Hitman: Contracts

"It's been so long since 47's last escapade, yet this new iteration feels so similar."

Hitman 2: Silent Assassin was, and still is, a great game, there's no refuting that fact. The taciturn, bald headed, bar code carrying protagonist, Agent 47 was a character only a mother could love... until he kills her. The game kept players busy with countless numbers of weapons, and just as many ways of finishing a mission. You have the options of going in guns a-blazing, or you can go with a little more quiet route. There were also multiple ways to enter a building and countless disguises to wear to help you sneak into these buildings surreptitiously. These details all combined to make Hitman 2 a very, very enjoyable game. Enter: Hitman: Contracts. The game is still good, no doubt about that, but if you get it expecting something extraordinary, be warned that nothing is new here. The good is still good, the bad is still present.

Presentation:

Wow, something new! They created a different a new menu screen! It also looks pretty cool as well. The menu system is still easily accessible with quite a few options to help the gamer make the game as enjoyable as possible. One minuscule gripe I've had with the game's presentation over the years is that the text is always so tiny. At first I thought it was just me, but everyone who has this game agrees with me. No biggie!

Graphics:

If you've played Hitman 2, a question you'll ask when you see the graphics is, "Didn't I see these graphics about two years ago?" The truth is, you have. Not much has changed. No big graphical rehaul, no extra added effects. I guess IO said to themselves, "What's not broken, we won't improve." People want these improvements IO! You guys did such a good job on Freedom Fighters so why not put the effort into your staple series? Lighting is sometimes a problem, like in the last game. Sometimes it works out fine but then sometimes I could be in absolutely pitch dark, but still be able to see 47's bald head clearly. Hopefully in Hitman 4, the team will finally upgrade these ugly, dated graphics.

Sound:

This is the bright star that makes Hitman shine. The dialogue is great, and the voice acting is top notch. Music, however rare, is good as well. For most of a mission there is no music, just ambient sounds to help to keep the suspense up like in all good stealth games, except for maybe Metal Gear Solid. Music does come up occasionally to help the player get shots off without causing too much racket. The loud music helps soften the sound of gunfire so bystanders won't be alarmed. This is just a great touch of detail that one would expect the Hitman series to have.

Gameplay:

Again, nothing new here. If you've played Hitman 2, then you shouldn't bother with the instruction booklet; it will just tell you information you already have embedded in your head. Agent 47 is still controlled with the use of both analog sticks, the left for moving forward or backwards and for strafing, while the right stick is used for turning direction. There are still multiple ways to finish a mission so that adds to the replay value. You can sneak your way through levels by pressing L2 to go into sneak mode, and gently move the left stick to have 47 creep at a snail's pace. This helps you get through the level with as least commotion as possible thus earning you a "Silent Assassin" rating, which grants you special goodies like double weapons. If you could care less about double SMGs then go the "shoot up a nightclub" route with guns a-blazing. Pop rounds into anything that moves. It's both bloody and satisfying. There are plenty of new weapons to be found. I personally like the meat hook in all of its stainless steel beauty. There are also new silent kills. Besides the regular ones, you can now push a direction as you approach an unsuspecting victim when you push the action button, and depending on the direction you chose and the weapon you have, you'll get a new animation. They are all gruesome and awesome!

Overall:

If you've played Hitman 2, then nothing in this game, besides the new levels, weapons, and some silent kills, will come as a surprise to you. If you haven't played Hitman 2 yet, then by all means spend $50 and buy this game. You definitely won't be disappointed. For us Hitman 2 lovers however, this game just didn't have the impact the last one had.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 05/10/04