Hitman: Legacy [NSFW: Nudity/Violence- 18+]

"Guns don't kill people. ...but I do."

The Hitman games have developed a cult following over the years.

Developed by IO Interactive and published by Eidos, Codename: 47 introduced the cold, efficient killer known only as "47", who escapes from a secret cloning facility then resurfaces a year later to begin working for the International Contract Agency. (ICA)

Codename: 47 introduced a sandbox environment filled with suspicious NPCs that you need to outsmart in your efforts to stealthily assassinate a target.

With multiple ways to complete a contract and even more ways to fail, this new gaming concept was a gold mine waiting to be explored.

Codename: 47 laid the foundation for the Hitman series and despite its flaws, (severely limited draw distance/clunky controls) it tried something new and executed it fairly well.

Review score:

6.5/10

Silent Assassin is the sequel to Codename: 47, and the first Hitman game I played.

We find 47 has left the ICA in the aftermath of the first game and seeks a peaceful life in Sicily, serving the church.

He feels remorse for the the killing he has done, and wants to atone for his 'sins'.

Meanwhile, he is tracked to Sicily by an unknown foe.

The Priest is unexpectedly kidnapped while 47 tends the grounds. 47 then finds a ransom note at the church gates.

The ransom is $500,000.

Destitute, 47 contacts the ICA in an attempt to locate Father Vittorio and accrue payment towards his ransom.

This brings 47 out of retirement as he follows an ICA lead to a local mafioso's mansion and accepts the Don as a target.

Vittorio is unfortunately no longer there. 47 accepts that his skills are best suited to assassination, and decides to stay on with the ICA while he tracks the priest.

I do have to say that I hated the ninja castle missions.

They were insanely difficult due to how paranoid/glitched the AI is on the castle 5th floor, and despite how cool they looked, these levels were a nightmare to beat with a good rating.

This was, however the only real instance where I found myself frustrated.

Hitman 2 has 21 missions in total, and most of them are great.

47 eventually gives Vittorio up for dead, and throws himself into his work.

In the end, he decides he will never be 'normal' and accepts his abilities and their consequences.

Review score:

7.5/10

Contracts begins much differently than the other Hitman titles.

While on assignment in Paris, 47 is shot by an unknown assassin. He manages to drag himself back to his hotel room, where he calls the ICA and waits for medical aid.

The ICA sends a doctor to patch 47 up. The game's missions are presented as 47 reliving past contracts while he undergoes emergency surgery. (Several missions are actually remade versions of the original Codename: 47 levels)

The missions are nicely varied, the environments feel lived in, and the game feels like a companion piece to Hitman 2.

The AI is less aggressive than in the second game as well, which is a welcome change.

Review score:

8/10

This is one of my all-time favorites. The level design, story, mature themes and dark humor fit together nicely.

Blood Money features some of most memorable levels in the series.

While not quite as massive as Contracts, they are still pretty sizable and packed with places to explore.

Review score:

8.5/10

While Absolution was nicely polished, it removed the open world element and tried to fit the Hitman formula into a box.

The result is a game that feels like a Hitman tribute. It lacks the choices and open world feel of the other series titles. While it has a decent story and is not necessarily a bad game, it takes away the freedom that made players feel they were in control.

The best thing about the game was this trailer.

Review score:

3.5/10

Season One (2016)

In 2016, the Hitman series finally returned to its roots.

The self-titled Hitman was developed by IO and published by Square Enix, and was the first Hitman title to be released episodically.

This game acts as a reboot of sorts, acknowledging 47's prior history but at the same time introducing a younger looking iteration of the character than was seen in Absolution.

The game's prologue acts as a sequel to Codename: 47, while the main story takes place seven years after the events of Hitman: Absolution.

IO got it right this time. The levels are massive sandboxes, and there are a multitude of ways to take advantage of your environment.

A huge change is that you can now save as often as you like, encouraging players to try any number of scenarios without fear of having to start from scratch if something goes wrong.

The only gripe I have is with the lack of dialect accuracy.

(Even though you spend the majority of your time in countries besides America, everyone sounds like they're from midwestern Ohio for some reason.)

I don't have anything negative to say besides that. The game is a masterpiece, and I cannot wait for season 2.

There are plenty of Easter eggs to be discovered as well, and if you'd rather not find them through trial and error, check out Andy Moore's "10 Easter Eggs You Should Track Down in Hitman's First Season" by clicking here.

With at least 10+ different ways to eliminate each target and a plethora of location-specific 'accidental' kills, 2016's Hitman is the game to beat.

Review score:

9.5/10

That brings us to the Hitman films, of which there are technically two.

I say technically because only one of these films is even worthy of having Hitman in the title.

Let's start with the most recently released film.

First off- the casting is awful. Rupert Friend lacks both the physical presence and stoic character that 47 embodies.

Secondly, Hitman: Agent 47 is a prime example of what happens when Hollywood makes a movie based on a game.

Hitman is a stealth franchise with a simple premise-a genetically enhanced assassin quietly eliminates targets in creative ways. This was apparently thrown out for Hitman: Agent 47, which tried to turn the protagonist into an action star. Fail.

The choreography/fight scenes also look dumb/staged due to Friend's small stature and the overplayed nature of the fights. Friend's demeanor and voice are all wrong for the character, and I never once felt like I was watching Agent 47...more like a shitty stand-in.

TL;DR- Awful movie. Skip this one, especially if you're a Hitman fan.

Review score:

0/10

That brings us to its predecessor, the self-titled 2007 film.

Timothy Olyphant stars as agent 47 in this film.

Olyphant studied 47 carefully and replicated his character down to tiny movements.

47's stealth, planning and physical prowess are reflective of his character in the games, and the director clearly did his homework as well.

Olyphant really committed to the role, and it's a shame that critics panned the film so negatively, though it's no shock. Most average film-goers didn't get the movie at all.

Here's an actual review from Rotten Tomatoes:

Well, 47 is a genetically modified assassin that is incapable of experiencing most emotions and I'm also pretty sure he's also gonna be a fucking virgin forever.

Definitely not the first time 47 has turned pussy down.

The below scene is from Hitman 2.