Hitman: Blood Money [*****]

Silence in, silence out. If everything is done right nobody will know you’re there until the body hits the floor.

Such is the theme of Hitman, you play a genetically enhanced clone Assassin, the best of the best, tasked with the death of bad guys. The perfect anti-hero, the player must find the best way to get in and get out while accomplishing the mission of taking out the target with as little collateral damage and attention as possible.

An early release for the Xbox 360, graphics are outstanding but not quite as refined as later releases. Controls are very intuitive and easy to get the handle of. Weapon selection ranges from a pistol to a powerful sniper rifle which I haven’t found a use for just yet. Hitman also has quite possibly the best feature in a game of this sort, the ability to switch between 3rd and 1st person without pointing in the wrong damned direction. Amazing that years before Dead Rising, Eidos released a game which GOT IT FUCKING RIGHT.

Another great feature, is the ability to make temporary saves while on a mission. Any full save only saves your progress through the plot tree, but while playing – depending on the difficulty level selected at startup – you can save the game so if something goes wrong, there’s no need to start from scratch. WHAT A CONCEPT!

Hitman is a great game, dark and bloody enough to satisfy any gamer without reaching the level of comic-book absurdity. Controls, game play, graphics, are all outstanding – as at most outlets it can be found for under $30, definitely a must-have for any Xbox 360 gamer’s library.

I can honestly say that this game was completely satisfying after I beat it. As the levels progressed, the challenges became greater, and the puzzles more complex. Overall, this is one of the best 3rd person shooter / strategy games I have ever played and I am personally looking forward to a sequel. It doesn’t happen often, finding a game that makes the player feel as if we accomplished something – Hitman: Blood Money is by far one of those games. The fact it’s price has come down in time since release is a bonus. Go pick it up, you won’t be disappointed.

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