Hitman - Episode 2: Sapienza Reviews
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.
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.
Taking a step back and looking at the entire experience of Sapienza and Episode 2, this location is absolutely brilliant and beautiful. From the level design to the amount of depth found in each section of Sapienza, Hitman has yet another fine episode, even despite its once again thin narrative.
Hitman Episode 2: Sapienza distills the entire Hitman experience down to one homicidal happy level, resulting in some fatal fun in the sun.
Hitman -Sapienza doesn’t live up to the free-form assassination sandbox that the previous episode set up.
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.
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.
This second chapter is even more enjoyable than the first one. The map is bigger and way more interesting to explore, and some refinements to the IA clearly improves the gameplay. The number of contracts created by the community is still impressive.
Review in Italian | Read full review
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.
The second episode of Hitman is a satisfying adventure that’s once again dragged down by technical issues.
Hitman Episode 2: Sapienza builds upon what Paris' foundation laid out. A sprawling world crawling with tons to do and good replay value.
Episode Two is better than the first, both because its featured level is a more varied, interesting location, and because it eases the uncertainty of the episodic release and sets a precedent for excellence going forward. The quality of future episodes isn’t a guarantee, but Square and Io Interactive have now delivered excellent releases back to back, and their staggered release has let their best elements shine in a way that might not have otherwise. Hitman is an increasingly appealing package.
Both episode 1 and 2 have stayed true to the Hitman ethos.
Sapienza skillfully combines the elements at what makes an enjoyable Hitman level. Its lower difficulty, while making it more accessible for those new to the series, might slightly bore weathered Veterans.
If Hitman's Paris mission was an indication that thoughtful, complex level design was not dead, Sapienza appears to be the full expression of it. It doesn't guarantee that the upcoming episodes will be as good but it does wonders to elevate a game that was under criticism for its staggered release. This alone warrants checking Hitman: Episode 2 - Sapienza out.
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.
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.
Even better than the terrific first episode, the Sapienza mission might be a series high point. While there are still some technical issues, and the lengthy load times hamper things in a game where reloading to give things another shot is such a big part of it, the overall experience has been incredible so far. I can't wait to see what comes next.
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.