Gaming Target - GameCube: Hitman 2: Silent Assassin

Written by Kyle Williams on June 04, 2003

Final Glimpse: Number 47... Number 47... Number 47...

"We are very impressed with the GameCube and feel that Hitman 2 and the Cube is a perfect match.Ф So said Janos FlЎsser, the managing director of IO Interactive, last fall when it was announced that Hitman 2: Silent Assassin was going to make the jump to Nintendo's home console. It's good to see that developers are seeing the GameCube in a positive light. I know that I love the system. The sales numbers behind blockbusters like The Wind Waker and Metroid Prime show that there are a lot of other people that like the system too. Unfortunately, those same figures for some of the hottest franchises have been way down on the system. Hopefully, when Silent Assassin hits the GameCube later this month, we will have an action game that we all can come together and support.

If the PS2 and Xbox versions are any indication of what is to come, then the GameCube version of Hitman 2: Silent Assassin is going to kick some royal butt. Released to critical acclaim last fall for both systems, Silent Assassin provided players with one of the more robust sets of level designs and unique problem solving situations. Of course, they also mixed in a healthy dose of crippling violence, just for good measure. A lot of people were surprised when they found that the game actually placed an emphasis on stealth over gunplay, which will be a welcome departure from the formulaic nature of most of the other GameCube action titles. When it comes down to it, Silent Assassin is going to require GameCube owners to use a combination of stealth, combat, and problem solving to achieve their goals.

Of course, you may remember that there was quite the little ruckus over Silent Assassin after it hit the PS2, Xbox and PC last fall. Not only did the game feature some of the most detailed violence seen to date, but it depicted a controversial scene involving Sikhs. What it came down to is that the ability for you (as Codename 47) to murder Sikhs in a house of worship infuriated the Sikh Coalition (understandably) and they were able to gather more than 10,000 signatures protesting the content from their members and members of similar groups in less than 20 days. This has lead to an amendment of the game as it released on the original platforms and to removal of the objectionable content in the GameCube version. This may be the best illustration of the argument over how far is too far in the game industry. Other than this, you can expect the GameCube release of the game to be nearly identical to the others. While that means we will get the same great gameplay, it also means we will be getting the same adequate visuals and there will be no new features or levels. It is a little bit disappointing that we won't be getting anything extra in the GC version of Silent Assassin, but the astounding adventure itself will make the game worth the price of admission.