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| Hitman: Blood Money Review by Jonathan Trevisani by Jonathan Trevisani,Computer Games Online  The world's premiere video game assassin returns in the fourth installment of the malevolent Hitman series in Blood Money. Agent 47 is buried in a new storyline with twists and turns all while punching in the time card and punching in the faces of his targets. The series has made its way to popularity with its stealth action and sadistic sense of humor that fans just die laughing. This time around, our bald killer takes the U.S. by storm as the majority of missions take place in North American locales such as suburbia, Mardi Gras, and even the White House. The storyline unfolds in cut scenes in between missions as a Tarantino-style retelling of Agent 47's exploits and his ultimate demise. The agency has fallen under attack and Agent 47 soon becomes the target on everyone's hit list. With each mission, more threads to the story are revealed and culminate in true Hitman fashion.Blood Money includes several new features to the series; first and foremost is the Notoriety system. Mission objectives are open-ended and allow for multiple approaches to get the job done. Do you slip poison into the target's drink for a slow, subtle death or do you run in with guns blazing as you mow down everyone who gets in between you and your target? This new system adds consequences to the "sloppy" approach since witnesses and video surveillance could lead police and other agencies to piecing together your identity. The higher your notoriety, the more likely people will begin to recognize you during your missions and your cover will be blown. Now this will not ruin the experience of the Terminator-inspired players since there is a defense to notoriety: bribes. Agent 47 can spend some of his hard-earned cash to bribe witnesses and police officials to cover up the evidence and keep the notoriety level low. This cheapens the new system a little, but gives players a way out of an untenable situation where everyone and their mother seems to recognize Agent 47. At the end of each mission, you are rated for your performance depending on how quick and clean your kills were. If you were caught on camera or bodies were found during the course of the mission, you are rated lower and your notoriety goes up. Plus, there are a certain financial bonuses for maintaining a low profile such as not firing a gun and recovering your suit by the end of the mission. There is a news headline that also tells you how well you did and if you are losing your anonymity. The more money you are able to earn (and keep) the more you can spend on upgrades to your equipment and weapons to become a more efficient killer. The weapons themselves have realistic models and actions that lend to the overall realistic approach to the game. Machine guns have recoil, sniper rifles need to be fired between movements and pistols do not have a long range. With each new weapon that Agent 47 comes across, a new style of game play is opened up since each has their own set of properties. There is also a wide variety of weapons to choose from since Agent 47 can bring along his personal weaponry and any firearm that he takes home with him. Throughout the levels, Agent 47 can improvise by finding kitchen knives, baseball bats, and other household tools that will the job done right. There are typically one to two targets in each mission with the exception of secondary targets. Each level is big and complex with a multitude of ways to get to the target. The first mission acts as a tutorial since it walks you through the next step that needs to be taken. Some of the objectives require some obsessive-compulsive care due to witnesses and bodyguards that could potentially ruin your fun. Several missions had to be restarted because a pesky guard would spot questionable activities, such as dragging a dead body around. Occasionally, the A.I. came into question because a character would react in an odd way to Agent 47 or just forget about him a little while later. Characters go through their routine in the missions, but sometimes it doesn't seem realistic. Blood Money excels at the level of ambiance that it is able to maintain through each level. Certain locations such as the riverboat have the sights, sounds, and feel of a riverboat cruise. The White House seems very secure and yet has tours going through it at the same time. Characters have little quirks about them that go a long way in keeping the setting. Even the way that Agent 47 hides a weapon behind his back when another character is near provides a level of realism. The Mardi Gras crowds are a great anti-thesis to the typical stealth game with hundreds of characters walking around and reacting to Agent 47. During each mission, Agent 47 can find ways to set up an "accident" for his targets with a few useful tools. He can set up a remote mine on a chandelier, slip into rooms and hide in a closet while patiently waiting for his target to show up, or grab someone from behind and use them as a human shield during a firefight. Some of the animations are not as smooth as they should be and take away from the fluid motions of a contract killer. While Agent 47 can take advantage of almost any situation, the animations don't always keep up with him. The bevy of options available in the game gives it a great level of replay value since there are so many ways to take the target out. The music for Blood Money moves along with an operatic theme as Agent 47 either accomplishes an objective or gets discovered. The intensity is heightened with an exciting score that correlates with 47's every move. Combat situations are a bit too easy as you can just bunker down in the corner of a room and blast anyone who comes through the door. Enemies do not really have a chance against Agent 47 except with overwhelming numbers. Simple headshots can put an enemy down with one shot and don't really offer much of a challenge. Hitman: Blood Money offers the same great formula of the series with a few new additions. Fans of the series will relish the chance to test themselves against the notoriety system while new players can enjoy a stealth game with a sadistic side. Aside from some poor A.I. and the need for a few more animations, the game maintains its level of professionalism as it goes for the kill. 3.5 out of 5 write your comments about the article :: © 2006 Game News :: home page |