A Flawed Return
In a previous blog I stated I was very highly looking forward to this game. You see, I was wary about this game when it was first announced. It looked a lot different from previous Hitman games and mostly looked like a generic stealth shooter. Eventually my fears faded and I got caught in the hype.
Unfortunately my fears were correct. This is not Blood Money 2, but that doesn't mean the game is terrible.
You start out with a tutorial mission teaching you the basics of the game, it also sets up a decent story premise. This story premise is all but wasted by the end. It revolves around a girl named Victoria, whom the late? Diana wants you to protect. Its all well and good until 47 fucks up and alerts a crazy arms dealer from South Dakota about this girl.
First lets point out the flaws here. The guy that fucked 47 up was gigantic, shouldn't 47 know to put a cap in the back of his head? Its also made confusing by SPOILER SPOILER the fact that you kill him by beating the shit out of him later in the game SPOILER SPOILER.
The story is very lost, and by the end I didn't really even know what the point was. And the after final level twist gave me a face palm so hard that I may have had to make a late night dash to the general store for some lotion to cool my hot face.
Then there is the setting for over half the game. South Dakota. Hope, South Dakota. I can tell you one thing, nobody from IO has ever gone to South Dakota. You know why? Because I live here. The South Dakota depicted in this game is nothing like my state. Its funny at times, but still blatantly offensive.
Story issues aside, this still isn't the gameplay we know and love from the Hitman series, that isn't necessarily, but disguises are made all but useless by the new addition. Your better off sneaking instead of disguising yourself. The Hits themselves can be good, but they are all but mushed in between stealth sections almost ripped out of Splinter Cell: Conviction. It is a damn good thing I loved myself some Splinter Cell: Conviction.
Thats what saves this game. The gameplay. Thank god its good. I loved chucking a fire axe at a goon's face. The hits usually take place in large crowded areas, and a lot of the hits are unmemorable. The China Town hit at the beginning sets a good word for itself, but it is WASTED.
I think that is mainly because of Instinct. This isn't really that bad, but it can tend to spell out assassinations for you.
That's bad enough, but a lot of the hits themselves can be terrible.
Halfway through the game, it feels like it just gives up on hits. Dexter Industries, may be my least favorite level in any stealth game ever. It is boring, and it goes on and on and on. There is one good hit in the entire middle section of the game and that is the Saints. You know, those girls that were in that awful trailer? This may be the best level in the game, and it is mushed between horrible levels. The hits get better near the end, except for the final totally anti-climatic one in the epilogue, where IT TAKES FUCKING CONTROL AWAY FROM YOU.
I have spent the majority of this review bashing the game, but I did enjoy myself. The hits that were good were really good, and although the plot was horrible I still had fun watching Kieth Carradine.
I don't really know who to recommend this game too. I recommend it to newcomers, because of the accessible gameplay, but this game doesn't really show what Hitman truly is. Diehard fans may be offended by this game, but the gameplay is solid.
Contracts mode fixes some of the issues with the story. It lets you pick out a disguise and a weapon to use. But at the same time it still isn't as flexible as previous games in the series. However I'm sure fans of this entry will find a way to make some serious fun with this mode.
All in all, I did enjoy myself, but will probably never go back to this for a long long long time. Don't sell Blood Money just yet people.
