Hitman: Blood Money

Blood Money is probably the best game to play if you're looking to get into the classic Hitman games (Codename 47 up to Absolution). It looks great, plays great, and is just, in general, a ton of fun. The one thing that hasn't really held up is that the controls are kind of stiff and do take some getting used to, but it hardly impacts the gameplay at all.

From what I can tell, this is the best game in the Hitman series. The graphics have improved since, but the gameplay never did. The enemy AI is quite intelligent, the levels are extremely well conceived and visually impressive, even in 2020. The game has a good soundtrack and the story is decent. There are alot of different ways to approach your missions and a wide variety of weapons and tools for doing so. The game also feels much more polished unlike the first two which feel rather crude, are rough around the edges, have alot of empty space (common to games of the era) and is considerably more free wheeling, than the games that came after it, despite the fact that they have more polish and graphics. The only downside of this game is that it gets repetitive after you've done everything and Eidos couldn't be bothered to let people have the level editor, because that would let people extend the life of the game, instead of having to buy the next big thing...

I had this on PS2, Xbox, PS3... I bought it on PC, bought it again when I lost the account I first purchased it with... The point is, this game is worth having, no matter what system. If you're like me and began your Hitman foray with number 2, Silent Assassin (still one of the best of the series), then Blood Money is definitely for you. Blood Money sees the first game in the series where guards aren't instantly suspicious of you from half a city block, where a decent disguise can work wonders in many places, and where you can fully customize your weapons. Blood Money makes target takedown much more interesting, with more environmental/accidental methods, more events with special animations and sequences to take down targets. Going Silent Assassin feels great, rather than frustrating. You feel like 47 is a badass enhanced human, not some superhuman with ridiculous abilities (instinct system? really? see through walls?) Blood Money is the kind of game where you will keep coming back to try different methods -- balcony push here, poisoned drink there, explosive on a chain holding a heavy object, or good ol' fashioned melee stealth weapons. Or go on a fully customized shotgun rampage. Why not? Plus, the notoriety system adds a degree of encouragement to do missions silently. If you're loud, violent, and not stealthy whatsoever, you get less money, and you increase your notoriety, meaning future guards in future missions are more likely to spot you. Overall, a great game! Get it now.

This game is a classic. You can completely lose yourself in a mission trying to play it out like a hitman. You will find yourself stalking people, learning their routines and trying to figure out entry points to get close to them. I distinctly remember being in a suburb and hiding in the neighbors kids treehouse spying in on the target trying to figure out any sort of way in. Every level will have so many possible solutions. Some levels you might end up running and gunning, some might be a sneak in and stealth it up affair, some you might find a vantage point and a silenced sniper. All get the job done (though some are cleaner than others). The game is a little clunky by modern standards but if you are someone who frequents GOG then this is probably not so much of an issue for you. If you can get past that and some slightly dated visuals then this is a must play gem

What you'd expect from a Hitman game, but with the strongest level design, breadth of level style, unique settings, and methods of dispatching targets in the whole series. Owned this game on every console it's been on; a classic.