As a corrupt military leader takes the stage, Agent 47 has only one shot to take them out without being spotted. In the world of “Hitman,” it’s kill or be killed.
“Hitman” is an action-adventure game that follows the story of a cloned assassin known as Agent 47. Taking jobs from the International Contract Agency, Agent 47 travels the globe taking out businessmen, evil scientists and military leaders in various ways.
The newest entry in the series takes place, other than the pre-ICA prologue mission, seven years after the events of the previous game, “Hitman: Absolution.” However, the story of the new game is thin.
For the newest game, IO Interactive has taken the episodic approach to the game, offering new chapters in a piece-meal like fashion, with each episode being an additional piece of content. The story within these episodes attempts to tell the story of leaked information of potential targets and the ensuing chaos that ensues, but doesn’t make for any interesting storylines or characters.
However, the main draw of “Hitman” is its gameplay, of which players now have more freedom than ever to take out their targets. Much like “Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes,” players are given an open playground full of choices and ways to approach the next objective.
One of the newest additions to the series is Opportunities, in which the game can lead new players to ways to assassinate a target. One such Opportunity is in Sapienza, Italy, where Agent 47 must disguise himself as a therapist to have a private meeting with his target to smother him and escape unnoticed.
Another is its Elusive Targets mode, in which players are given a set number of hours to accept a contract and eliminate the target before the mission disappears. These missions offer a greater challenge, giving players only one chance at success before the mission is marked as a failure and locked from re-access. In the past these missions have featured famous celebrities such as Gary Busey as targets.
While “Hitman” presents a realistic world and characters, its depictions of violence are often over the top and goofy. While you can certainly shoot a target and escape, the game encourages players towards more unconventional options such as poison and making kills look like accidents.
Throughout my playtime, I’ve thrown scissors into the necks of targets, pushed scientists off cliffs, and thrown explosive golf balls at the ground to bounce my target into a wood chipper to dispose of him. With the return of the Contracts mode from “Absolution,” players are able to set online assassination contracts within the levels that force players to find specific weapons and disguises before taking out their next target.
“Hitman” is an enjoyable new entry in the series, though it has a lackluster story. With two new episodes remaining in the current season, the problems I faced with pacing and story could be addressed in future content, but for now, the gameplay is what’s keeping me playing.
“Hitman” is available now for Playstation 4, PC and Xbox One in an intro pack for $15 or a full experience pack containing all 6 episodes plus a bonus pack for $60.
