Hitman: Codename 47

I own this game already but I'm still tempted to buy this on gog. I remember when Code Name 47 first came out and it was unlike anything that I had ever seen. You don't run and gun and take out everything in sight, oh no..this game was much more evil than that. You job was to take out one target. If you were good you'd only have to take out siad target but if you got sloppy and gave yourself away you'd have to take out anyone who discovered you. The best success came when you pre-meditated your kill...plan your route, kill anyone who got in the way of sucess and hide their bodies down a sewer grate. The first game where it was okay to kill someone just for their clothes or their uniform...no moral dilemmas...this game was pure cool and it still is. First thing I noticed is how up to date it still looks and feels. There is real tension as you pass henchmen on the street and hope they just think your a harmless businessman - not a hired killer who is about to execute his boss. Missions are intelligent and present multiple options to success. If you leave a trail of bodies make sure you clean them up before they are discovered. Yes this game is hard. Its not as simple as walking in and killing your mark, patience is the key here. Chose your moment. If you're lucky you'll get a clean kill with a sniper rifle but more often you will have to strangle your mark or bring out the highballers and fill him full of holes. You'll have to attempt most missions over and over until you are successful...expect that. Despite it's age it still looks great and the controls are done well....The only fault I'll give is that it's so hard that you can get very frustrated but when you finally finish that mission you'll be ecstatic. Also I'm still amazed about the depth and great gameplay you get from such a tiny download...If they gave out awards for thrills per meg of downlaod codename 47 wins hands down...for a game thats under 250megs the amount of gameplay you get is staggering. Buy. Play. Enjoy. (in that order)

The game has its flaws. It can be frustrating (it WILL be frustrating OFTEN). I'd still recommend glimpsing at a walkthrough and pushing forward rather than rage-quitting. The game has a story, and it's a neat one. There are two endings, and even the bad one feels satisfactory somehow (or maybe it's only me liking the theme of contract killers in pop-culture 'n entertainment). Locations are fine, climate is there, some humoristic moments (Quotes from "Scarface" and "Passenger 57"), and for me it didn't put me off Hitman 2 SA (yeah, I'm struggling there, too, with a nicer graphics). Game-play can be a nightmare. Corpses can stuck in the door, and before you are able to drag them into the room, the guard will show up and ruin your fun. The AI often acts unreasonable, and you may feel lost. So if you decide life is too short, and there are so many other Hitman titles out there still to play, yet you want to start it properly, there's no shame in helping yourself with some tips from the net and complete the game. It's worth it, despite being more than mildly annoying at times.

Not gonna lie, I have played this at least twice a year since when this came out. Therefore, I can't give a review that has no old-time gamer's nostalgia touch, but I'll just explain why I still, after all this time, think this game is amazing. Back in the year 2000, ragdoll physics weren't too common. IO Interactive's Thomas Jakobsen created the physics engine for this game and, frankly, it's still pretty good today. Obviously, modern machines end up negatively affecting the experience when the physics are somewhat tied to the frame rate. Still, we can't really blame the game for it, because it had no such problem 20 years ago. If you run the game with a ~60 FPS cap, it has no problems. Talking about problems, the biggest negative that people mention is the brutal difficulty level. Yes, I agree on this. It is brutal—even on easy. The good thing is that finishing a mission is incredibly satisfying! Just know that it is quite a challenge. Getting your cover blown is only a survival problem since this game doesn't have the rating system that the newer games have. Having a rating system in a game that has somewhat silly A.I. and no sedatives or real ways to hide bodies would be horrific. Oddly enough, the lack of an in-detail rating system is a positive in this game. The only thing you really get is money, and the amount depends on whom you kill. Stay away from civilians and police officers! Since there are no sedatives, getting punished for killing enemy henchmen would not make sense. I guess an important question is whether or not there is a story. It is there, but you have to find it. Read the mission briefings and every letter you can (or rather might) find. You will find out what you need to know. Not that it matters much in the future games. If you have played the newer games in the series, go for this one as well. It is a great piece of history and an amazing game from a different era. Just remember not to look at the game from a modern gamer's perspective.

Hitman: Codename 47 utilised a stealth, murder and disguise combination that made the series an absolute hit. On one hand it can seem like each stage is a puzzle and figuring out who to kill, which costumes to use, where to hide bodies and how to sneak by the remaining guards to get a silent kill can be a fun challenge. On the other hand there's nothing to stop you from grabbing some pistols and blasting your way to your target. It should be pointed out that this game will challenge you. As you're meant to be a silent assassin being found out can lead to a very quick death. Each stage has a variety of fun moments, and even throws a few funny characters into the mix. It's only downfall in my opinion is the jungle stages where it can seem that there's no pattern at all to get through. The series becomes more refined and much darker in tone with every iteration and although the first game may seem frustrating to some, Hitman Codename 47 laid down the track work for a sadistic but very entertaining series. Play Codename 47 and bring on Silent Assassin!

The first Hitman is easily the closest to my heart even with all of the bugs and super reactive A.I. The ragdoll system employed here has never been replicated with the same success in my opinion. A shotgun to the head feels like a shotgun to the head. As for the difficulty level, it can prove testing at times, especially in the asylum level at the end but ultimately only motivates you to try every single path to the objective. The hotel mission still stands as one of my top ten game levels of all time.