Hit man game pc series review năm 2024

The latest Hitman trilogy wrapped up back in 2021, but Agent 47’s work is far from over. Hitman: World of Assassination brings together most of the trilogy’s content in a convenient package. While what’s excluded and the always online requirements are baffling, the game itself is still a ton of fun with the new Freelancer mode bringing you to locations from all three games. This is a great way to dive in for newcomers, though veterans will be confused as to what’s not included and why.

If you want to check out a game series that you’ve never played before, typically it’s best to start at the beginning. But you don’t have to, of course, and there’s nothing wrong with that. You may not have the means to do so or you don’t care or one of the later games appeals to you and you simply feel like starting with that one. There’s a reason many players, including myself, do not recommend starting the Hitman series at the beginning. It’s such a unique formula and the earlier games, especially the first two, can be buggy, broken, and very frustrating. But when everything works, it’s phenomenal, extremely rewarding. Considering how far the series has come, it would be a shame if a newcomer was turned off by the earlier titles because the formula has been significantly improved and made more accessible since then, resulting in a much more enjoyable experience. Hitman: Absolution is the only misstep in my opinion. It’s a fine stealth game but the formula was changed so much that I feel it’s a poor representation of the franchise. It’s strange, too, because it’s a follow up to Hitman: Blood Money, one of the best games in the series.

After Absolution, the series would return to its roots with the release of the next game, simply titled Hitman. But the developers decided to take a different approach with the release model. Developed by IO Interactive and published by Square Enix, Hitman was released episodically for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One in 2016. For this review, I played the PC version. Hitman marks the start of the World of Assassination trilogy and, from what I understand, was developed as a soft reboot. Six episodes were released and each one takes you to a different destination. All the episodes were eventually bundled into a package called The Complete First season. You can also buy them each individually along with the other DLC and the Game of the Year Edition comes with everything including the bonus campaign called Patient Zero.

The main campaign follows agent 47 after he’s initiated into the International Contract Agency (ICA). He’s assigned multiple contracts by his ICA handler, Diana Burnwood, and as the story progresses, it is revealed that an unnamed individual referred to as the “Shadow Client” is responsible for the contracts. The Patient Zero campaign centers on 47 preventing a virus from spreading. Overall, I thought the plots were pretty good even if though they are short. Patient Zero only comes with four missions which are all set in locations from the main campaign. The production values in Hitman are quite good and the way everything is presented gives the game a cinematic charm, a movie-like quality. I also feel Hitman takes us back to into the spy thriller territory, similar to the vibes I got from Silent Assassin and Blood Money. It doesn’t feel as gritty as Absolution or as dark as Contracts.

I am very happy to say that Hitman is a return to form. The developers decided to abandon the direction they were going in with Absolution and deliver classic Hitman gameplay. That means large non-linear sandbox maps and disguises work without a resource. If there’s anything negative I can say about the game is that it comes across as very short. With only six episodes or missions, seven if you include the prologue, and four missions in Patient Zero, you can get through them pretty quick. Despite being called “season one”, there is no season two. This is it. The story continues in the sequel.

From what I understand, Square Enix published every episode and due to the poorer-than-expected financial performance, Square Enix dropped IO Interactive, making them an independent studio and let them buy the rights to the franchise. Apparently, Hitman was designed as a foundation and multiple seasons were planned but because of the buyout, restructure at IO and limited cash flow, the developers decided to abandon the episodic format for the sequel and release it as a full standalone game.

As I mentioned before, Hitman comes across as very short. If you play through each mission or episode only once, just beat the game, it’s going to feel short. But Hitman is designed to be replayed. There are numerous challenges to complete, things to unlock, you can try for better scores and ratings and the Contracts mode, which was one of the best things about Absolution, returns, adding a ton of replay value to the game. Hitman introduces Escalation Contracts which requires the player to kill targets and complete tasks while also meeting certain conditions. Escalation Contracts consist of multiple stages that increase or escalate (as the name implies) in difficulty. Hitman also introduces Elusive Targets which are targets that appear in the missions only once and cannot be found again.

Typically, before starting a mission, you can decide what weapon, gear, and equipment to bring with you and even what items you want to be smuggled in for you to retrieve. Most items do need to be unlocked which is typically done by increasing your Mastery level in each mission in the main campaign. You can unlock new starting locations which will determine what disguise you start the missions with. The Mastery levels basically serve as a measurement of completion of their respective locations. You are scored and ranked based on your performance and as expected, you a rewarded more points or XP for stealth above all else but in typical Hitman fashion, you do have the option to take an all-guns-blazing approach. After reaching a certain Mastery level, you will unlock the Professional difficulty for that location which comes with its own Mastery levels and makes things more challenging.

Everything you learned prior to Absolution can be applied here. Hitman is a puzzle game disguised as a stealth game. Even though you can shoot your way to your targets, the real heart and challenge is figuring out a way to reach and eliminate your targets undetected. That’s the stealth puzzle. Finding all the pieces and putting them in place. Even though the gameplay will feel familiar, there has been some tweaks. Disguises will grant you access to new and restricted areas and only certain NPCs will be suspicious of 47s disguises. Not everything from Absolution was abandoned and some of what was carried over has been reworked like Instinct. Yes, Instinct returns and I know it sounds awful but it’s no longer a consumable resource. It’s simply a tool to aid you, letting you easily identify targets and hostile NPCs. In fact, it can be turned off entirely. 47 can still subdue NPCs with his hands and even snap their neck. The cover system returns and the gunplay still feels great.

For the most part, stealth and remaining undetected works just like it did in the games that precede Absolution. If you want to achieve that Silent Assassin rating, you’ll be required to only kill your targets, not get spotted, have no witnesses, and make sure bodies won’t be found unless they died from an accident. Shooting, sniping and strangling your targets is still fun but the game lets you get really creative with kills and staging accidents can be immensely rewarding. You can poison food, stab and beat people with various melee weapons and sharp items, slit their throat, and even perform “surgery”. There are so many ways to eliminate targets, it’s ridiculous.

Hitman expands on the classic formula so much that it comes across as overwhelming. I can almost see it turning off newcomers but that would only be because they didn’t pay attention. Each location, minus the prologue location, is enormous and the game basically drops you into them and sets you free with little guidance at the start. You’re free to roam around each location and explore at your own discretion. It’s up to the player to figure out how to reach and eliminate the targets. That’s the challenging part. This is where “paying attention” comes in because I actually love the way accessibility is handled here. The game throws you into these huge environments full of NPCs and items to pick up and things to interact with around every corner. There are so many paths, routes, and areas that it can come across as intimidating or daunting. It’s also impressive just out detailed and fleshed out the environments are.

If you want to be stealthy but don’t pay attention, you might get stuck and I could see that leading to frustration. You’ll need to study the maps, eavesdrop on conversations, stalk your targets or specific NPCs, and explore. It may take one or two attempts until you get your specific approach down pat. And keep in mind that’s only one approach. You will eventually realize there are a ton of ways to reach and eliminate targets. There’s no “perfect” way. The Silent Assassin rating is the best you can do and the gameplay gives you a variety of ways to achieve that rating.

Despite the locations coming across as overwhelming and daunting, as I mentioned before, I like the way the game handles accessibility. For one thing, on the Normal difficulty, you can save and reload at any time which is good because you can spend up to an hour or longer just studying the environment, NPC movements, and experimenting. The game also autosaves frequently. Second, you can access an in-game map to get the lay of the land which can help you plan out your approach. And third, Instinct is an optional tool and can be quite helpful, especially to new players. But what’s really great about Hitman, the one thing that really makes the gameplay more accessible than ever before is Opportunities.

I’ve played this game once before and I don’t think I realized the importance of Opportunities until I played through it again for this review. I think it’s one of the greatest new additions and one of the best features the series has ever offered. It’s a perfect way to balance out the new challenges provided by the new massive locations which arguably making solving the stealth puzzles much more difficult this time around. The locations are so big with so many things to see and interact with and items to find and use that finding the appropriate pieces of the puzzle you’re trying to solve can be quite challenging. And I mean for the real creative and rewarding kills. Not just finding a secluded spot off to the side with a good view of the target as they walk by so you can simply whip out your pistol and pull the trigger. I mean completing a series of tasks that get 47 alone in a room with them, or results in them walking under something that you can drop on them, or eating the food you poisoned. Things like that. Kills that take actual work to pull off.

Opportunities streamline the experience so to speak but are completely optional. They consist of a series of tasks for you complete that either get you close to your target or outright result in elimination. They are revealed to you as you explore the locations. Opportunities are also often connected to Challenges which are tasks you can complete for bonus XP and Intel that can be found in the environments, offering more information on your targets or on how to accomplish specific tasks. The Opportunities are essentially a series of objectives to complete not unlike how many contemporary games are structured. You are given the option to track an opportunity so objective markers and hints appears on your HUD so you know where to go and what to do.

Yes, Opportunities are basically the game’s way of holding your hand but the important thing to know is that they are optional. You do not have to track or complete them if you don’t want to. But because of how large and daunting the locations can be, they are a good way of introducing players to the different possibilities the game has to offer. They’re also great for getting you out of a rut, like if you’re stuck and not sure where to go or what to do next and/or are really struggling trying to find a way to eliminate your target unnoticed. I like how they don’t feel constantly shoved in your face. The game will let you know if an Opportunity is being revealed and asks if you want to track it but I never found it to be annoying. These are simply guides that can be ignored and only show you some of what’s possible. Ultimately, I think Opportunities are a great way to balance out the challenges and obstacles and they are also a perfect way to introduce newcomers to Hitman’s unique formula, all without compromising what makes the gameplay so much fun, what makes Hitman Hitman.

In our review of Absolution, I made it clear that I think the Contracts mode was one of it’s best additions and I am so happy that it makes a return in Hitman. It basically renders the game infinitely replayable. You can create your own contracts where you assign up to any five NPCs to be eliminated by any means necessary. You can even set specific conditions like 47 must wear a specific disguise or use a specific weapon. Contracts can be saved and published for others to find and play. I really enjoy how easy a contract is to create and also how hard you can make them just by toggling on and off specific conditions. It’s a really well implemented game mode in my opinion.

Much like Blood Money, one of the great things about Hitman is that every mission is enjoyable. I can’t say there’s one I dislike. Every location feels unique and distinct and is fun to explore. You’ll have to eliminate targets at a fashion show in Paris, mansion in Italy, consulate and base in Morocco, hotel in Thailand, militia HQ in the United States, and hospital in Japan. The Patient Zero campaign has you eliminating targets in four of these locations and the mission called “The Vector” is one that really stands out in this campaign because it’s a “long range” mission. You’re objective is to eliminate multiple targets and to avoid being infected with the virus, 47 plants himself at the top of a tower with a sniper rifle and Diana feeds him information on each target’s description so he can identify and kill them. It’s easily the shortest mission in the game but also feels kind of refreshing in a way because it’s not the typical Hitman style of gameplay. It’s also the only mission that outright tells you to use a gun which is not a common thing in this series.

Visually, I think Hitman is a gorgeous game, especially for the time it released. Backgrounds are beautiful, character models look great, the facial animations during cut scenes look excellent, and the presentation is plenty colorful. The environments are well designed and detailed and many areas really pop, visually. It’s a very pleasing game on the eyes. As for the audio, the soundtrack is quite good and helps give the game its cinematic charm in my opinion. The tunes often help elevate tension and range from dramatic and moody to intense. On the technical side, I did not encounter any major problems.

I think Hitman is a great example of how to take a classic formula, something that’s unique and maybe even niche, something that has proven to be popular but may not appeal to everyone, and modernize it in a good way. This feels like Hitman but more accessible than ever before and it also builds upon what was already established making for a challenging, replayable, and very rewarding experience. It’s also amazing how much players can get out of it. On the surface, it comes across as short but the maps are so large and dense with so many options that it can be overwhelming and daunting at first. Best of all, nothing about the formula feels like it was compromised. I had an absolute blast with Hitman, especially when I got into the groove of things. Solving the puzzles can be challenging but there are so many ways to solve them and the game even offers a little help which you don’t have to accept. I think Opportunities is one of the best features the developers implemented. The campaigns are only scratching the surface, too. This game is all about the replay value. Revisiting episodes to try new things or even kill different targets in the Contracts mode.

I would absolutely recommend Hitman. It’s a return to form and is easily one of the best games in the franchise. I think this title truly defines what Hitman is. It is one of the best starting points and I would say if you don’t like this, the series probably isn’t for you. It’s welcoming but also punishing, accessible but also challenging. Definitely check it out.

Is Hitman games worth playing?

They're fantastic games. So much fun. Great story too. Plus there's loads of extra content to play through once you've finished the campaigns of 1-3.

Is Hitman fun to play?

Highlights. Hitman series has revolutionized stealth games with its intricate level design and emphasis on thought and patience in eliminating targets. Spin-off titles like Hitman: Sniper and Hitman Go offer unique gameplay experiences that capture the essence of the mainline series in different ways.

Is Hitman 3 good on PC?

The Bottom Line. Five years after kicking off Hitman's new era, IO Interactive closes out the World of Assassination trilogy in spectacular fashion. Hitman 3 is a massive package full of fantastic new levels and modes that's well worth the purchase for stealth-action fans.

Is Hitman World of Assassin worth it?

Latest Critic Reviews Hitman: World of Assassination brings together most of the trilogy's content in a convenient package. While what's excluded and the always online requirements are baffling, the game itself is still a ton of fun with the new Freelancer mode bringing you to locations from all three games.