kusumahendra: True. Hitman 2 been there so long baffles me most when I look at the list. It's not only a nice game, it's a very good game. It's basically the game that perfected hitman gameplay basic formula. Graphic is quite good, levels are big and challenging and gameplay is superb. I really wonder why no one takes it yet.
omega64: I've tried all Hitman games so far I've only been able to stomach any except Absolution.
I'd like the controls/gameplay to be explained in some way. xD
Blood Money overwhelmed me after the first mission, got this screen where I could buy whatever I wanted. (from what I remember)
I don't think there is any problem with control of Hitman games. It plays like any 3rd person games, mouse to look, some button for walking and crouching, and some more buttons to attack or do any action such as opening door or dragging bodies
Gameplay though, might need some explanation. I'd admit I only played a little of 1st and Blood money, and I haven't finished Hitman 2. However I think I understand strong points of Hitman games. And Hitman is a unique game, because it simply has no competition. There is no other game like it, just like Deus Ex or Thief that's basically alone in their own category.
You don't play Hitman as an action games. Far from it. On the very base level, Hitman is a puzzle game. A real time one. Basically, every level gives you tools, obstacle, and mission. You can go seek your tools, analyze how obstacles behave and find the path that works for your advantage to help you finish the mission. I'll give example with 1st mission of Hitman 2. On the mission, you need to kill a man in his villa. It's heavily guarded by security. You need to break in, and then find him, and kill him.
You can enter the villa by disguising as a delivery man (take out the real delivery man and take his clothes), or go to side of villa and wait for a guard to come out, take him out and disguise as a guard. And then you can get into house via front door or circle around and find another way to enter. For example, I find a stair near a pool that leads directly to 2nd floor room, where my target is. But there are a lot of guards, and I need to wait for the right moment. When no one sees me, I climb the ladder, get into the room and before my target realize I strangle him with my wire, killing him silently. I then walk out calmly and only after I'm close to my exit point the guards realize their boss had died.
On every level, there are many paths available to achieve our mission. We need to find it, and execute it flawlessly. Learning guards patrols path, and find that slim chance to pass through, figure out which disguise works for our plan, which route to take, and how we're gonna take down out target. That's the appeal of Hitman games to me. That's is the perfection that's achieved by Hitman 2. But since every Hitman fans swore upon Blood Money, I guess it takes it even higher.