Hitman 2: Silent Assassin

Hitman 2: Silent Assassin (not to be confused with “HITMAN 2” from the “World of Assassination” trilogy) was developed by IO Interactive and released in 2002.

It is the second game in the Hitman franchise, and the first one that truly defined the series, with a much stronger emphasis on infiltration.

As usual, you step into the shoes of Agent 47, a genetically engineered clone who previously worked as a hitman for the International Contract Agency (ICA). After the events of the first game, Hitman: Codename 47, he has retired and found peace living in a church. However, when his only friend, Reverend Emilio Vittorio, is abducted by unknown attackers, 47 returns to the ICA, hoping to uncover who took him.

Personally, I consider this title to be “the first real Hitman game”, and to me, the first Hitman trilogy consists of Hitman 2: Silent Assassin, Hitman: Contracts, and Hitman: Blood Money. The first game was indeed more action-oriented, and some of its missions were reworked for Contracts. So, in my opinion, Hitman: Codename 47 can be ignored today, but every Hitman fan should try Hitman 2: Silent Assassin, at least one.