Hitman Contracts
Mr. Clean does some dirty work.
by Susie Vee

PLATFORM: XBX, PS2, PC

PUBLISHER: Eidos

DEVELOPER: Io Interactive

GENRE: Stealth Action

ESRB: Mature

A few years ago, we tried our hand at the original Hitman game. A good concept – and stealth action wasn’t par for the course in every other game title back then -- but the clunky controls made it literally impossible to play.

Later on, Hitman 2 fixed almost all of the major problems, added a really groovy design sense and became one of our favorite obsessions for a few months. Now the thirs Hitman is here, and we’re pleased to say it’s more of the groovy gore-filled goodness we loved in HM2.

Once again, you are Number 47, a nameless, bald-headed contract killer with a deadly arsenal and flexible morals. Instead of a traditional linear plot, this time we play through various flashbacks in number 47’s head, as he recovers from a botched job.

Played from a 3rd-person point of view, your character must infiltrate various locations, assassinate one or more people and sometimes perform other duties, like rescuing hostages or stealing information – all before heading back to an extraction point.

The levels are fairly large, and without the interactive GPS-style map, you’d probably be lost. Enemy AI ranges from super tight to oblivious, and you’ll have a lot of trial and error on some levels.

Fortunately, you can save seven times per level on the default difficulty – a number that seems high enough to avoid frustration, but low enough to keep things tense.

While there are many different ways to get through each mission, the basic approach is to kill or knock out people and steal their clothing, allowing you to walk through dangerous territory undetected. You’ll have to make sure not to act suspicious, or let anyone get too good a look at you, and you’ll have to switch costumes to get into more restricted areas at times.

The stealth dynamic isn’t as fully developed as in Thief or Splinter Cell. But, with clever costume changes, you can spend much of the game hiding in plain sight. It’s a different take on stealth, and a much bigger part of this game than in the previous Hitman titles.

We missed the overarching plot threads of the previous game – the missions in Hitman Contracts are too self-contained, with no connection between them. This robs you of much of your motivation, other than following the vague orders given to you at the beginning of each level.

Some have complained that about half the levels are recycled from the original Hitman game. Contracts is so different in gameplay, graphics and controls that it hardly seems that way, but if you’ve played the first one, you may feel this was a cheap way to add filler.

We had a great time with the widely varied locations and people in Hitman Contracts. The slow, deliberate gameplay is right up our alley, even if it can be a bit gruesome at times. Be warned, there are often scantily clad women wandering around – apparently international criminals like to hang out with cheap hookers. Rather than that, we’d like to see the next sequel sport an equally bald, equally bad-ass, female Hitman. We’ll call her Number 48.