Hitman: Contracts (Sony PlayStation 2, 2004)

Reviewed for Big Boss Games by: LEG

When I first picked up and played Hitman Contracts I didn't know what to expect. I had heard many positive things about the game before, but had no clue it would turn out to be such an awesome game. One drawback to Hitman Contracts in particular is that it is somewhat of a sequel to Hitman Silent Assassin. Since I have not played any other Hitman games, I was a bit lost on the whole story line thing. Instead of worrying about who the Hitman was, where he came from and why he does what he does, I just went ahead and played the game. It is a "game" after all and if I want to get into something with a good story, I'll read a book!

Hitman Contracts is the third installment in the series and is a hybrid action/stealth type game. You can change your view from first person to third person with the press of a button. The learning curve wasn't too bad and once you get a "feel" for how the various weapons work, you'll be killing the baddies in no time at all.

At the start of each of the 12 missions, you are briefed on your "marks" or targets. Essentially, to finish each level you just have to take out your designated targets. This is where the game play really gets fun. Since the
game is not "linear", you can basically snuff out your marks any way you want, which adds to the replay value of the game. I ended up replaying each mission several times and each time played it in a different way.

If I wanted to be stealthy, I could knock out a bad guy, take his clothes and take care of business. However, I had to be very careful. The enemy AI in this game is pretty good and if you seem to be out of place or act too weird, then you become the hunted instead of the hunter!

I was also able to go in with a blaze of glory and blow up everything and everybody to kingdom come! Either way accomplised my goals, but at the end of the mission my ranking was directly influenced by my actions. So, I could end up being a coveted "Silent Assassin" or your run of the mill, every day, "Mass Murderer." It was totally up to me!

Hitman Contracts for the PC, PS2 and XBox is rated "M" for mature. There are scenes of very intense, extreme, graphic violence, lots of blood and gore, strong language, strong, graphic sexual content and extreme use of drugs.

Overall Score: 8 out of 10

Ever since seeing "Hitman: Blood Money" being played on a video game TV channel, I was immediately impressed with the game series due to the degree of stealth and strategy involved in order to complete the game with the highest success rate. Soon after I went looking for it at my local 'EB games" video game store, but had no such luck finding it. I however found "Hitman 2: Silent Assassin" for PS2. I greatly enjoyed the game and beat it relatively quickly, which was a great thrill for me, due to the fact that I'm probably the most God-awful gamer in the world. However, playing missions while properly executing stealth was a great challenge. Even if you took every precaution to remain unnoticed, it seems the guards would always figure out it was Agent 47, the lead character you play as, in disguise. None the less, I liked the series even more so after playing "Silent Assassin" so naturally the next step for me would be to purchase "Contracts". After purchasing "Contracts" off Ebay, and recieving it in the mail, I was actually disappointed. The control scheme seemed a little more complicated, and the goals seemed more demanding. But I persevered, and after beating a few more levels, I had finally mastered the gameplay, and I achieved my first 'silent assassin' rating, the best honor you can recieve on a particular level. I would end up beating the game, and achieve 'silent assassin' on all but 2 missions. The beauty of the "Hitman" series is the lenient degree of difficulty. You can run through a level guns-a-blazing, or very carefully and quietly dispose of your target. Your able to beat the game either way, unlike other stealth-oriented games which are completely impossible to beat without secrecy (i.e."Metal Gear Solid", "Splinter Cell", ect.). It can bring a sense of gaming accomplishment and worth to someone like me when in the easier mode, or offer a unique challenge for a more experienced player in the more difficult modes. Despite the lack of publicity, to me its one of the better games I've ever played, and therefore is one of my all-time favorites.

I thought Hit Man "Blood Money" was amazing, suspensful, and very challenging. Blood Money is the last installment of the three part series anf the most recent. Hit Man 2 came out in 2004 and the idea was good, however gameplay left much to be desired about the control of agent 42. It was a great idea in 2004 just not completely relized until 2006. If you get either one this or next year, get Blood Money. The gap in price between old & new has & will continue to close as the series ages. Like comparing apples to oranges, or macs to pc's if you must, lol!! but there will always remain a clear winner.

Actually, unlike the previous reviewer, I found this is the second game Hitman put out, not the 3rd. At least for PS2 it is. It is an excellent game, and really helps with learning how to use stealth and accuracy for shooting. Great practice if you are going to go hunting! This second one was a lot of fun, pretty close to the first one, but good in it's own right. This game is a blast to start out on Normal, then when you are done, try the hard setting! If you like shooter games, this one is for you!

I think this is the best one out of them all.
Advanced enemy intelligence uses squad-based tactics to
try to stop you. Travel the globe to kill!!!