Hitman: Blood Money

THE GOOD:
Predictably, this game is just as fun and imaginative as Contracts, and it’s even better!!! Blood Money has taken all the creative aspects of Contracts, and made them better!

Keeping in the Hitman spirit, there are multiple approaches to all missions, pleasing both stealthy assassins and maniacal murderers alike.

We are given a great variety of levels, more so based in public places, giving the game an “authentic” feel. It’s much more fun to sneak through a public casino than a deserted warehouse.

As usual, there is no set way to complete levels, on the whole, though some levels are questionable.

Agent 47 has acquired a lot of great new moves, and so the various hit techniques have been greatly expanded, mostly due to the new additions of pushing people over edges, throwing objects, and a personal favourite- Bombs.

Not only is there a truckload of weaponry at your...

THE GOOD:

The freedom

Realistic AI

Weapons and modding

Graphics

Music

THE BAD:

Sounds

Level design (not bad at all, but compared to Silent Assassin, it's crap)

SUMMARY:
The strongest link of this game is without doubt the freedom. There is an infinite number of methods by which you can complete your mission. Unlike other games, Hitman: Blood Money doesn't give you a "game over" every time you mess up. If you do something wrong, you'll suffer the consequences yourself. For example, when you are caught doing something wrong, there won't be a "You were caught! Game over!" message or something like that. Instead you're given a chance to escape. But the more discreet you are the more money the agency will give you.

The AI is just awesome. If any civilian sees you running around with a gun (or a body) in your hands he'll run to the nearest...

Although this is my first experience of the Hitman series, I have picked up some information about this one 'Agent 47' from playing the game. I know that he is a smart dresser, he's a perfect fit to any man's clothing, he can get changed quickly and he always folds his clothes neatly. He also cleans up after he makes a mess. In case you hadn't realised yet, he is a contract killer, but he does do all of the things I have just mentioned. Don't worry if you haven't played any of the other games, this game is great, and although in some ways the learning curve can be steep, the game has been made to accomodate for all skill levels, from first time players of the game to vetrans on the series. The difficulty levels provide great variety and degrees of challenges, as you can have dulled down A.I, infinite saves and more detailed maps on lower difficulty settings, but on higher ones have no save slots, super intelligent A.I and notority in full effect. Speaking of saving, the game does...

THE GOOD:
Notoriety system- It is one of the best ideas ever since the advanced A.I. in Pro mode, it literally makes you be more careful (means you won't be able to show off your upgrades since you won't be able to get any money for total damage done).
Evidence impact feature- Getting caught on camera, leaving bullet cardriges in the scene of the crime, leaving witnesses alive? They all can affect your ranking...making it a better challenge to get your "Silent Assassin" ranking.
"Accident" deaths- You need to get rid of an innocent bystander that could turn into a potential witness, but scared it can affect your ranking and fee? Worry not, make it look like an accident, and cops will not even mention it in the newspapers.
Newspaper articles- You get to see your work in the newspapers, see what you did wrong, what you did to confuse the authorities, and what you can do to make it more subtle for the next hit...it's definetly an...

THE GOOD:
Excellent range of Murder Methods
Ability to stage elaborate 'Accidents' for your victims
Level graphics are often fantastic
Improved AI over previous Hitman installments
Loads of new hand to hand moves

THE BAD:
Still somewhat glitchy
Too easy on standard difficulty
Usual ethnic and cultural stereotyping

SUMMARY:
A huge improvement over all the previous games, Blood Money is the first of the Hitman games to really succeed at the credos that has driven the entire series so far: 47's goal is to enter the scene, kill his victim as stealthily as possible, then exit calmly without a big scene. The problem in the previous games was, due to all the odd glitching (Disguises failing for no reason, often bizzare enemy AI etc.) it was extremely difficult to do so, and often much easier to simply whip out your biggest guns and massacre everybody, which pretty much defeated the point of...