feels like a massive downgrade in quality across the board to go back to Hitman. Apples and oranges, perhaps.

Very much so. Bear in mind that RDR2 was one of (if not the?) most expensive games ever made, was produced over six years by a team of literal thousands, and literally pulverized developers into actual dust due to several hundred-plus hour weeks, whereas Hitman 2 was explicitly made with no crunch time in about six to eight months, in dribs and drabs between content for H2016 with a legitimately restrained budget. I mean the reason it doesn't have animated cutscenes is they were too skint to do so.

[Kryton]

Played the Hoikkado Ninja level last night which was an incredible experience - that took some real planning. Don't get spotted, no bodies discovered, only kill the targets etc.