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'the famous Hitman returns'
 Developer: IO Interactive
Publisher: Eidos
Official Site
Category: : adventure
Platform: X-Box 360
Might look like: Previous Hitman ?/
Date posted: 31 July 2006
Written By: Jurgen
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How it all started
When assassins from Agent 47's contract agency, The ICA, are systematically eliminated in a series of hits, it seems a larger, more powerful agency has entered the fray.
For Agent 47 it's business as usual, until suddenly he loses contact with The ICA.
Sensing that he may be the next target, he travels to America, where he prepares to make a killing.
The waiting is over!
Denmark's IO Interactive, the developer behind all of the Hitman games made the announcement way back in 2004 that a fourth instalment of the successful "Hitman" series was in development and would be released somewhere mid 2005.
However due to several delays the latest Hitman game, "Hitman: Blood Money" would ship around May 2006.
Thanks to these delays the developer could polish its famous icon a bit more and work on the entire game. During that time, the publisher, "Eidos Interactive" also announced that an "X-Box 360" version was in the works and would be released at the same time.
We have no doubt that "Blood Money" is probably the best 'Hitman' game ever but after all, it still deserves a solid and honest review.
The beauty of Hitman
... is choice.
In this latest instalment of Hitman, you have absolute freedom in carrying out a contract. Each level has different murderous possibilities. You can decide how you want to murder your target and how to get rid of the evidence ... or not.
Let me explain it a bit more in-depth so you can basically imagine it.
During one mission, Agent 47 is tasked to enter a criminal's house during a child's birthday party. Of course it's heavenly secured with guards out- and inside. Even the 'feds' are watching the house. Different cameras covering every entrance of the house. So what do you do?
Well after scouting the surroundings you'll notice that a clown is ready to enter the house and entertain the kids. Or perhaps you climb up in the neighbour's tree house and use your snipe rifle? Or poison the food of the caterer so that the security guards will fall like stones ? In "Hitman: Blood Money" all this is possible if you just observe. However when killing a guard, be sure to get rid of the body otherwise someone else might find it and trigger the alarm. And then you'll have a very 'serious' escape problem. I won't tell you how I finish this mission, what kind of trick I used but the game is full of these possibilities and that makes it a lot of fun!
  
Of course as a true professional "Hitman", you'll try to perform the 'perfect hit'. Enter a level, kill the target, get rid of all the evidence and escape without being caught. Well that's all possible with "Blood Money". The better the 'perfect hit', the more rewarding it will be for you.
The developer also added something interesting to the game. Every level can be completed with all the deaths appearing as "accidents"! Really you'll try to figure out which tricks Agent 47 can perform to make it look like an accident or like we would call it, 'a series of unfortunate events'. Besides this, there's even more than one way of causing an accidental death per level. Really cool stuff!
Picture-in-Picture
"Blood Money" offers several "picture-in-picture" cut-scenes during the game. These interesting cut-scenes will pop up whenever a body has been discovered or a target is doing something 'interesting' for you to know.
It does gets more tense especially if the enemy has spotted a body. The picture-in-picture in 'Hitman: Blood Money' really opens up the gameplay and it allow you for a more effective approach for each hit. Wonderful!
Spend the cash you EARN!
At the end of each level, you'll be able to choose how to spend the cash that you've just earned. You can upgrade your existing specialist weapon equipment.
The're 5 upgradeable weapons, pistol; shotgun; assault rifle; sniper rifle and the sub machine gun. These core weapons can all be customised in different ways using items that affect the weapon's precision, power and capacity.
They can be altered to suit a player's preferred techniques for taking out a hit i.e. do they prefer a stealthy or a more aggressive shooter approach.
Also different scopes, ammo, sights, etc will be available for you to buy and/or upgrade with cash.
All of the upgrades are available at the start of each level since you'll be taken to a website belonging to a weapon manufacturer called 'Kruger Schmidt'. Of course not all upgrades are available at start but you'll see a small preview of every upgrade.
Your access to weapons is dependent on your credit rating on the Kruger Schmidt site - the ratings are Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum - each time your credit rating increases a new set of upgrades becomes available.
  
Hitman's Notoriety
You know when playing any Hitman game it's incredibly important to retain your anonymity. How can you do a decent job if everybody will recognize you as "the hitman" right? Well, in "Blood Money" you'll be given the opportunity to "clean up" after your hits.
For example, CCTV tapes can be removed, bodies can be hidden into freezers, crates, etc.
If you don't like all this clean up you can also pay the ICA (your contract agency) a small amount of money and they'll pay off witnesses or police so that any evidence is removed and you remain anonymous.
A nice touch to this system is that the developer also added a choice to decline any clean up when the occasion requires it. If you decline to clean up 'your mess', newspaper articles will report on the assassination and they'll reveal more and more information about the 'hitman', so basically 'YOU'.
When you decline more and more, your true identity and perhaps photograph will be available to the point where guards and other NPC's will recognise you and react.
Great stuff!
Graphics & Sound
It's not perfect though since on 360, "Blood Money" doesn't really feel 'next-gen'. Ok, everything is well rendered, beautiful environments and textures, great lighting etc but the game still has some issues on clipping.
It looks stunning on X-Box 360 but it would be even better if the developer has added more 'special next-gen' touches to the game. Oh well lets hope in the next instalment then.
Sound effects are good and music is right on! Nothing to complain about.
Conclusion
"Hitman: Blood Money" is by far the best Hitman game ever. I'm glad that IO Interactive (the developer) has added some new things into this instalment of Hitman and learned from its predecessors.
The "clean-up notoriety system is briljant and the level design is superb.
Enemy AI is decent and with a good storyline, 'Blood Money' will definitely be remembered as an excellent 'Hitman' game which captures the feeling of being a cold-blood killer.
-Jurgen
Ratings
Manual:
/ % |
Graphics:
88% |
Music & Sfx:
84% |
GamePlay:
91% |
|
This game scores
on our 5-point Rating System
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