doesn't add much of note to the structure of its predecessor and thus feels more like Hitman 1.5 than a full-blown sequel. But that's not a bad thing. By offering more of the deepest, fullest stealth sandboxes in gaming in one single package rather than six episodic ones, it earns its keep.

Agent 47 has come a long way over the series' 18 year history, but zeroing in on the past two years alone - starting with IO Interactive's 2016 reboot of the franchise, simply titled Hitman - the series and developer have been put through the wringer.

Considering the trials and tribulations that IO Interactive have endured over the last few years, the fact that Hitman 2 was even released is a marvel. That it also manages to be the best Hitman game so far is a testament to how good the 2016 series reboot was and how IO have managed to evolve their...

The best Hitman action yet; Hiding in crowds; smuggling with briefcases; The tension of Elusive Contracts; Ghost Mode is surprisingly fast paced fun

Lacking Escalation missions at launch; Sometimes overly rigid AI and stealth; Weak; meandering story and cutscenes; Ghost Mode is still in beta; Long load and save times

Death has come in many forms: the barrel of a rifle, a barber's razor, a tattoo gun, a faulty gas valve. Death has come for every one of 47's targets, several of their guards, a few police officers and, ok, a couple of innocent bystanders too.

Tightly designed levels; Fun stealth gameplay; Not as punishing as before

Not as punishing as before; Lots of gadget repetition

Hitman 2 is an utterly sublime improvement over the previous outing. It's everything we know and love about Hitman, but with less episodic misery. The time it takes to complete is entirely up to you, based on the way you play and how much time you spend on all the challenges and story missions.

A more complete release than the previous games; Hours of replayability; Polished design; Beautiful maps to explore; Plenty of humour to mask the murderous undertones

Lacks some of the flexibility of previous games on first play through; Storyline feels a bit contrived at times

Hitman 2 doesn't reinvent the garrote but instead delivers a killer, exceptionally fun yet familiar experience...

A few months after the release of Hitman ‘s final episode in 2016, publisher Square Enix unexpectedly dropped the IP , putting IO Interactive's plans for a sequel in serious doubt.