If it wasn't so hard, 'Hitman 2' would be a hit

In recent years, a crop of video games has appeared that stresses using stealthy tactics as opposed to filling bad guys with more holes than the plot of a Steven Seagal movie. Instead of appealing to our inner Rambo, these games offer gameplay with characters who are lightly armed and better at sneaking into a room than busting in the door with both guns blazing.\nGames like this have been great ("Tenchu: Stealth Assassin"), not great ("WinBack") and absolutely classic (the original "Metal Gear" -- oh yeah, Snake rules). Eidos Interactive's "Hitman 2: Silent Assassin" is the latest game to jump into the stealthy fray, and the results are, to say the least, mixed.\n"Hitman 2" centers around super-assassin 47 and his return to the deadly business he couldn't escape. He hops the globe taking out targets with a variety of weapons, ranging from pistols and rifles to fiber wire. To get the job done, he must remain silent and unseen, while using tactics like stealing the dead's clothing. \nTaking out targets is easier said than done. "Hitman 2" is very hard, and not in the really-challenging-but-still-rewarding way. No, "Hitman 2" is hard in the frustrating, want-to-break-things-while-swearing-like-an-ex-sailor-turned-trucker sort of way. \n"Hitman" looks and sounds great, possibly to quell the player's rage and frustration. Cut scenes are rendered with a large amount of detail, great voice-overs and music by the Budapest Symphony Orchestra. The in-game graphics aren't quite up to the level of the cut scenes. The biggest problem with the gameplay is the camera, which provides constant obstructions while trying to play.\nIt should be known that this review was written after playing the game on the Playstation 2; it may look better on the Xbox and PC. The controls feel better suited for a keyboard and mouse than a controller.\n"Hitman 2: Silent Assassin" is not a bad game, but instead a decent game that can be marred by its difficulty and camera. Many people may enjoy "Hitman 2" very much -- but they could very easily be called masochists.