There are only two ways for any Hitman plan to pan out. You're either the slickest mastermind assassin in the world, without a trace of your existence to be found anywhere close to your eliminated targets, or you're a murderous Mr. Magoo, leaving in your wake piles of half-naked dudes with knives and screwdrivers lodged in their skulls. Whether you're smirking slyly and saying to yourself "I did that" or you're howling uncontrollably and exclaiming "I can't believe I just did that", it's euphoric.
The only proper Hitman game I've played prior to this 2016 revelation is the very first one, Hitman: Codename 47. It's rage-inducing. It hints at ingenious assassination methods through the promise of social stealth (read: disguises!), but its restrictive design forces you to take very specific steps in plenty of incredibly hostile environments, and making even just one wrong move often leads to a full-stop failure state.
The 2016 iteration of this niche series isn't without such moments in a handful of situations, but the bigger picture shows a more free-wheeling approach to letting players tackle missions. Most importantly, Hitman 2016 understands how failure on the micro level can actually lead to interesting scenarios on their own. Instead of shutting you down the second you mistakenly walk into a restricted area with the wrong uniform or get seen dragging a body, the game diegetically gives you a stern warning to stop what you're doing. In reality, it's giving you precious time to let you think of an excuse or an escape route, as if it's saying "show me what you got". So you show the game what's what, which usually involves throwing a hammer at the face of some poor schmuck lucky enough to catch you doing something you shouldn't be doing.
The force at which a blunt object smashes against an NPC's head and the way the physics violently thrust bludgeoned bodies to whatever breaks their fall would be frightening if not for the game's farcical tone. Your victims pleading for you to not ruin their good looks right before your chosen neutralizing implement collides with their craniums turns savagery into slapstick. This levity is present throughout all 8 clockwork levels; in the ambient dialogue, in the tongue-in-cheek challenges, and in the ironic interactions the stone-faced, multi-talented Agent 47 has with his marks. There is no ambiguity here, especially when every hit is a 1%-er criminal scumbag with an over-inflated ego that deserves popping. Hitman celebrates schadenfreude.
You'll want to explore the many ways you can cause comic mischief because of how the game teases you constantly with opportunities. Around every corner there's a conversation to eavesdrop on that reveals an avenue for deadly hijinks. Pull off the elaborate setup, and you're usually rewarded with an over-the-top kill and a bunch of mastery points that unlock even more fun toys to tinker with. And of course, you want to see how you can incorporate an explosive rubber ducky into your master plan. Just keep walking around the gorgeous and gigantic maps, and you're bound to stumble upon a chance to literally throw a wrench into the interlocking gears of these mechanical dioramas.
And oh how many gears there are to find and screw around with in just one level. You can spend hours and hours just replaying Paris, the first proper destination, and still not see everything it has to offer. Don't get me wrong, you will develop a strong familiarity with the beautiful coastal town and villa of Sapienza, the crowded markets and bustling embassy of Marrakesh, and the high-tech hospital of Hokkaido. But trust me, there are whole clockwork worlds of assassination waiting for you in Hitman, and it has never been this fun or funny to get lost.
The only proper Hitman game I've played prior to this 2016 revelation is the very first one, Hitman: Codename 47. It's rage-inducing. It hints at ingenious assassination methods through the promise of social stealth (read: disguises!), but its restrictive design forces you to take very specific steps in plenty of incredibly hostile environments, and making even just one wrong move often leads to a full-stop failure state.
The 2016 iteration of this niche series isn't without such moments in a handful of situations, but the bigger picture shows a more free-wheeling approach to letting players tackle missions. Most importantly, Hitman 2016 understands how failure on the micro level can actually lead to interesting scenarios on their own. Instead of shutting you down the second you mistakenly walk into a restricted area with the wrong uniform or get seen dragging a body, the game diegetically gives you a stern warning to stop what you're doing. In reality, it's giving you precious time to let you think of an excuse or an escape route, as if it's saying "show me what you got". So you show the game what's what, which usually involves throwing a hammer at the face of some poor schmuck lucky enough to catch you doing something you shouldn't be doing.
The force at which a blunt object smashes against an NPC's head and the way the physics violently thrust bludgeoned bodies to whatever breaks their fall would be frightening if not for the game's farcical tone. Your victims pleading for you to not ruin their good looks right before your chosen neutralizing implement collides with their craniums turns savagery into slapstick. This levity is present throughout all 8 clockwork levels; in the ambient dialogue, in the tongue-in-cheek challenges, and in the ironic interactions the stone-faced, multi-talented Agent 47 has with his marks. There is no ambiguity here, especially when every hit is a 1%-er criminal scumbag with an over-inflated ego that deserves popping. Hitman celebrates schadenfreude.
You'll want to explore the many ways you can cause comic mischief because of how the game teases you constantly with opportunities. Around every corner there's a conversation to eavesdrop on that reveals an avenue for deadly hijinks. Pull off the elaborate setup, and you're usually rewarded with an over-the-top kill and a bunch of mastery points that unlock even more fun toys to tinker with. And of course, you want to see how you can incorporate an explosive rubber ducky into your master plan. Just keep walking around the gorgeous and gigantic maps, and you're bound to stumble upon a chance to literally throw a wrench into the interlocking gears of these mechanical dioramas.
And oh how many gears there are to find and screw around with in just one level. You can spend hours and hours just replaying Paris, the first proper destination, and still not see everything it has to offer. Don't get me wrong, you will develop a strong familiarity with the beautiful coastal town and villa of Sapienza, the crowded markets and bustling embassy of Marrakesh, and the high-tech hospital of Hokkaido. But trust me, there are whole clockwork worlds of assassination waiting for you in Hitman, and it has never been this fun or funny to get lost.