Hitman: Contracts

"The 3rd game in the Hitman series..."

Introduction

In Hitman: Contracts, you take on the roll of Agent 47. Just like in the previous titles, you're a hitman, and most missions involve assassinating someone and escaping, mainly using stealth based tactics.

Gameplay - 9/10

Most of the gameplay features are still unchanged from the previous Hitman games. The main idea is to be stealthy and only killing the person(s) you were hired to assassinate. You do this by stealing clothes and blending in with the other enemies, which isn't all that easy. There's lots of strategy needed to complete the missions if you're playing on a harder difficulty, or if you're going for a ''Silent Assassin'' rank. However, on easier difficulties, it's quite easy to make it through a mission without really using very much stealth, or just gunning your way through the area. The game features a few missions from the original Hitman: Codename 47, and several new ones.

Controls The game controls are very easy to catch on to. It plays like a first person shooter in the third and first person perspective, similar to mafia, but much better done. All the controls are completely changeable.

Story - 4/10

The first mission in the game takes place right after the final level in Hitman: Codename 47. The rest of the missions in the game are Agent 47's flashbacks, which include some missions featured in the original Hitman: Codename 47, which are redone with new features of course. All in all, a weak storyline.

Graphics - 8/10

They seem to be a little bit under par for the Xbox, but it's nothing no complain about. The snow seams real, and the textures seem polished. However, the cinematic's in Hitman: Contracts don't seem to be too well done.

Sound - 7/10

Most of the guns sound pretty real, and the music fits the scene. However, the voice acting seems like it could be better at times.

Play Time/Replayability - 7/10

An average amount of missions to play, 3 difficulty settings, and somewhat open ended levels. You'll also wanna collect all the weapons, by completing missions with the weapon in your inventory. You'll also find yourself going back for the ''Silent Assassin'' title in every mission to unlock even more guns.

Final Recommendation

It hasn't changed very much from the other games in the series, so if you're a fan, you should definitely consider picking this one up. If not, it might be a better idea to try it before you buy it.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 04/24/04