jMz
I beg your pardon?
I recently stayed at my mates house and when it got late and he went to bed, I was left to my devices kipping on the couch. I put Hitman Contracts on his Xbox for a 'quick level', but little did I realise this is not a term Agent 47 is familiar with. I went on to stay up all night, playing the whole game from start to finish. Not many games have grabbed me like this, and the last thing to steal all my spare time in a similar fashion was Gazza's book, which also was supposed to be a couple of chapters read and then I'd save some for later, but I ended up reading it from cover to cover in one sitting. I get bored very quickly and something keeping me engaged to the end is a rare thing. In my eyes this means it must be good.
The first few levels were a shaky affair while I was learning the control system and getting used to the rule-binding world Eidos have lovingly created. It basically runs down like this.
Start level, check map and objectives.
Check out points of interest, and watch the (sometimes multiple)targets movements.
Make plan, agression or stealth. (Stealth looks cooler and is extremely brutal.)
Attempt to carry out plan, fail and cack pants.
Restart level a few times, learn its rythm.
Get perfect score on level. Smile, straight into next level.
Repeat until game completed or thumbs/eyes start to bleed.
Stop playing when you are subconciously planning to whack your boss/teacher/brother/parents.
My favourite level involved checking into a hotel to kill two terrorist targets and retrieve a chemical bomb they planned to use. I did the level lots of times and used many different methods. I will describe the smoothest run.
At the start point I pick up an invitation from a pissed/dead conference go-er, he is laid out on the ground and the hotel can't be entered without an invite. So I swipe his. There is a note on the floor, stating there is a surprise for you in the hotel flower shop. It's a shotgun, but a little noisy for this approach, so I choose to ignore it.
I know where target 1 is staying. He has two guards on his room. One outside the door in the hotel corridor, and one patrolling the room and balcony while the target showers. I proceed to the end of the road outisde the hotel and unpack my sniper rifle from my tasty carbon fibre breifcase. I then line up my sights on the balconies and wait for target 1's bodyguard to walk out on his patrol. The door opens, I breath in, he walks out into view and stands still. Head shot, blood splats up the wall behind him and he falls to the ground. Deader than Leeds. Killing him allows me balcony access to the targets room. I could sneak in and leave the guard alive but I'll try that next time.
I cannot take weapons into the hotel for now so I pack away the sniper rifle and drop all my weapons in a safe place, then I proceed to the hotel entrance, which has three security guards and a metal detector. They check my invite and I stroll in carrying only my fibre wire and syringe for weapons. No problem. This is a stealth job.
I walk up to the reception, nudging shoulders with a security guard. I hand over the stolen invite to the hotel manager, who in return hands me room key 301.
As I walk to the elevator, a wing just next door is closed off, I wait for the patrolling guard to go, pick the lock and stroll in. A security guard (they are all armed) is guarding a crime scene where there is a knife at the far end of the corridor. But I don't need it and I don't need a dead guard.
A few doors in there is a security guards room. I look through the keyhole and he is dancing and posing in the miror. Think about killing him just for that. Ater a moment he goes to the shower behind the wall. I sneak in by picking his lock and steal his uniform and gun. He knows nothing, and I have left him a dazzling black suit and red tie.
I can blend in now. I go to the security control room on the third floor. Walk straight in, two guards are checking me out. I switch off the metal detectors throughout the hotel and stroll back out. Sweet, I can change outfit now and carry weapons without the guards stopping me. The detectors won't go off. Just a precaution though, you don't need guns really.
I proceed to a door leading to the roof, and their is a canopy over looking the pool. My second target is laying on a blow up bed in the pool. I could pop him off now, but where would the style be there? There is a guard in the pool room with him and they'd be after me. Don't need attention.
Near the pool canopy is a window leading into a guarded room where there is some poison on the desk. I wait until the guard moves near the window with his back turned, jump through the window and strangle him where he stands. I'll come back for his clothes later. I pick up the poison and go back out the window and back into the hotel on the other side. As I walk through the door, another security guard stops and looks at me, the pad is vibrating and the suspicion meter is going mad. I act calm and walk off slowly in the other direction.
I am loving this game.
OK, still a lot to do. I need to kill both targets, and retrieve a key from target 2, then use that to retrieve a bomb. I go to the area target 1 is staying and the bell boy is cleaning the rooms in the corridor. As he goes into the room next to the target, I steal his master key while he is in the room and walk off. I'll be back when its quiet.
I go to the lobby. I need to get through a door into the conference room, but a guard is standing there and the door is locked. If I go up and pick the lock my cover will be blown and I don't want that. After a while, a girl from the hotel staff comes over and he leaves his post to talk to her. I sneak in and pick the lock and go through the door. It leads into the bar storeroom. There is a bottle of whiskey which I poison, but the target is just leaving the bar and will not be back for a while. No problem I can forget about him for now.
I sneak back out and return to the 2nd floor where target 1 is staying. I go back to the room next door to him and go out to the balcony. I jump over to his balcony where I earlier killed the guard. I'm in his room now, looking around I see a key, a case for the bomb (but no bomb) a note and a silenced pistol. I pick these up. Walk to the bathroom door and jump to first person view. I quietly open the door and sneak in where the flabby target is taking a shower. He sings and doesn't notice me. I line up my sights for a silenced headshot. He's down and there is blood all over the wall. I go back out the window and over the balconies to next door, where I walk out straight past the oblivious guard outside the now dead target's room. Sweet.
OK now I need to get target 2 who is still in the pool. He won't be at the bar for a while, so I drop the bombcase off on the roof, and then go down and wait by the sauna. Dressed as a guard I raise no suspicion. He gets out of the pool and and I follow him to the sauna. The temperature valve is outside the door, so I crank it up and hold the door in a cut scene. He eventually dies, so I go in and pinch his key to the dentistry wing (where the bomb is). I think about swapping into his swimming trunks, but realise this is not the time to be chilling/boiling in the shower. I still need to get the bomb and get out.
I go back up to the roof and collect the bombcase, then go through the window where I strangled a guard earlier. Knick his clothes and walk through to the next guarded room. Disguised as a bodyguard, the other bodyguards don't bother me. I open the door in the back, go in and put the bomb in the case and walk out.
As I stroll around the hotel, heading calmly for the exit, the music is heightening the tension, while acknowledging my near perfect effort. A huge smile is on my face (really, not my virtual one) as I stroll past guards. I now have a sharp black suit, Reservoir Dogs style, complete with wraparound shades. And I'm carrying a huge briefcase concealing a chemical bomb. I'm surrounded by security and they are all looking at me. I walk straight out the exit, down the road and to my exit point. Mission complete.
This was just one level, and there were countless combinations of how I could of done it. I wanted to kill only the targets, but to keep it safe I killed two of their bodyguards. They were bad people anyway.
So at the end of the level, it was 4 kills, no civilian kills, two headshots, one death by sauna, and one strangulation.
To get the highest ranking, you have to play the game how it wants you to play it. You have to learn it like a foriegn language. Success is so sweet because it's so hard to nail. So given, you could blast through the levels in a few minutes killing everyone, thus completing the game in half an hour, but that isn't what it's all about. It's about getting the target only, silently.
After taking in the whole game in one sitting (the last game I stayed up all night for was Grand Theft Auto 3) I have only scratched the surface. I will return to all the levels and work to getting the Silent Assassin rating on them all, so I know there are many hours to be had out of it yet. Anticipating this, it climbs right up my personal ranking board. The free roaming of Grand Theft Auto is superb, but the extra detail in planning out and stylishly performing hits during Hitman Contracts is more of a pull to me. The game itself is non linear and each level (although there aren't many) has tons of ways to achieve your goals. Anyone who thinks Leon is cool, or has secretly dreamt of being a hired assassin must buy this game.
Pretty much more of the same as the previous two games, but this is no bad thing, and another sequel will be gladly accepted by this fickle gamer. When a game gets it this right, and continues to improve each time it reincarnates itself, it makes me wonder why franchises and sequels get slated for cashing in. Rumours are abound that the Hitman series is going to branch out to replaced Eidos' flagging Tomb Raider. As a Lara fan I'm not sure of this move, but lets face it, AOD was shit. Hitman is not shit, and if they took the time to blend in some of Lara's niftier climbing moves, it could only add to the ultimate stalking experience.
OPS2M "Hitman still delivers compelling, often satisfying and sometimes beautiful gaming. 8/10"
jMz "Style is in abundance, incredible detail on show everywhere you go, and lots of killing. The perfectionist will be in his element, and the subdued psychotic may like this too much. In a couple of words, very cool. 8/10"
Here is how it has slotted into my top ten. <out of 10>
1. Pro Evolution Soccer 3 (PS2) <9/10>
2. Timesplitters 2 (PS2) <9/10>
3. Hitman Contracts (XBox) <8/10>
4. Grand Theft Auto Vice City (PC) <8/10>
5. Metal Gear Solid (PSOne) <8/10>
6. Halo (XBox) <8/10>
7. Gran Turismo 3 (PS2) <8/10>
8. Project IGI 2 (PC) <7/10>
9. World Championship Snooker 2003 (PC) <7/10>
10. Yoshi's Island (SNES) <7/10>
This is my all time top 10, it is ranked on how much time it has stolen from me, how many different moods I have to be in to play it. I like a game that has customisable elements, or just lots of options. The list only includes games I have played to completion, cos if I can't be bothered to finish it, it can't be that good so it doesn't get into the list. Rankings wouldn't be rankings if they didn't change all the time, developers have to continually improve on this bunch, and the future can only be good for gamers all over the world. I am still waiting for the elusive 10/10. My prophecy says "The perfect game cometh, in a bit."
The first few levels were a shaky affair while I was learning the control system and getting used to the rule-binding world Eidos have lovingly created. It basically runs down like this.
Start level, check map and objectives.
Check out points of interest, and watch the (sometimes multiple)targets movements.
Make plan, agression or stealth. (Stealth looks cooler and is extremely brutal.)
Attempt to carry out plan, fail and cack pants.
Restart level a few times, learn its rythm.
Get perfect score on level. Smile, straight into next level.
Repeat until game completed or thumbs/eyes start to bleed.
Stop playing when you are subconciously planning to whack your boss/teacher/brother/parents.
My favourite level involved checking into a hotel to kill two terrorist targets and retrieve a chemical bomb they planned to use. I did the level lots of times and used many different methods. I will describe the smoothest run.
At the start point I pick up an invitation from a pissed/dead conference go-er, he is laid out on the ground and the hotel can't be entered without an invite. So I swipe his. There is a note on the floor, stating there is a surprise for you in the hotel flower shop. It's a shotgun, but a little noisy for this approach, so I choose to ignore it.
I know where target 1 is staying. He has two guards on his room. One outside the door in the hotel corridor, and one patrolling the room and balcony while the target showers. I proceed to the end of the road outisde the hotel and unpack my sniper rifle from my tasty carbon fibre breifcase. I then line up my sights on the balconies and wait for target 1's bodyguard to walk out on his patrol. The door opens, I breath in, he walks out into view and stands still. Head shot, blood splats up the wall behind him and he falls to the ground. Deader than Leeds. Killing him allows me balcony access to the targets room. I could sneak in and leave the guard alive but I'll try that next time.
I cannot take weapons into the hotel for now so I pack away the sniper rifle and drop all my weapons in a safe place, then I proceed to the hotel entrance, which has three security guards and a metal detector. They check my invite and I stroll in carrying only my fibre wire and syringe for weapons. No problem. This is a stealth job.
I walk up to the reception, nudging shoulders with a security guard. I hand over the stolen invite to the hotel manager, who in return hands me room key 301.
As I walk to the elevator, a wing just next door is closed off, I wait for the patrolling guard to go, pick the lock and stroll in. A security guard (they are all armed) is guarding a crime scene where there is a knife at the far end of the corridor. But I don't need it and I don't need a dead guard.
A few doors in there is a security guards room. I look through the keyhole and he is dancing and posing in the miror. Think about killing him just for that. Ater a moment he goes to the shower behind the wall. I sneak in by picking his lock and steal his uniform and gun. He knows nothing, and I have left him a dazzling black suit and red tie.
I can blend in now. I go to the security control room on the third floor. Walk straight in, two guards are checking me out. I switch off the metal detectors throughout the hotel and stroll back out. Sweet, I can change outfit now and carry weapons without the guards stopping me. The detectors won't go off. Just a precaution though, you don't need guns really.
I proceed to a door leading to the roof, and their is a canopy over looking the pool. My second target is laying on a blow up bed in the pool. I could pop him off now, but where would the style be there? There is a guard in the pool room with him and they'd be after me. Don't need attention.
Near the pool canopy is a window leading into a guarded room where there is some poison on the desk. I wait until the guard moves near the window with his back turned, jump through the window and strangle him where he stands. I'll come back for his clothes later. I pick up the poison and go back out the window and back into the hotel on the other side. As I walk through the door, another security guard stops and looks at me, the pad is vibrating and the suspicion meter is going mad. I act calm and walk off slowly in the other direction.
I am loving this game.
OK, still a lot to do. I need to kill both targets, and retrieve a key from target 2, then use that to retrieve a bomb. I go to the area target 1 is staying and the bell boy is cleaning the rooms in the corridor. As he goes into the room next to the target, I steal his master key while he is in the room and walk off. I'll be back when its quiet.
I go to the lobby. I need to get through a door into the conference room, but a guard is standing there and the door is locked. If I go up and pick the lock my cover will be blown and I don't want that. After a while, a girl from the hotel staff comes over and he leaves his post to talk to her. I sneak in and pick the lock and go through the door. It leads into the bar storeroom. There is a bottle of whiskey which I poison, but the target is just leaving the bar and will not be back for a while. No problem I can forget about him for now.
I sneak back out and return to the 2nd floor where target 1 is staying. I go back to the room next door to him and go out to the balcony. I jump over to his balcony where I earlier killed the guard. I'm in his room now, looking around I see a key, a case for the bomb (but no bomb) a note and a silenced pistol. I pick these up. Walk to the bathroom door and jump to first person view. I quietly open the door and sneak in where the flabby target is taking a shower. He sings and doesn't notice me. I line up my sights for a silenced headshot. He's down and there is blood all over the wall. I go back out the window and over the balconies to next door, where I walk out straight past the oblivious guard outside the now dead target's room. Sweet.
OK now I need to get target 2 who is still in the pool. He won't be at the bar for a while, so I drop the bombcase off on the roof, and then go down and wait by the sauna. Dressed as a guard I raise no suspicion. He gets out of the pool and and I follow him to the sauna. The temperature valve is outside the door, so I crank it up and hold the door in a cut scene. He eventually dies, so I go in and pinch his key to the dentistry wing (where the bomb is). I think about swapping into his swimming trunks, but realise this is not the time to be chilling/boiling in the shower. I still need to get the bomb and get out.
I go back up to the roof and collect the bombcase, then go through the window where I strangled a guard earlier. Knick his clothes and walk through to the next guarded room. Disguised as a bodyguard, the other bodyguards don't bother me. I open the door in the back, go in and put the bomb in the case and walk out.
As I stroll around the hotel, heading calmly for the exit, the music is heightening the tension, while acknowledging my near perfect effort. A huge smile is on my face (really, not my virtual one) as I stroll past guards. I now have a sharp black suit, Reservoir Dogs style, complete with wraparound shades. And I'm carrying a huge briefcase concealing a chemical bomb. I'm surrounded by security and they are all looking at me. I walk straight out the exit, down the road and to my exit point. Mission complete.
This was just one level, and there were countless combinations of how I could of done it. I wanted to kill only the targets, but to keep it safe I killed two of their bodyguards. They were bad people anyway.
So at the end of the level, it was 4 kills, no civilian kills, two headshots, one death by sauna, and one strangulation.
To get the highest ranking, you have to play the game how it wants you to play it. You have to learn it like a foriegn language. Success is so sweet because it's so hard to nail. So given, you could blast through the levels in a few minutes killing everyone, thus completing the game in half an hour, but that isn't what it's all about. It's about getting the target only, silently.
After taking in the whole game in one sitting (the last game I stayed up all night for was Grand Theft Auto 3) I have only scratched the surface. I will return to all the levels and work to getting the Silent Assassin rating on them all, so I know there are many hours to be had out of it yet. Anticipating this, it climbs right up my personal ranking board. The free roaming of Grand Theft Auto is superb, but the extra detail in planning out and stylishly performing hits during Hitman Contracts is more of a pull to me. The game itself is non linear and each level (although there aren't many) has tons of ways to achieve your goals. Anyone who thinks Leon is cool, or has secretly dreamt of being a hired assassin must buy this game.
Pretty much more of the same as the previous two games, but this is no bad thing, and another sequel will be gladly accepted by this fickle gamer. When a game gets it this right, and continues to improve each time it reincarnates itself, it makes me wonder why franchises and sequels get slated for cashing in. Rumours are abound that the Hitman series is going to branch out to replaced Eidos' flagging Tomb Raider. As a Lara fan I'm not sure of this move, but lets face it, AOD was shit. Hitman is not shit, and if they took the time to blend in some of Lara's niftier climbing moves, it could only add to the ultimate stalking experience.
OPS2M "Hitman still delivers compelling, often satisfying and sometimes beautiful gaming. 8/10"
jMz "Style is in abundance, incredible detail on show everywhere you go, and lots of killing. The perfectionist will be in his element, and the subdued psychotic may like this too much. In a couple of words, very cool. 8/10"
Here is how it has slotted into my top ten. <out of 10>
1. Pro Evolution Soccer 3 (PS2) <9/10>
2. Timesplitters 2 (PS2) <9/10>
3. Hitman Contracts (XBox) <8/10>
4. Grand Theft Auto Vice City (PC) <8/10>
5. Metal Gear Solid (PSOne) <8/10>
6. Halo (XBox) <8/10>
7. Gran Turismo 3 (PS2) <8/10>
8. Project IGI 2 (PC) <7/10>
9. World Championship Snooker 2003 (PC) <7/10>
10. Yoshi's Island (SNES) <7/10>
This is my all time top 10, it is ranked on how much time it has stolen from me, how many different moods I have to be in to play it. I like a game that has customisable elements, or just lots of options. The list only includes games I have played to completion, cos if I can't be bothered to finish it, it can't be that good so it doesn't get into the list. Rankings wouldn't be rankings if they didn't change all the time, developers have to continually improve on this bunch, and the future can only be good for gamers all over the world. I am still waiting for the elusive 10/10. My prophecy says "The perfect game cometh, in a bit."
