EDIT: I'm pleased that my thread has caused a bunch of people to be interested in picking up Hitman 2, but now everyone is running into the exact same confusing mess of different versions and packs. Purchasing this game is bizarrely complex, so here's my flow chart of how to know what to purchase.
Happy 4th Resetera!
(Thanks to /u/dontironit on Reddit for all the beautiful zoomed out pics. I'll link to his specific post on each one.)
Hitman 2016 and its follow-up Hitman 2 are two of the finest games ever made. Hitman 2 actually might be my game of the generation, which before I got on the bandwagon I never would have imagined could be the case in a gen with Hollow Knight, Nier: Automata, and Wonderful 101. You could single out any single game-design element and I'm sure write a 10 page thesis on how brilliant it is, but as I was (for the thousandth time) wandering around Sapienza on my day off work this morning it struck me that one often overlooked element is how much work goes into making the locations feel like real places.
Don't get me wrong, Hitman isn't a realistic game. It's a game about genetically-engineered clone with the gameplay super power that all other humans react in perfectly predictable ways to all stimuli when he's around. The main antagonist is basically the Illuminati and on its version of Earth CEOs and politicians just stand around constantly and congratulate each other on how evil they are.
However the world still feels real. It's like the overused marketing phrase "a living, breathing world" was the game design document for this game. If Zelda is a series about Miyamoto romanticizing exploring the woods behind his house growing up, then Hitman feels like the fantasy of wandering off as a kid into the employee-only section of a hotel and seeing the other world that exists beyond those closed doors.
Sure many levels have the sexy fantasy high-class exclusive areas — the black-tie invite only parties, the private executive suites, the beautiful vacation spots. But each is just as full of bathrooms, laundry rooms, maintenance tunnels, staff quarters, kitchens, construction areas, closets, and all other manner of mundane service rooms. And these are just as lovingly rendered and just as full of NPCs going about their business. You'd never get to see how the sausage is made like that in James Bond movie, for example, but Hitman lets you in on every aspect of the intricate clockwork that makes up these levels and lets explore every last cog and spring.
Rather than keep repeating myself or try to dissect a specific map (honestly Hitman maps tend to be so dense with info they're almost illegible: e.g.) to show it off, here's some beautiful shots of a handful of Hitman levels from above. I think it also shows off how they don't really look like video game levels, just normal locations until you look too close at a low-poly model in the background.
MIAMI —
SAPIENZA —
VERMONT —
I know this post is a little meandering, but I was just in the mood to gush about one of my favorite games. For the rare few out there that have played it, do you enjoy sneaking around in laundry rooms as much as I do? What else is great about this criminally underrated series?
ORIGINAL THREAD:HOW TO BUY HITMAN 2
Basically, there are 4 groups of content lumped into a fully featured Hitman 2 install. These are the major features of each:
1. The Hitman 1 base game — this is 6 maps + a tutorial (with a connecting story mode). These are Paris, Sapienza, Marrakesh, Bangkok, Colorado, and Hokkaido. These maps have been updated with new Hitman 2 features — hiding in crowds and tall grass, adding briefcase drops around the level, and new security camera behavior. (YOU DEFINITELY WANT THIS)
2. The Hitman 1 DLC — this is the Patient Zero campaign, and alternate story campaign of remixed missions on the Bangkok, Sapienza, Colorado, and Hokkaido maps. (THIS IS PRETTY SKIPPABLE)
3. The Hitman 2 base game — this is another set of 6 maps with a continuation of the first game's story. These are New Zealand, Miami, Colombia, Mumbai, Vermont, and Isle of Sgaìl. Also includes a sniper mini-game mission in Austria. (YOU DEFINITELY WANT THIS)
4. The Hitman 2 DLC — this is two full additional maps with more story following the events of Hitman 2, not just remixes like H1's DLC. These are New York (released) and "The Resort" (coming Fall 2019). This also includes two new sniper mini-game maps, Singapore and Siberia. (YOU PROBABLY WANT THIS, BUT MIGHT WANT TO WAIT FOR A SALE)
So those are the 4 products, all of which are high quality. But that's only half the battle. Here's how you know what to buy:
"I own all of Hitman 1, including the Patient Zero campaign DLC, on the same console"
For the H2 base game alone buy Hitman 2 - Standard Edition. For H2 base game + DLC buy Hitman 2 - Gold Edition. You will get updated versions of all the Hitman 1 content for free.
"I own all of the Hitman 1 maps, but not Patient Zero, on the same console"
For the H2 base game alone buy Hitman 2 - Standard Edition. For H2 base game + DLC buy Hitman 2 - Gold Edition. If you want Patient Zero, buy the Hitman GOTY Legacy Pack Upgrade. You will get updated versions of all the Hitman 1 content you own for free.
"I don't own Hitman 1/only own some of the Hitman 1 maps/own Hitman 1 on a different console"
For the H2 base game alone buy Hitman 2 - Standard Edition. For H2 base game + DLC buy Hitman 2 - Gold Edition. If you want the Hitman 1 content (includes H1 basegame + DLC), buy the Hitman GOTY Legacy Pack.
"I already own the Hitman 2 base game"
For the DLC buy the Expansion pass, for Hitman 1 content buy the Hitman GOTY Legacy pack.
Sorry for the convoluted explanations, I tried my best to type it all out but it's obviously still pretty confusing!
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Happy 4th Resetera!
(Thanks to /u/dontironit on Reddit for all the beautiful zoomed out pics. I'll link to his specific post on each one.)
Hitman 2016 and its follow-up Hitman 2 are two of the finest games ever made. Hitman 2 actually might be my game of the generation, which before I got on the bandwagon I never would have imagined could be the case in a gen with Hollow Knight, Nier: Automata, and Wonderful 101. You could single out any single game-design element and I'm sure write a 10 page thesis on how brilliant it is, but as I was (for the thousandth time) wandering around Sapienza on my day off work this morning it struck me that one often overlooked element is how much work goes into making the locations feel like real places.
Don't get me wrong, Hitman isn't a realistic game. It's a game about genetically-engineered clone with the gameplay super power that all other humans react in perfectly predictable ways to all stimuli when he's around. The main antagonist is basically the Illuminati and on its version of Earth CEOs and politicians just stand around constantly and congratulate each other on how evil they are.
However the world still feels real. It's like the overused marketing phrase "a living, breathing world" was the game design document for this game. If Zelda is a series about Miyamoto romanticizing exploring the woods behind his house growing up, then Hitman feels like the fantasy of wandering off as a kid into the employee-only section of a hotel and seeing the other world that exists beyond those closed doors.
Sure many levels have the sexy fantasy high-class exclusive areas — the black-tie invite only parties, the private executive suites, the beautiful vacation spots. But each is just as full of bathrooms, laundry rooms, maintenance tunnels, staff quarters, kitchens, construction areas, closets, and all other manner of mundane service rooms. And these are just as lovingly rendered and just as full of NPCs going about their business. You'd never get to see how the sausage is made like that in James Bond movie, for example, but Hitman lets you in on every aspect of the intricate clockwork that makes up these levels and lets explore every last cog and spring.
Rather than keep repeating myself or try to dissect a specific map (honestly Hitman maps tend to be so dense with info they're almost illegible: e.g.) to show it off, here's some beautiful shots of a handful of Hitman levels from above. I think it also shows off how they don't really look like video game levels, just normal locations until you look too close at a low-poly model in the background.
MIAMI —
SAPIENZA —
VERMONT —
I know this post is a little meandering, but I was just in the mood to gush about one of my favorite games. For the rare few out there that have played it, do you enjoy sneaking around in laundry rooms as much as I do? What else is great about this criminally underrated series?
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