Introduction

Developer: IO Interactive
Publisher: Eidos
More Hitman resources
Hitman Preview powered by Gamers.com

Hitman: Codename 47

Ever dream about what it would be like to be Jean Reno from The Professional? Or to become Chow Yun Fat in John Woo's The Killer? Calm, collected, and undeniably cool, these mercenaries must live the good life. Masters of their destiny, they can sit down to a cup of tea one moment, and have a knife at your throat the next. Hitman: Codename 47, from Denmark's IO Interactive, allows you to do just that.

Start game

Fish restaurant

Complete with a shiny bald head, and a strange barcode on the back of the neck, our hero Codename 47 is a hired gun for the International Contract Agency (ICA). Business is a cut-and-dried affair for him. He performs various hits and errands for the ICA, and is paid accordingly for each successful mission. Most of these hits have secondary objectives that can be completed for extra cash, to complement the primary mission. As the game progresses, so does the story, and piece by piece, we learn more about Codename 47 and his mysterious past.

Gameplay is in the third person, but allows two different camera systems. The first goes back and forth between a Resident Evil-ish fixed camera, and a simple over-the-shoulder view. This can be cumbersome, as your orientation depends on the camera angle, leading to awkward movement and control. The second camera system simply gives you the standard behind-the-back point of view. The trade-offs for tighter controls do come at a price, however, as this view does little to show off Codename 47's amazing character model and animation.

Oh, no. I forgot my pen!

You're cooking displeased me greatly.

Gameplay like Tenchu and Deus Ex

Playing through Hitman requires strategy, stealth and the normal run-and-gun skills. As with Tenchu (for the PlayStation) and Deus Ex (for the PC), this can make for an exciting game, and appeals to gamers of both styles.

Do you want to take your target from a distance, with a sniper rifle? Or, instead, choke your enemies one by one (with a piano wire, no less), silently? You can even disguise yourself in the enemy's clothing for an added element of stealth. Preparation is the name of the game here, as it figures as importantly into the game plan as the execution itself.

Another one hits the sewer.

Jumping in...

The weaponry is wickedly fun, (would you expect anything less from a hit man's box of toys?). Besides the sniper rifle and piano wire, there is a full arsenal of knives, hand guns, submachine guns and other tools at your disposal. Ah, yes, the life of the hit man, indeed. Unfortunately, not every weapon is available for any given mission, but that simply places all the more importance on strategy, and choosing the right tool for the right situation.