Hitman 2 - Expansion - Haven Island Resort

This... has been a long time in the making. I haven't played a Hitman game on stream since July, over half a year ago. Although I had my reasons then, I can't deny that I've been wanting to play this level ever since it came out in September.

Nonetheless, I'm back and ready to improvise my way into another assassination.

Hitman 2 - Expansion Pass Mission - Bank

I'm always eager for another reason to reinstall and open up Hitman 2 again, and a new level seemed like the perfect excuse. Even better, turns out that new level continues directly off of the campaign from the base game, so let's get right to it.

Hitman 2 - Elusive Target - The Deceivers

It's been a while since we last saw everyone's favorite murder-comedian. And yet, here we are with another Elusive Target.

Watch me execute another perfect, flawless hit where I only kill the necessary targets.

Hitman 2 - Elusive Target - The Undying Returns

After a miraculous recovery from the mysterious poison that nearly claimed his life, I regret to inform you once again that critically acclaimed actor Seam Bean has passed away.



I won't deny that I was somewhat disappointed about how this mission was a near exact duplication of the very first Elusive Target against The Undying.

I hope that this is the setup for a remixed third target that does something to surprise players. but I don't have much more to add beyond that.

Hitman 2 - Elusive Target 6 (And Contracts) - Javascript Sucks

This Elusive Target might be Deja Vu for some of you. Unlike the previous Hitman 2 ETs, this is a "Legacy Target". In other words, the brought this one back from the 2016 game to give players another opportunity to take them out.

So let us work together to take out "The Protagonist". And afterwards, let's look at some player made Contracts.

Hitman 2 - Elusive Target 5 - Useless Disguise

Another Elusive Target has appeared, this time in the small but dense area of Hawke's Bay in New Zealand.

Question is: Does the streak continue, or is this where I finally fall flat?

Hitman 2 - Elusive Target 4 - Bumpkin is a Slur (and Sniper Assassin)

Another month, another Elusive Target, thought this time I'm not alone. My friend Andre Doucet is with me this time, as we tackle The Fugitive.

Hitman 2 - Snow Festival - That... Happened

Along with the new Elusive Target, IO also included a new mission in Hokkaido to celebrate the upcoming Snow Festival in Japan.

The prizes for this one include a new melee weapon and a new suit, so you better believe I took the time to give it chance.

If you wish to watch content like this as it's recorded live, be sure to follow me on Twitch.

Hitman 2 - Elusive Target 3 - Get Smoked

Another Elusive Target, another chance to show off my stuff. This time, we return to the Isle of Sgail to assassinate... "The Appraiser"!

If you wish to watch content like this as it's recorded live, be sure to follow me on Twitch.

Hitman 2 - Improvisation Run - Finale - Isle of Sgail

And here we are, at the Grand Finale. Despite a rocky start, I'm extraordinarily proud of both of this mission and the run as a whole.

Hitman 2 - Improvisation Run - Part 5 - Whittleton Creek

And now, our Improvisation Run moves from the slums to the suburbs in Whittleton Creek. Separating from the ICA to pursue his own agenda, Agent 47 is out to finish what he started as a little boy.

Hitman 2 - Improvisation Run - Part 4 - Mumbai (Attempt 2)

Now that the game's save system is back online, we can safely continue the Improvisation Run. We return to Mumbai to finish what we started.

If you want to watch runs like this as they are recorded, be sure to subscribe to my Twitch.

Hitman 2 - Elusive Target 2 - Bash the Fash

As I like to say, whenever you see a fascist, you should do their best to kill them, unless they'd get caught. In that case, find someone who won't get caught and have them do it for you.

With that in mind, of course I would try my hand at the new Elusive Target. Codename: The Revolutionary.

Hitman 2 - Improvisation Run - Part 3 - Mumbai

The Improvisation Run continues, this time in the slums of Mumbai. And remember, if you want to watch content that this as it's record live, be sure to follow me on Twitch.

Hitman 2 - Improvisation Run - Part 2 - Santa Fortuna

With a new setup in tow, the Improvisation Run for Hitman 2 continues. Don't forget to check out my Twitch channel if you want to see these as they are recorded live!



For those of you who are curious, I was able to fight the stream hiccups by switching from OBS to Nvidia Shadowplay, since I use one their GTX 980 graphics card. Since the software would've been designed to work with their own graphics card, I figured I'd have more success with it than with the more general use OBS. As you can see, it's a lot more stable.

#121 - Hitman Takes Itself Seriously Because You're Not Supposed To

The easiest way to tell if someone has spent a lot of time playing Hitman is to ask them what their impression is of the franchise. Someone who has never played it before will usually think it's a very gritty, serious series where the main character is one of the most boring, dour people on the planet. But if a fan of the franchise was asked the same question, they would say it is one of the most hilarious IPs in the games industry, filled with the most delightfully macabre, black humor. Whether it's intentional or not, this disconnect between the stern face of Agent 47, everyone's favorite murder boy, and the comedy which he is party to, sits at the seat of what makes Hitman such a gem in the eyes of those who play it.

The genius of Hitman is that no matter how absurd the situation he's put in, no matter what is happening to those around him, Agent 47 will always look on with the same blank, completely humorless expression on his face. This visual can be amusing on it's own, in the right situation, but when all the various opportunities IO has afforded the player kick in, hilarity ensues. In other words, 47 is the ultimate straight man. There is never a moment when he loses his composure, which means that he can play off of absurd situations in a way that very few characters are capable. He's an extraordinarily boring character on his own, and that's largely the point.

Will Never Smile, No Matter What

And yet, if Agent 47 is the straight man, who is the funny man is this comedy duo? Normally, one might think it is his handler, Diana Burnwood. While she's certainly got her own brand of humor, and isn’t shy about making quips at her partner's, or their target's, expense, she often plays it just as straight as the assassin she feeds intel to. No, the funny man is someone else entirely: It is the player, in collaboration with the writing team at IO Interactive, that forms the second half of what would more accurately be described as Hitman's “comedy quartet”. This dynamic between the characters inside the game world, and us outside of it, is the most fundamental building block from which all of the series's best moments can be traced back to.

Hitman 2 - Improvisation Run - Part 1 - Hawke's Bay and Miami (with Bonus Escalation Contract)

First off, allow me to begin my apologizing once again for the quality of the video footage in this upload. For some reason, OBS begins to falter once I start to enter areas in Hitman 2 that have large crowds. I suspect it has something to do with the toll it takes on the GPU. After this recording, I spent an hour coming up with and testing a solution to this problem, which should fix the broadcast for the next recording. Please bear with me until then.

That said, after spending nearly a year playing Hitman (2016), you didn't think I would let this new Hitman go quietly in the good night so easily, did you? Of course I was going to play it on stream. And, like with the Dishonored series, I want to get into the habit of "failure" shape my run in interesting ways that I don't usually get to see. That becomes a lot easier with a crowd keeping me honest.

Enter the Hitman 2 Improvisation Run! Today, we took on the tutorial mission, and the first real mission of the game, in Miami.



In addition, because I wanted to savor my Hitman experience a bit more, I opted to end the stream with an Escalation Contract. (Again, apologies for the video quality.)

Hitman 2 - Elusive Target 1 - Sean Bean Dies!

Poor Sean Bean. He's a legendary talent, and an incredible actor. But despite that, there's one thing that he's more famous for than anything else: Dying in almost every single role that he's done.

So when IO Interactive not only makes him the very first Elusive Target for Hitman 2, but gives him the code name "The Undying", they know exactly what kind of challenge they are giving to their player base.

And I, being a very prolific Hitman/Elusive Target player, had no choice but to answer the call.



First off, props to Sean Bean for being such a good sport about this, and to IO for getting him to agree to it.