A shooter that values brains over brawn.

With the "Hitman" series of games, Eidos created an intriguing new twist to the old shooter formula as well as one of the most striking lead characters to come along in quite a while. The first title was released to positive critical notice, but contained irritating bugs and quirks that detracted from its impact. Starting with the second installment of the series, many of these shortcomings were eliminated and the series began to fulfill its potential.

"Silent Assassin" begins with our pasty protagonist, a genetically engineered hitman named "47", living the peaceful life in an Italian monastery. Of course, his violent past comes back to haunt him when a group of italian thugs kidnaps his spiritual mentor and demands a cool half million in ransom. This leads 47 to pull his guns out of retirement and return to the life of professional killing in order to save his friend.

Being a professional hitman is a bit different from being a lone space marine battling extra-dimensional demons. For one thing, you normally cannot get away with shooting everybody in your path. Objectives must be approached with an eye towards stealth, with the perfect mission involving only the death of your primary target. Ideally, you should be able to slip in close to your target, eliminate him/her with a single shot, and escape without raising any undue fuss or alarm. This means that you should walk instead of run, keep your weapon hidden, and spend a lot of time thinking about how you're going to approach the target. Disguises are a necessity for avoiding detection, and there are times when you need to change disguises in the middle of a mission so that you can access key areas.

One of the great things about "Silent Assassin" is that there are always multiple ways to complete your assignments. This is not to say that the game is completely open-ended...it certainly isn't GTA in that regard. However, there are usually three different ways to get the job done. Some require more stealth than others, but offer the chance to achieve the ranking of "Silent Assassin" which will provide you with specialized weapons as a reward. Other methods of completing the job are messy, but quicker and easier to accomplish. The nice thing about this system is that it rewards repeat plays. I often found myself completing a mission somewhat violently, only to turn around and try again using stealthier methods. Trial and error is an unavoidable aspect of the game, but the tension and atmosphere make repeat trips through a level rewarding.

For those interested in shooting sprees, the game does allow this sort of approach at times. In fact, on the normal level of difficulty, it is often easier to just shoot everyone who gets in your way. It is much more rewarding, however, to do things with stealth and patience.

Graphically the game has aged very well since its release. The environment is nicely detailed, with excellent sound effects and voice work. Bystanders and enemies speak in their native languages, and weapons sound very real. Rain, snow, and wind all provide for some very striking visual settings both indoors and out. The ragdoll physics is a bit silly at times. A slug from your pistol can send an enemy's body flying ten feet through the air. This is a bit distracting, and can actually get you into trouble when your target flies through a doorway and alerts guards in the next room to your presence.

For the most part, the game's artifical intelligence is competently handled. In a title where stealth and disguise are vital parts of the gameplay, it is very challenging to program computer enemies that will behave in a realistic fashion. In most cases, this is done very well. There are a few levels, however, where the system breaks down a bit. For several missions, you must conduct hits in Japan. The levels are lovely to look at, but your disguises are nearly useless in many spots. Even when your disguise obscures your entire head and face with hood/goggles, your enemies will spot you as an intruder through a blizzard at 150 feet. Fortunately, these "psychic ninjas" are rare and most of the game's enemies behave logically.

The story is advanced through a series of cutscenes using the game's graphic engine. They are handled well, and the plot moves along nicely. I was actually surprised to find myself caring about this bald-headed, pale-skinned, scientifically engineered killer. While you can certainly take out a large number of innocent bystanders, the game actually rewards you for limiting your violence to the baddies. I thought that this was a nice touch.