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47 at his best!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 19 / 19
Date: August 04, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I am a big fan of the Hitman games, with Hitman 2 being one of top-10 favorite games of all time. So when I claim that Blood Money is the best Hitman yet, that's a big statement for me. The developers have taken everything that was great in the previous games and made it better. The levels are bigger, the AI is (slightly) improved, replay value is greater, and the game looks beautiful. There is still room for improvement, but not much.

Gameplay: Like the previous 3 games, you are cast as an assassin working for an agency that provides contracts. This time, all of your missions (except 1) are set in America, where you'll have to get to the bottom of a plot to destroy the agency. Unlike the other games, you're paid for each hit, and you can use the money to upgrade weapons, buy other items (like bombs, protective vests, health boosts, etc.), and lower you notoriety level. The payment are very generous, and I ended up with $2.5 million at the end of the game, which seemed rather excessive. Also, there is really no need to spend money on upgrading most weapons, since an upgraded silverballer and a sniper rifle will do just fine for any mission. Regarding notoriety, this is a 0-100 meter that goes up if you are seen while doing a job. You can bribe witnesses to lower the rating. It's an interesting touch, especially since the notoriety rating affects how the newspaper will report your actions and appearance after each mission and how difficult the next mission will be.

This game is more about stealth than the previous ones, and it's a bit harder to earn the highest ratings. I played on expert difficulty (which I recommend for most people familiar with these kinds of games), and you can't just blast your way through most level (or you'll probably end up dead). Anyway, doing so would take a lot of the enjoyment out of the game. The game is at its best when tension sets in and you're wondering if your disguise is working, or whether anyone is going to find that dead body you hid, or whether you can make it to the exit without tipping off the guards. Thankfully, this game adds a lot of new gameplay elements to make things interesting. You can hide bodies in containers, hide in closets, climb and scale things, take hostages, push people off ledges, and more. And finally, Agent 47 has a melee attack which is pretty potent. Of course, all of the old moves are there, such as poisoning by syringe, strangulation by fiber wire, death by sniper rifle, etc. All of the levels are large, so you'll have to do some trial-and-error runs to get a sense of where things are as well as the possible angles that you can approach the target(s). And since there are usually a few to several different ways to kill targets, the game has some replay value.

Since I have a thing for blowing people up with remote-controlled C4, my best rating was "Professional." To get the highest rating (which I assume is "Silent Assassin"), expect to work on a mission for a 2-3 hours (at least on expert difficulty or higher). Altogether, there are 12 missions which will take 25-35 hours to complete, if you are playing them as intended (stealthy). Generally, the AI is convincing. However, as in the previous games, there will be a few occasions when guards seem to know things that they shouldn't, or seem to not notice things that they should.

Graphics: The visuals are great, especially the environments. Las Vegas looks phenomenal, as do the White House and suburbia levels. The game has a very refined, stylist quality about it. Character models are pretty good, but not vastly improved over the last two games and many are repeated. The game has many more animations, especially for Agent 47.

Sound: Everything works well in this department. Solid voice acting, nice ambiant sounds, and another solid soundtrack by Jesper Kyd. All of the weapons sound appropriate, but this is a game in which you want to be as quiet as possible!

Technical Issues/Stability: I played this game with the patch that came out right at the release date. I have had no problems: not a single crash, freeze, or hiccup. I was able to play smoothly at 1024x768 resolution with most settings on high (I have a P4 3.0ghz, 1 GB of RAM, Geforce 6600GT video card). The game is well polished. The manual is decent, and the first mission is a tutorial that will familiarize you with the gameplay.

Yes, this is indeed the best Hitman game yet (though Hitman 2 is still a sentimental favorite of mine). The game has a cliff-hanger ending, so I assume there will be a sequel. At least I hope so. If you like the Hitman games or stealth games in general, I highly recommend this one.

Overall Rating: 4.5 stars

Welcome addition to the Hitman series

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 14 / 16
Date: June 07, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I've been playing the Hitman games on PC since the very first one, and I must admit this one really is great, with some minor elements.
On the plus side: good graphics, great sounds, great atmosphere, good story, multiple ways to complete each level, improved enemy AI, more actions Mr. 47 can execute, lots of hidden humor.
On the minus side: The levels are smaller, but more packed, and fans of Silent Assassin will feel a tad disappointed; sometimes the ragdoll effects are a bit off; not all objects are useable, so sometimes you might want to do things, but what you want to do might not have been taken into consideration by the designers; certain actions preclude others (like stuffing a corpse in a container will prevent you from collecting the clothes, since you can't take the corpse out again).
I wish it was there: more dynamic environment (like being able to move furniture - I keep getting stopped by unmoveable chairs, apparently nailed to the floor), better/more realistic physics (better ragdoll effects, but more than that, sounds should behave differently - like the fact that opening fire with a SMG in a small room should definetively be deafening).
In my drunken stupor I dream of: A very large, very dynamic, very complex serie of levels, where actions in one will modify the next one, and where failure IS an option which will change the goals of the next mission, if not changing the game entirely.

It feels so good to be so bad.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: December 29, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I've saved the world from terrorists, aliens, foreign armys, mad scientists, evil kings, and a giant lizard named Bowzer. And at the end of it all, I've had medals pinned on my chest, crowns placed on my head, and made sweet, sweet love to many damsels in distress. Not in this game.

Here you play as Agent 47. Agent 47 is a Hitman; an assassin for hire. He gets paid money for killing people. He is not a good guy. The developers of this game tried to lesson the moral implications of being a cold-blooded killer by creating missions in which your target is someone who deserves to die; child rapists, drug smugglers, and mob bosses seem to be your prey most of the time. I haven't finished the game yet, but I don't expect to see a mission sending me off to kill a second grade school teacher during class. That would just be wrong! But for some reason, it seems less wrong, maybe even right, to kill the gutter slime for profit.

And that's the other thing that Hitman: Blood Money is about; money. After every mission, you are paid. You have to spend money on "clean up" for the previous mission (disposing of bodies, bribing witnesses, etc), but the remainder of the funds are spent on upgrades for your weapons (scopes, silencers, laser sights, etc). Money makes Agent 47's world go round. (You would think that with all of that money, he could afford a nicer hide-out. In the game, it's pretty much a dump.)

Hitman plays like a stealth game, but not the same kind of sleath action that fans of the Splinter Cell games are used to. You can still turn off or shoot out lights, but the darkness isn't as important for moving around. You'll spend most of your time watching your target and planing an attack. This might involve killing or knocking out a guard or maintaince worker and changing into his uniform in order to get close to your target. Or you might prefer to find a nice vantage point and shoot your target from a distance with a sniper rifle. You could try planting a bomb when the target isn't around and detonating it as he walks buy, or simply poisoning his bottle of water. You can always walk in the front door, guns blazing, and shoot your way through the mission if you want to. That's the greatest part of this game; the freedom to plan your attack according to the conditions and your own mood.

The rating that you recieve after every mission, as well as how much money you get to keep, depends of how well you were able to stay unnoticed. Lots of innocent dead people and bullets flying everywhere will take a pretty big chunk out of your pay. But if only the target is killed, and nobody saw or suspects you of being the one who did it, then you can pocket a few hundred thousand dollars for a good hit.

One problem with Hitman is becoming obsessed with performing a clean kill. It's easy to run through a mission killing everyone is sight, but that isn't the MO of a professional assassin like Agent 47. The reality of the game is that you'll likely spend several hours of trial and error on a single mission until you find what works. And the constant repetition gets old. After 50 trys with no success the game starts to become tedious.

The only other problem with the game is the AI. That's not to say that the NPCs are stupid, but rather that they are too smart. Unrealistically smart. You hide in the shadows and take out your target with a silenced sniper rifle, but for some reason the guards know exactly where the shot came from and come running. You can't just run away before they get there either, because they've managed to get a real good look at you from 200 yards away, in the dark, and have already faxed a sketch of you to every guard in the building who is ready to shoot you on sight.

This game isn't better than certain other stealth games such as Splinter Cell, but it doesn't try to be either. Hitman does something unique with its gameplay and is a fun, if at times frustrating, diversion of your afternoon. Most of us are good people who would never think of starting a profession as a murderer for hire. But with Hitman: Blood Money we can get to play as the bad guy for once.

Great game

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: June 09, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Anyone who has played the previous installments of the "Hitman" series will find themselves right at home. The controls are pretty much the same even though some finer elements were added. The exterior graphics are downright gorgeous, as are the interiors. However, the characters are a bit plain, which sometimes makes it difficult to spot your target among a large group of civilians. The Hitman world has always been quite lively, but what the developers have managed to pull off in "Blood Money" is awesome. Contrary to other games, NPCs do not just wander about pointlessly, but keep doing different things, such as take pictures or make out (you will see A LOT of that). Although you do have to marvel at their indifference towards bodybags being pulled past them. This is also the first Hitman game that has what everyone would call a storyline that is told in cut scenes and not just more or less during the pre mission briefing. Over the years Mr. 47 has gained quite a reputation, which has eventually developed into a horror tale among FBI investigators. And this tale is now being told to a reporter by a crippled ex FBI executive. Before and after each mission you see a short clip of him telling the story.

All in all, you get everything you want from a Hitman game. So if you liked the previous ones, this one will definitely not disappoint you

FRUSTRATION!!!

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 5 / 8
Date: October 13, 2006
Author: Amazon User

This game has all the earmarks for a superb game. The graphics are outstanding, the AI excellent, the overall look of the game is fantastic. The one thing that made me throw it in the trash however, is the loss of in game saves if you want to quit for awhile and come back later. In other words, lets say you play an hour, and decide you want to turn off the pc, or go mess around in another program so you save your game and close the program. Well, surprise! When you come back you HAVE TO START THE LEVEL ALL OVER!!!! This is pitiful! You have to complete a level at one sitting or you have lose everything. What were they smoking when they wrote THAT part of the game! My pc has been "wiped clean" of this frustration!

Linear is, as linear does?

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 6 / 13
Date: June 27, 2006
Author: Amazon User

This being my first experience with Hitman, but a huge fan of stealth games, I wasn't sure what to expect. I've thoroughly enjoyed and beaten series (all titles) like Splinter Cell and Thief, to name two.

My love of stealth games comes from the pure ecstasy of silently robbing and killing unaware victims, so logically speaking, Hitman should fit like a glove. However, I was disappointed to find that most of Hitman is about as linear as it gets.

However, that is not to say Hitman is all bad, not at all. But lets go over the bad first...

1) Got an idea? Don't try it. The game is one big puzzle, from the first level your job is to pick up the pieces and put them where they belong. While I'd like to say this game requires no thought, in reality, it's at the other end of the spectrum, as there is no end to questions like, "What now?", "What the heck do I do with this?", and "Omg why are 43 guys charging toward me?!?"

Errors lead to a most certain domino effect. I quickly resorted to online walk throughs and the likes to point me in the right direction. Unfortunately, I found I had to follow the walk through point by point (something I despise) otherwise I'd be faced with open assault from nearly every NPC on site. Being that I bought the game for STEALTH, I wasn't looking to employ Doom3 tactics. While I've never been the best detective, I could never stop wondering how, without the guide, one would be brought to the proper conclusions to look and use items in their proper spot. Your objectives do not hint toward it.

2) Graphics. As others have said, this isn't F.E.A.R. quality, but that isn't always required. Personally, I take gameplay and storylines over top notch graphics (not to imply this game has either). However, you will be pleased.

3) Guns. They're great! Lots to choose from, great customizations... Only problem is that Shotguns can almost never be used in conjunction with stealth (they're 2 handed and can not be hidden on your person, thus you hold it plainly in your hands, heh) and silenced weapons still draw attentions from those out of earshot. Sniper rifle, though two handed, has a case, which I love to walk around with. Great realism here, as using the rifle requires that you first open the case and assemble the rifle (pretty quick, but cool).

3) Gameplay. Personally, for me it was ruined by the need of the guide. I'd consistantly try to stray from it, but would be met with failure. If you don't mind sacrificing the stealth aspect, gunning down opponents can be great fun. =)

4) COSTUMES! Excellent idea. One minute your a guy in a suit, next your a guard, after that, some kind of scientist. By changing clothes you temporarily fool people into believing you are whatever your jacket says. Only flaw is that when you "blow your cover" (which can happen if a body is found, etc) you will be detected. I call this a "flaw" because although you might be dressed as a scientist, and near the end of the level, a guard found at the beginning will signal NPCs to charge you.

5) Realism. Most of this game is VERY realistic, especially consequences. Actions will cause suspecision, bodies need to be hidden, costumes need to be changed accordingly. Though more interactivity would have been appreciated, the only thing that disturbs the peaceful realism is your bald head and the barcode on the back. Few costumes include hats, so one is forced to wonder why they never notice.

6) YOU MADE THE NEWS! One of the best features. After each level you are given the front page of the newspaper reporting your crime. How well you commit the crime affects what the paper reports. Articles will report things like how many were killed, shots fired (whether few bullets were wasted, or you sprayed the whole facility), how many witnesses left the scene alive and a sketch of what they think you look like, based on witness reports! Very cool addition, enjoyable to read, and I'm told it also hints about your next assignment.

7) Notoriety! The more witnesses you leave alive, the more money you'll be spending in bribes. There are three different bribes ranging from threatening witnesses to bribing the police chief. Though no mission or minigame is associated with this feature, it helps control the level of heat your presence generates. At 0 notoriety you walk in and out, no problems. At 100, it's like Cheers, everyone knows your name. You walk in and get shot at. In between you risk having a person here or there ask you, "Haven't I seen you before?"

8) Game length. It took me roughly 8 hours to beat the game. Without the guide, I probably would have gotten fed up and stopped playing. I spent two hours on the opera stage experimenting (this is the first time I've EVER followed a guide through the whole game, and it wasn't cool), until I gave in and gave up using any stealth tactics that work in virtually every other stealth game.

In conclusion I would have prefered a more open style of game play, which required less detective work and more tactic. I was annoyed to find that even simple tasks such as cutting a cord and having an object fall on a victim, were made difficult by frequent misses (they aren't always standing still), and the need to reload. Certain game actions interrupt the movie clips that signal you to press the detonator, or move to the next section, and once you're detected, recovering cover is diffuclt at best, and requires a reload at worst.

SAVE OFTEN! Happy gaming. :)

Really fun with one BIG problem.

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: November 06, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Well, if you are a fan of the Hitman series you will really enjoy this new installment in the Hitman series.
The game has one BIG flaw. The game does not allow you to save your place within missions. What I mean is that if you have to stop in the middle of a mission, the game will not allow you to save your place within the particular mission you are on. It will take you back to the beginning of the mission you are currently playing.
Overall I HIGHLY recommend this game!

If you can see me, i can see you. if you can't see me, you're looking at the last thing you'll ever see

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: January 09, 2007
Author: Amazon User

BRILLIANT!! I've played all the hitman games and this one is BY FAR the greatest of them all. I loved Contracts, but this game simply blew it out of the water with more interesting missions, better AI, and more ways to get the mission acomplished!! I especially liked the various "accedental" ways people could die. Don't get me wrong though, if you want to simply blow a whole bunch of people away, this game definately can deliver.

Well Done!

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: June 21, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I love the 47 series and have been playing them since the start, and each one gets better and better. This game sort of stands alone in the series of Hitman. The game has many ways to complete objectives which = replay value. The AI is better, the close combat is greatly improved, and I love the upgrades to the weapons with pregression through levels.
This game is a must have for any fan of the hitman series!
The few gripes I have about the game is that the collosion is horrible as well as the rag doll. The sound is mediocre, and the overall game play is good. The game could have been made a little better with more interaction with the environment, but overall this is a great game.

Perfect

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 7
Date: July 18, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Anybody that tells you they enjoyed Splinter Cell, but Hitman is linear has obviously never played either. Splinter Cell is the most linear boring video game ever created, however Hitman is perfect. Enjoy.

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