SMERSH 2/Death to spies Moment of Truth is pretty cool stealth game. There is a lot more detail in the environments and interaction than the first and i really did like the maps and some of the ideas for maps in the first, maybe even to say that the maps in the first were more creative and diverse, but in this sequel the interaction and ways you can 'play' with the environment is much more fleshed out as far as interaction goes, and this makes it feel much more like a proper hitman game. There are slight graphics and UI imrpovements, but it overall looks the same. I do not llke the controls still but at least the game feels a bit like you are less lost to some extent, (unfortunately i think this game even gets HARDER) its fun to just sort of feel out a map and see what happens. as you wander around in disguise you will get hints and pop ups that might give details about what you can do. "radio operators can go to XXX but can't go to YYY" "the colonel likes the che'fs special soup time to time..." uniforms will get map symbol so you just put them on and see if there is something to be done as a certain character. That's kind of a fun idea. There are also messages that pop up that are seemingly spontaneous events when things happen or you get close to an object (see something) This feels a lot more like the hitman franchise to me in the sense that the environment feels more interactive and alive.

There are tons of stylizations, map set ups, in game situations and easter eggs that scream hitman in this one too it would seem. Even with all these clues and cues the game is still tricky and not obvious what you should do at all however. But at least there is more that you CAN do, so that's a major improvement over the first. I think this could be one of the hardest games i've played becuase of the way problem solving is kludgy and non intuitive. Sometimes you can use your head, you might see a russian soldier sleeping next to a truck and think, ok i can just hop into this truck. You really always have to be thinking in different ways. On one hand the game is fun to explore and improvise, on the other hand, it's not clear how to go about completition and sometimes the best approach really is a mystery that just unravels itself regardless of your plans or what you wish to do, so you wont stumble across it unless you look at a guide. I dont see how someone can explore this game and win without cheating or looking at youtube. it's very hard. Even for seasoned hitman veterans this type of thing really is on the next level due to the way detection zips and races, and alert status enemies are just impossible to slip past.

I played this using some cheats, such as invisibility and silence. In this way i can freely wander about the maps until i figure out how to solve the problems. This makes the game actually possible without completely ruining the experience.

So far this has to be the most hardcore stealth game ever that i've played. Next Up is Alekhine's Gun. I would say this game is fun for people who really like hitman and want a hardcore hitman experience this is probably your game as you will overlook these crappy controls and won't mind what at times feels like masochist difficulty and vagueness. For most people though this game will be way too hard and won't find much appreication in a game that requires cheats to realistically complete. I still can't reccomend a game like this over hitman contracts or hitmanblood money as those games are better in every sense imo. the maps are better and you can play with them more and they aren't as hard or outright as janky as this. the ending was kind of a dud and i would have gone for a more 'russian doll' approach lol For instance: imagine if the whole game series is just this one room where different agencies send assassins/spies after each assassin spy that did in the last. that's the whol franchise. one room where each counter agent relives their memories in minutes before they too get whacked, lol. Still, this game is indeed a big improvement over the first and it's good to see the series is still active. I look forward to Alekhine's Gun

funny easter egg in it. fbi agent: rumor is there's a new hitman. he's got a shaved head and a red tie. he really stands out.