Hitman - Episode 2: Sapienza Reviews
IO Interactive continues to impress with Hitman Episode 2, and it might honestly be my favorite Hitman experience to date, in any of the games. You can literally get lost for hours, wandering around the coastal town and just seeing what all there is to do and interact with. They have continued to build a living, breathing world, full of NPC’s that live their own lives. It’s amazing how many different areas there are that are fully explorable, and you can find ways to complete the mission that don’t even involve any of the Opportunities, or are so far out there that hardly anyone probably thought to try it. I actually almost pulled off a run taking both targets out in less than ten minutes without being spotted, but slipped up right at the end and was killed. It’s those types of moments that will keep people coming back to this installment of Hitman over and over again, because each consecutive playthrough has the potential to be so radically different.
For the time being, Hitman: Episode 2 - Sapienza is probably one of the best experiences the Hitman franchise has yet to offer. The beautiful Italian seaside town is gargantuan, and offers plenty of ways to have fun (in other words: assassinate). Some of the flaws, like the insufficient plot bits and connection issues, persist, and yet it feels as if Hitman is generally on the right path.
Developer IO Interactive set out to work on Hitman over a periodic release model in an effort to benefit from crucial feedback from players. However, it seems that the issues from Episode 1 continue to persist in the game’s second episode. That said, Sapienza presents a more interesting and robust sandbox open world experience compared to the Episode 1’s Paris area.
Even without massively crowded areas, the sheer scale of Sapienza is well worth the entry price for Agent 47's second episodic outing. It is a welcome improvement over the first episode, although still far from greatness we expect from Hitman games.
So far so good. Episode 2 is a nice contrast to the Paris mission and shows more of what this 2016 iteration of Hitman has up it's sleeve. They are off to a good start. Let's hope they can keep the momentum going in Episode 3.
Sapienza is an impressive addition to the Hitman reboot's library. It's incredibly well designed, packed full of content and absolutely gorgeous. You'll be hard pressed to find a better Hitman level.
Another great achievement in living world level design, and the new Elusive Target mode is a welcome addition, but criticisms from the first episode hold
Both episode 1 and 2 have stayed true to the Hitman ethos.
The location and scenario for has made for a good challenge and some intense moments in this second installment, in addition to the fact that a bigger plot is also starting to unfold.
Hitman's second episode continues the good work that started in the first installment. The concerns we raised last time with regard to the AI have mostly been addressed, and possibly over-compensated for, which greatly increases the difficulty of the mission overall, and makes obtaining a Silent Assassin rating almost a forlorn dream, at least without a serious investment of time spent in learning the layout and the patterns of the targets. Of course, this has always been the case with Hitman games, but the jump in difficulty from Paris is quite a large one. The level design is great, with lots of possible approaches to choose from, but somehow it seems to lack focus, being more of an open-world approach to a mission than before. Overall, we can recommend a second dive into Agent 47's murky world.
This fault only prevents Hitman Episode Two from achieving near-perfection, it is still an exceptional example of the series at its very best. IO's strong start is becoming a hot streak, and all eyes will be on the third episode, set to be released in May.
Overall I think Hitman: Episode 2 continues to fuel the nostalgia trip of Blood Money with its wonderful variety of locations. Episode 2 pushes IO Interactive's creative boundaries a bit further and spaces out all of the games' action (the complete opposite to the Parisian prelude which hit our screens back in March). Sadly the narrative is non-existent and the animations are still shoddy when compared to other A-grade titles - however, those aren't huge criticisms for a game of this nature. I think Hitman is best enjoyed in one full go later on in the year when the retail version is released. It's proving to be a fun, yet brief adventure. I look forward to seeing what direction the series is taken in for episode 3.
With a solid gameplay framework already in place, Hitman just needed the destination to match. Sapienza may be a glamorous port city that photographers slap on postcards, but its boutiques, apartments, and inhabitants also tolerate hours of murderous fun (and guns) in the sun.
Still, IO’s confident direction with this new Hitman is fantastic. As a sleepy dose of Mediterranean murder, Sapienza is inventive and complex, and delivers a level of replayability that should finally shush naysayers of its newfound episodic structure.
Hitman’s second episode adds another sprawling environment in which to enjoy doing bad murders, and sports gameplay options that demonstrate the game's mechanics are on the right track. But although Hitman will likely become a solid addition to its parent series eventually, it’s hard to recommend it at this stage.
Hitman Episode 2 adds a new locale, weapons, outfits and items to the game. It is technically sound with no frame drops or stutters and the online issues seemed to be fixed, no disconnects here. If you enjoyed the first episode you are going to like the second.
Hitman Episode 2: Sapienza is a great addition to the game. It features an expansive town to explore, is genuinely challenging, and has a lot of unique kill opportunities and secrets to discover. It is a wonderful playground for Hitman fans.
Agent 47 is a cipher for how you want to play the game; he exists to unlock its secrets while also letting you establish your own style—within the game's parameters—and it's great to see how that evolves in this second episode.
Hitman: Sapienza is a great episode marred by server issues. Not everyone is having them, but if you are, you can't progress or access community or live content.
A great mission in a beautiful location with a variety of opportunities and an increasing difficulty, Hitman 2016’s second mission is just what you would want in a Hitman game. Put aside some of the graphic glitches and framerate drops and you got yourself a fun experience.
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