Foliage

Overview

Foliage is a game mechanic introduced in HITMAN™ 2 that allows the player to hide or to conceal dropped objects. A significant mass of high vegetation into which the player can walk constitutes foliage. Examples include tall grass, hedges, bushes and crops. When hidden, the minimap will be darkened at the edges, and the word "concealed" will appear. There will also be a dim white outline around the player.

Agent 47 in Santa Fortuna, crouched and concealed in the tall jungle vegetation; note the darkened minimap

Properties

Foliage will allow the player to conceal themselves, fallen bodies or dropped objects. Typically the player must crouch to take advantage of foliage's concealment effect, although certain examples of it are tall enough to hide the player even when standing upright. The player is not impeded by the vegetation and can move through it as quickly as across open ground. The player is not perfectly invisible in foliage, and NPCs will still see the player if standing at close proximity. This zone within which enemies can discern the player is indicated by a circle on the ground.

Bodies and objects can be hidden in foliage, provided that they are entirely within its boundaries. Any portion of the body extending beyond the edges of the foliage will be as noticeable as if it were completely unconcealed.

While the player is not directly visible when moving through foliage, characters can still see the effect the player has on the vegetation if the player is moving quickly, i.e. the bending of branches or stalks, and they will approach to investigate. This can be avoided by moving slowly.

Appearances

• ICA Facility - Despite being an entirely indoor mission, during The Final Test there are large clusters of potted plants arranged to simulate wild vegetation.
• Paris - None; there are large garden areas, but none of the bushes can be entered
• Sapienza - Tall grass is present near the road tunnel entrance, the ruins of the castle, and the side and grounds of of the Villa Caruso
• Marrakesh - None; an urbanized desert area with little vegetation
• Colorado - Appropriate for a rural area, tall vegetation is found both outside and inside the compound, especially towards the southern perimeter entrance, making undetected movement on this side easy. Clusters of tall grass and bushes exist near the greenhouse area, behind the farmhouse and near the sludge pit.
• Hokkaido - None; high-altitude winter location in the mountains
• Hawke's Bay - Clumps of tall grass are found throughout the beach surrounding Alma's house, making hidden movement among the patrolling mercenaries simple.
• Miami - Rare; there are some hedges on a high ledge that bodies can be dumped into, but it cannot be entered by the player
• Santa Fortuna - Found all over the map. Numerous spots in town, the path by the river, the extensive jungle section, and the entire coca field.
• Mumbai - Found in certain areas, such as near the entrance of the railroad, near the pier, on the Crows' hilltop and inside the large railroad building where that Vanya Shah uses as her base.
• Whittleton Creek - Found all over the map: as part of the landscaping in the yards of homes, the high vegetation along the banks of the creek, the overgrown backyard being used by Providence operatives, various hedges, and most of the construction site
• Isle of Sgail - In some areas, such as the backstage, the seaside trail below the courtyard, and the area surrounding the circle of standing stones.
• New York - None; the map is entirely indoors
• Haven Island - Numerous locations all over the island are covered with dense tropical vegetation.
• Dubai - Despite being an indoor map, there is a small amount of vegetation on a balcony garden near the penthouse stairs.
• Death in the Family - Found throughout the mansion's property, the graveyard, the ruined church and the river bank in the form of tall swamp grass and decorative hedges
• Berlin - Large overgrown bushes cover the ground near the crane and further up towards the back entrance to the club, as well as on the other side of the map towards the secondary entrance of the biker's garage near the canal (oddly, there doesn't appear to be any in the forest)
• Chongqing - None; the mission takes place in a heavily urbanized area
• Mendoza - Large amounts of brush and plants appear in the back and sides of the villa property and in the field in front of the silo. Lilac fields cover most of the area between the silo and the villa, making covert movement simple. In addition, the public areas are decorated with flowering plants arranged in large accessible circular planters, which are very useful for hiding bodies.
• Carpathian Mountains - None.
• Ambrose Island - Very common all over the surface of the map, as befits a tropical island. Underground areas and beach areas are generally barren, however.
• Safehouse - [information needed]

Trivia

• At extreme elevations, some types of foliage disappear from the player's view, and the player will see instead the bare ground beneath it. This effect can be seen with the dry grass on the Isle of Sgail from the roof of the keep. This is because the game does not treat grass as a collective object, but instead as individual strands which would not be visible at a distance.