Hitman 2's first mission is now free for everyone

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Phil declared in his review of Hitman 2 that it "feels safe": It doesn't depart from the formula established by the first game, but it delivers levels "that can rival some of the best in Hitman's long history." The first of them, Hawke's Bay, is set in a small beachfront property in New Zealand, and as of today it's free for everyone in a new Hitman 2 Starter Pack on Steam.

The Starter Pack provides full access to all Hawke's Bay content, including challenges and unlocks, hidden stashes, new starting locations and weapons, and escalating difficulties. From March 8-17 it will also be the location of the fourth Hitman 2 Elusive Target, Dame Barbara Elizabeth Keating, aka "The Politician," a former Minister of Trade and Foreign Affairs for New Zealand who was busted siphoning charity funds into her offshore account.

She was ultimately able to pin the blame on the charity's director and now she's working to restore her reputation and position—and thus it falls to Agent 47 to deliver a modicum of justice by, umm, airing her out. Owners of the Starter Pack will have the same opportunity to do the job as everyone else, under the same set of rules: You get one shot, and if you blow it, she gets away for good. (Or at least until Io Interactive brings her back around again.)

The Hitman 2 Starter Pack is free, and any progress you make in it will carry over to the full game if you decide to go for it. Hitman 2 also happens to be on sale for 37 percent off—$38/£28/€38—until February 28.

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.