Hitman: Codename 47

Today's review will be a retro one for many reasons. I'll mention a few starting with the fact that I only found the Hitman series a little too late. When Hitman: Absolution came out and started collecting dust. Yeah, I know, you're not sure if I should feel lucky or quite the opposite that I only found this series. I also am posting this since I like to follow the developers in the right order of their games to see how far they have come. They have come far I can tell you that easily since this is one of the most engaging game series for me, and that is coming from someone who is handicapped at stealth games. 

Many of my friends can vouch for how unresponsive and intolerant I was to playing Hitman due to my prejudices towards it and I can openly admit to how bad I thought it would be. I have started it countless times, only to make fun of how pixellated 47's hands were when he picked up items or how bad the animation was. I was very skeptical to how I would enjoy a stealth game experience since I am not so experienced in them. Even what I would consider to be mainstream of the genre (Metal Gear Series) I wasn't exactly the best at. Eventually I gave in after five attempts to start Hitman and sure enough I was surprised that it was a solid experience and a great start for Agent 47's story.

Nothing better than to wake up in an asylum and go on a manhunt spree

You can imagine my initial reaction to when I haven't played an old game in a really long time and this is the first thing I see

As the title suggests, you play as a Hitman, Agent 47, who wakes up one day without any knowledge of his whereabouts and what his motives are, only to receive orders on a loudspeaker to do a drill training and slowly exploring his own powers, eventually exploring different levels and is assigned targets in each level. It was a different narrative for me to experience even nowadays solely because the tutorial level was an integral part of the story without spoiling much (Maybe you haven't played it until today) and I rarely saw that at the time.

The player is assigned a target in each level and the space required is usually limited. Hitman is played from a 3rd person shooter perspective but is primarily a stealth game. There are secondary objectives that could help you to finish primary objectives such as intel files or witnesses. Sometimes you can help other agents in need of your aid. The targets are usually heavily guarded and this is where my skill was tested. Since I was not used to Stealth games in general, my first reaction to that was to go in guns blazing and sure enough, I learned my lesson and was overwhelmed by countless enemies. Ammo is limited and you don't technically have the leisure to take out every single enemy. Some levels are not as straightforward as I had thought and it was a lot of fun to get out of my comfort zone such as the level where you start off with your sniper case and listen in on comms to take out a specific target. 

That moment when you know you aren't getting out of this alive

Disguise is an important mechanic in Hitman and later on evolves in the series. If you were to enter a hotel or the chinatown level, a bald man in a black suit isn't exactly the most inconspicuous sight and you'd have to take out a guard either by knocking him out or killing him to switch into his outfit. It was still hilarious to see Agent 47 wearing a police officer's outfit and entering a building full of them without getting noticed easily. They would get suspicious if you get too close but you can still get past the guards. Of course, you can't just leave a body lying in the middle of the street so disposing of bodies is essential otherwise it would bring unwanted attention. Disposing of bodies was as confusing as the disguise mechanic since I didn't know the guards' patrol route. Sometimes I'd leave them in a room next to a bed, only to hear the alarms sounding due to a guard passing through there. You can also get rid of bodies in dumpsters or ditches or lockers. Disguises also help the player to reach restricted areas. 

Don't worry I'll be taking you somewhere safe. Where no one can see you. Forever.

Being a stealth game, it is obviously rewarding to the player to finish levels using stealth and silent kills give you more cash at the end of a level. Between levels, you have the option to upgrade and purchase weapons. By default, 47 has a garrote wire to choke enemies with but you can still purchase pistols and assault rifles or shotguns if you want to go for the action route. Along with your lifebar, there is a bar for your armor hence why you can by a kevlar suit before every mission.

Here is where you choose the specifics of your equipment before each level

Now, where do I dispose of you?

The best thing about Hitman is there are various ways to finish a level and that reminded me a lot of how I played Deus Ex or System Shock even though these are entirely different games. Some levels allowed a heavy arsenal for the player and that is where I shined, ironically. Others are very specific in their objectives and sure enough I enjoyed looking for a man in his hotel room enjoying his wonderful shower and completely oblivious of his upcoming demise.

Carry on, Officer doing his job here. I think.

You're in my way, sir

Hitman doesn't make the player feel powerful, however if you know where you are going and what you are doing and in my case that is usually through trial and error, you will feel engaged. Sadly for some levels I felt disengaged and shamelessly recalled how old PC games allowed us to access the console cheats and I was happy to be fully invisible to reach my targets safely. Hitman was initially annoying in terms of presentation but as soon as I got into the plot of 47's conspiracy, I immediately let go of the barrier of simple graphics and was invested in the story even if some missions broke my concentration due to their difficulties. All in all, I enjoyed my delving into the first game of the Hitman series and the ending of Codename 47 was essential to my loyalty to this series. It was a very poetic ending even though it was an arguable topic. Stay tuned to the next game of the series.