t has been 10 years since Hitman: Blood Money, what many probably still consider the pinnacle of the Hitman franchise. Soon after the release of Hitman: Absolution, many Hitman fans like myself believed the series was as good as dead. It was streamlined to be more of an action/stealth game than a puzzle/stealth game, and the story beats really didn't line up with the rest of the series. Fast forward to January '14, where IO Interactive actually puts out an apology letter for Hitman: Absolution, and ensures the fanbase that next time will be different. The future of Hitman will return to it's roots, and boy, did it ever. HITMAN released in a (for some reason controversial) episodic format featuring heavily varying locations, a plethora of creative ways to take out targets, an unobtrusive story that doesn't rewrite the 47 character, and a host of new modes that add to the freshening up of the franchise. Custom contracts, elusive targets, and escalation contracts really give players reasons to keep coming back to the game. IO has also continued to listen to the community and patched the game to make it better and better. I'm excited the HITMAN franchise is a platform with a second season on the way, and I think that IO has finally surpassed Blood Money.