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.