While I didn't play Hitman 1, I thought the move the diversify the gameplay in Hitman 2 was half-heartedly executed. There was little reward to either going super-stealthy or guns-blazing (At least in IGI2 the maps hinted at the appropriate playstyle.) All you get is this inconsequential rating and a few unlockable weapons of questionable usefullness. IMO, at the end of each mission they should have given you a weapon suited to your playing style.
I didn't like Thief 2 as I did 1, primarily because of the story. It lacked the certain philosophical underpinnings (Clarity of Light versus the Imaginativeness of Dark) I enjoyed reflecting about in the first and had barely any more depth than a typical save-the-world-from-a-madman-and-his-doomsday-weapon movie. The ending was also a dissapointment since it had none of the finesse, suave and the foreboding sequel tie-in part of the original. I also missed the scared-as-shit moments I had in 1 (The ghosts were utterly badass), since your mostly human opponents in 2 were generally easier to defeat.
I like many have high hopes for DX2, particularly regarding the fact that they intend to completely pull-off the simulation aspect of gameplay. I didn't like the way some of the levels in 1 could only be finished using a fixed, definite set of options. Let's see if we truly can defy typical character achetypes this time around.
"Nothing livens up a robotic hymn of doom more than an amazing pair of jugs." - Brak