Hitman 2

Hitman 2 is like a hearty stew: not pretty, but so full of nutrition that you're bound to walk away full and happy.

Fantastic new level designs, minor but meaningful additions, and a few excellent bonuses help strengthen the endurance of the Hitman series.

More Hitman: Season 2 than an experience in its own right, but a couple of great maps plus a fun competitive mode make for a solid fan pick.

Essentially more of its predecessor but with a more consistent quality of levels. Which is fine: its predecessor was great.

As someone who loves the Hitman formula, Hitman 2 gives me everything I want.

The quirks of what seem to be a last-minute rush out the door development strategy don't detract from the fact that each Hitman 2 level is wonderfully crafted and full of potential for inventiveness… and silliness.

The Hitman formula still demands extraordinary patience and a fondness for replaying the same levels, but fans of 2016's reboot will find plenty to love

Assassination missions that reward subterfuge – such as wearing a giant flamingo suit or loosening a racing driver's wheel – make this a surprisingly creative sequel

Aside from knocking the drab story on the head, it’s tough to know what more I could have wanted from Hitman 2.

Hitman 2 is a colossal collection of puzzles begging to be solved through multiple playthroughs. It's meticulous in its scoring system, objectives, and unlocks. Even though this would have worked perfectly as a "season two" for the original Hitman, the need for a new package is perfectly understandable given their situation. I don't even need the Sean Bean and company timed challenges or the promising now-in-beta Ghost Mode (an asymmetrical gametype where you try to kill more targets than an opponent that exists in an alternate reality): just keep giving me more maps and I'll keep playing.