It?s easy to get distracted in the gaming industry. For days, outlets have been reporting on the impending announcement of IO Interactive?s Hitman 2, which some sleuths were able to uncover hidden in the game?s pre-reveal teases. And now we?ve finally received the long awaited reveal! It?s a great story, and we all love a good scoop, but what we really have here is the makings of a comeback story the likes of which the gaming industry, all too concerned with sure-things and too-big-to-fail sequels, has not seen in recent memory.
Getting this out of the way, Hitman 2 looks to have a lot of potential, all at once picking up where 2016?s underplayed gem left off while also taking the game, and the series as a whole, in new and exciting directions. And, if IO Interactive supports Hitman 2 post-release the way they did for 2016?s installment, those who play the game are in for a long relationship. It was but a year ago that we almost lost Hitman – and our beloved Agent 47 – possibly forever. 2016?s critically acclaimed Hitman was an afterthought among the general population, and publisher Square Enix posted a $43 million loss related to the project. Shortly thereafter, they put IO interactive on the open market. In a bold move, the Danish developers put up the funds to buy itself and go independent. While this put Hitman back into the hands of those who built it, the future of the franchise was still a question mark. Would they continue to support the game with more...