Hitman 2: Silent Assassin is where this series really started coming into its own. The game was a monumental step forward for the franchise after Codename 47, releasing on both consoles and PC, and generating a huge amount of critical and commercial success which propelled the series into the mainstream. The storyline here is probably the best in the entire series, and is the main driving focus for completing the game. Also, let's talk about that soundtrack. Jesper Kyd really knocked it out of the ballpark with this one, creating the best Hitman soundtrack of the franchise. The main menu theme alone is worthy of the greatest praise. The levels this time around are both great fun and some of the most frustrating in the entire series. While the gameplay has seen several improvements over Codename 47, the AI is still very awkward. If you even so much as look at wandering guards wrong, they'll open fire on you. This can lead to very trial and error gameplay instead of the experimentation seen in Contracts and Blood Money. There are a few standout missions in the game, and the good does outweigh the bad, but the AI quirks and general trial and error puzzles keep this game from reaching the heights of the two sequels following it. Graphically the game looks pretty good for its time, and it's a huge step up from Codename 47 in every way with its presentation. There's a staggering amount of weapons to obtain, and using the cheats to obtain all of them and going on a murdering spree is surprisingly more fun in this game than any other Hitman in my opinion. Overall, it's a very solid Hitman game, and, if not for its sequels, would have been more fondly remembered if they didn't improve even more upon the formula.
Hitman Codename 47 is an odd one to write about. On one hand, it created one of the best stealth franchises, and on the other, it's clunky, ugly, and the level design is rigid. If playing this game first without any knowledge of the sequels, then I could see a lot more enjoyment being had here. The biggest problem for Hitman fans wanting to experience or revisit this game is that so, so many quality of life improvements have been made over each iteration that going back to this game feels obtuse and frustrating. Let's talk about the level design, for one. If played before any other Hitman, this game plays like a stealth/action hybrid with some very strong puzzle elements (that can sometimes be way too ridiculous to get without some sort of walkthrough). It's a hassle, but it's a fun challenge. Now, if played after Hitman 2 and onwards, this feels like taking a big step backwards in terms of design. For one, this game didn't have the rating system of the later games, which really dampens repeat playthroughs. Levels often only have one "correct" way to silently assassinate a target, and it often involves heavily scripted story sequences that take control away from the player. Enemy AI has way too itchy of a trigger finger. One slight awkward move and the entire level is gunning for you. Instead of big open sandboxes, you mostly get linear levels with a few exceptions. It's easy to see how this turned into the greatness that was Contracts and Blood Money, but it's just hard to go backwards so far. Graphically, the game does look dated, but it isn't so bad that it's unplayable. The physics are as hilarious as ever, which lends some charm to the game. Voice acting is also pretty awful, but in a good way (think Resident Evil). Overall, you won't have a bad time with this game, but you'll almost assuredly have a frustrating one. Would I reccomend it? Maybe. It all depends on how much you can put up with mechanics that were improved exponentially in later entries.
If I had to sum up Contracts in a few words, those words would be "dark, brooding atmosphere". This game comes in as a close second best after Blood Money for me, for many reasons. First off, this game is mostly a collection of remastered levels from Codename 47, but built with the technology of Hitman 2. While that does put a damper on the value slightly, depending on if you've recently played through the first game, it does enough significant changes that it really warrants playing again. Aesthetically, this is my favorite Hitman game. Since every level is taking place in Hitman's mind while he bleeds out on the floor, every level takes on a dark and almost sinister atmosphere. After shooting your way out of the asylum, the first contract is at a BDSM party at a meat factory, further cementing the games gritty vibe. As for the missions themselves, they can range from brilliant to tedious. The biggest highlight of the game, for me, has to be Traditions of the Trade, a remake of the level from Hitman Codename 47. The hotel is so fun to explore, and there's plenty of secrets to be found. On the tedious end of the spectrum, you have The Bjarkhov Bomb, which spans a huge map that makes traversal seem like an eternity with nothing really pleasing to look at. AI is aroud the same as Hitman 2, but enemies are a bit more forgiving of suspicious actions. There's plenty of weapons in this game (even an unlockable minigun) to play around with, and each one is satisfying. The music takes a break from the orchestral style of Hitman 2 to be more synth-like and dark. It's still brilliant as always, but not quite as memorable as 2 or Blood Money. The only real negatives I can think of are some inconsistent AI problems, a few tedious mission objectives, and the fact that the game doesn't really progress the overall storyline. It almost rivals Blood Money in greatness, but Blood Money just had more missions with almost zero tedium, so Blood Money slightly edges this one out.
This game is the best this series has to offer. While Contracts is a close, close second, this one perfected the formula that the series had tried to establish since Codename 47. Let's start with the good and work our way down to the very little bad. First off, the game looked gorgeous for the time it was released, and still holds up fairly well all these years later. The character models have a certain art style to them that keeps them from aging horribly, but they do look dated. Jesper Kyd's soundtrack is amazing as always. This game has some of the best orchestral arrangements, only bested by Hitman 2: Silent Assassin. It's a mix of orchestral and synth beats, like a blending of SA and Contracts, and every track fits the mood. The list of weapons you can use is pretty expansive, and grows over the course of the game. Upgrades can be bought for almost any firearm, which leads to a nice progression system. Also tied into progression is Notoriety, which accumulated the more witnesses and cameras spot you. The higher the notoriety, the easier guards can see through your disguise on later missions. You have to pay contract money to lower it, so any messy job will leave you shorter on cash that you could be putting to better use upgrading your gear. After every job, there's a newspaper article going through how you did in a pretty novel fashion. It's something that I wish would have carried over into later games and expanded upon. Every environment has its intricacies that could lead to multiple playthroughs to find different ways to execute your targets. Running out of room, so let's look at some of the bad. The animations are certainly dated, the AI still has some weird quirks every now and then, and the controls can be a bit awkward sometimes. Also, it can be easy to accidentally get stuck in a mandatory animation if you get to close to an object that triggers one (like a pipe you can climb). Outside of that, simply the best Hitman has to ffer as a series.
As a stealth action game, this falls more in line with Splinter Cell Conviction or 007 Blood Stone than any other Hitman game. As a Hitman game, outside of maybe 2 or 3 locations, this game falls flat on its face due to its ridiculously awful storyline, the busted disguise mechanics, and long stretches of linear corridors. The main problem with Absolution is that it does neither particularly well. It isn't as stylish or as fun as Sam's murder spree, and the plot isn't as entertaining as Blood Stone. The gunplay and takedowns do about what you'd expect, but it's just so bland. The only thing this game gets 100% right is the graphical style and environment density. The places like Chinatown or the streets of Hope are downright stunning when walking through crowds of people or listening in to NPC dialogue. It's just a shame the rest of the game didn't live up to its presentation. This is by far the worst Hitman game in the series (yes, even worse than Codename 47 with its rough edges) because it betrays almost everything the series did right in the first place. However, taken on its own, you will come away with a pretty stock standard third person stealth ACTION (emphasis on action) game.
