Hitman: Contracts

"Chock up another assassination..."

I was first exposed to Hitman 2 on PS2. It was very expansive and interesting. #3 snuck up on me entirely. I noticed commercials for it and rented it the day it came out. Saw the commercial, called Blockbuster, they said they actually had it, so I rented and played it!

One thing loomed out at me, though. The graphics are IDENTICAL to #2's engine. Not really a ton of improvements. But Hitman 2 was a fine game and this is nevertheless excellent in its own right.

Now, this game isn't for everyone. The main point is to try and make it through levels without being noticed, hence the "Silent Assassin" tag on the game's title :-) Going in guns-a-blazing is a way to do it. And, unlike some other games, this makes that approach WAY too easy. Keep moving left and right and you'll live. Run outta ammo? Pick up a new gun and keep going.

A unique trick of this game is disguising yourself as anything from a gang member to a police officer to a pedestrian to even a SWAT officer. If you have an unlikely weapon (ie: Gang members walk around with AK-47's, but you're packing a sniper rifle), the enemies will know you don't belong there and try to kill you ASAP. The trick is to remain constantly on the move. If you have to brush by someone, do it quickly, try not to run, or run INTO the enemy. Or else your cover might be blown.

I hold it as a challenge for you to get Silent Assassin ranking on the last level. It is sheer madness, I kid you not :-P The game is quite open to another sequel (And the next is in development!), so look for another addition to the series within months. The downside? Same repeated engine.

My only negative thoughts on this game possibly have to be story and graphics. The graphics aren't bad at all. But the movement system and rag-doll dragging of corpses needs to be tweaked. Voice acting is great. But the story is a bit chopped up. You'll see what I mean.

But all in all, this is a must-play game. It tops off the second Hitman and hopefully the next will continue to improve. The voice acting, music, and plots are very intriguing. You aren't always just moving in to kill someone. The main character is sent on rescues, bombing runs, undercover, and even sabotaging missions. If you enjoy third person shooters, this is a must. Its quite different from many games out right now. What I'd like to see in future sequels is a bit of splicing from Splinter Cell and Metal Gear Solid's techniques. Tweak stealthing a bit more, and whenever you are revealed, have all hell break loose, like in MGS :-)

A few more changes and this game series will be one for ages to come. Buy it if you're a diehard fan, but rent it in the very least. It isn't incredibly long, but there is much replay value.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 05/09/04