Product Description

Death can strike anyone for the right price.. Product InformationAs the enigmatic Hitman, you must use stealth and tactical problem solvingto enter, execute and exit your assignment with minimum attention and maximumeffect.  You have an arsenal of black market weapons and tools atyour disposal; however, choosing the right weapon is critical - attractingattention could lead to early retirem

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #9540 in Video Games
• Brand: Eidos
• Model: SHITMPUS00
• Released on: 2000-11-22
• ESRB Rating: Mature
• Platforms: Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows 95
• Format: CD-ROM
• Dimensions: .20 pounds

Features

• Plan each assignment carefully to account for a variety of weapons, surveillance data, and multiple paths to completion.
• Sharpen your skills through a comprehensive weapons and agility training session.
• Access black market weapons, decoys, traps, and personnel from an innovative currency reward system.
• Artificial intelligence redefines the genre of the "Thinking Shooter." / Gripping and mature plot driven by stunning cinematic visuals.
• Ground-breaking 3D engine offers full object physics, deformations, weapons modeling and unsurpassed character animations.

Amazon.com Review
It's hard to deny the appeal of Hitman: Codename 47. What action fan hasn't wanted to slip into the suit of a diamond-hard assassin-for-hire equally adept at both stealthy hits and all-out assaults? Hitman certainly provides you with the tools of the trade, offering everything from piano wire and silenced pistols to bull-pup submachine guns and predator-style miniguns. It also lets you perform many of the tricks of the trade, like stealing your enemy's clothes and dragging bodies away so roving patrols won't stumble onto them and get curious. Unfortunately, heavily scripted level design and some fairly dumb enemies get in the way of the fun, forcing players to rely more on memorization than quick reactions. Be prepared to play each level several times just to figure out exactly how to accomplish your objectives, and several times after that to successfully carry them out.

At least there was a lot to look at as we repeated each level. Hitman has some of the most beautiful graphics ever placed in a game of this type and the rendering engine can depict both lush outdoor environments and near-photographic-quality interiors. The audio is equally splendid, and after some practice you can tell what an enemy is firing simply by listening to the weapon's report. If the gameplay equaled the audio-visual quality, we'd have a classic on our hands, but as it stands Hitman plays more like a puzzle game where you have to guess what the designers wanted you to do. --T. Byrl Baker

Pros:

• Stunning graphics and crisp audio
• Plenty of toys
• The need for stealth in most situations adds a realistic twist to the gameplay

• Forced 3rd-person perspective is awkward
• Enemies aren't very intelligent
• Frustratingly difficult

Amazon.com Product Description
In this stealth-shooting game, you are a mysterious assassin without an identity. Use stealth and tactical problem solving to carry out hits on a number of high-powered criminal adversaries. Plan each assignment carefully, and learn how to be a more proficient computer hit man through a weapons and agility training session. You'll have access to black-market weapons, decoys, traps, and personnel through a currency reward program, but how you use them will determine if you retire as a millionaire or get permanently retired.

Customer Reviews

Hitman. Best. Game. Ever.
I would of given it 10 stars but, I guess that wasnt an option. This game redefines the whole "shooter" genre. Who else besides me is getting sick of the game that tests how fast you can click, rather how fast you can think? Well, I am and this game rocks the boat! I am not talking about the demo. The demo is like playing on the "paint" program compared to the full game. I used to love Half-Life, and still do! But, to play Hitman, oh my GOD, its as if Im in heaven! The graphics are so incredible, I got lost in the game. The plants move as you walk into them; the fishtanks break; you can even see yourself in the shadows, strangling a chef! Its great! However, there IS a drawback: the graphics are so incredible, if you dont have a suitable graphics card, a part might be messed up. The gameplay and lasting appeal is also great! There are numerous GIGANTIC missions that will keep you on as long as you can keep your eyes from falling out. The levels are different in their own ways and are very nice. WAIT! YOU MUST HAVE 128mb RAM! You can play with 64mb ram, but I warned you, It WILL go slow when you get into some serious gunfights. It will go sooo slow that you will be thinking that you are watching a picture show. I found out the hard way but it is such a good game that I spent $50 to get another 64mb. These are good requirements...

128mb RAM, 500 mhz, good graphics card, good sound card

the rest you should know about. This game is great. DONT forget the pluses! The minuses can be a big part of some action, but if you have the above requirements, get this game. If you dont buy this game, I will personally have a talk with the 47 himself. HAVE FUN! Oh! One last thing, this game can go both ways, you better be able to think. DO NOT load the game thinking its a gorefest run-of-the-mill shooter! You must THINK! THINK! THINK! THINK! DONT GET BOGGED DOWN BY THE THIRD LEVEL EITHER! Thats a tough one, but if you get that one, you will pretty much know what they expect. BUY! BUY! BUY THIS GAME!

Latest in trend of the thinking-man's shooters
First and foremost, this is definitely a game you should consider buying as it is one of the most powerful contributions to the trend of taking FPSs into the realm of requiring *gasp* thought on the part of the player. There's less emphasis on the adventure/roleplaying aspects that we saw in Deus Ex, and not so much plodding strategy planning as in Rainbow Six/Rogue Spear. Instead, you take the role of a solitary character with the solitary task of infiltrating the compounds of various villians and "neutralizing" them.

What this means for gameplay is quick and easy briefings where your primary task is that of gleaning what sort of weaponry and equipment you'll need to take with you, as opposed to planning insertion points and extraction plans--these are tasks easily done during the middle of the mission itself, if you actually feel the need. You get right into the action, which is nice. Unfortunately, short briefings also mean little in the way of helpful intelligence such as estimates and locations of enemy troops and patrols, likely sniper positions, and suggested approaches. Instead, you just go into the mission (expecting to die several times) while you scout around and learn the landscape.

Here are the pluses: Good AI, great graphics, nice variety of weaponry, easy command interface, and immersive sound.

The minuses: Combat is either incredibly easy or ridiculously difficult, not enough weaponry, command interface is initially cumbersome.

The details: Like I said, the AI is very solid. There was only one mission where I was able to pick off a lot of the enemy as they ran up to keep investigating the (ever growing) pile of dead bodies. Otherwise, they're able to track you down when they realize where you're hiding, and easily navigate obstacles to reach (and kill) you. Unfortunately, you can also be standing right on top of a huge massacre with a silenced pistol in your hands and the guards will keep running up one-by-one to investigate. They'll first stare at the slaughter in a befuddled manner, then look at you in confusion, then pull their gun and start shooting--by which time you could have emptied five full clips of a M16 into them. There are only a few instances where this flaw can actually work to your advantage (and the missions are difficult enough that it's a darned good thing) but it's still a significant flaw.

The graphics and the sound are equally excellent. There's a lot of detail put into both, creating for rich textures and nerve-rattling environments as you can hear the footsteps of guards rattling on the catwalks while you garrote a sentry, praying nobody notices. Unfortunately, the music can mask necessary auditory alerts, such as approaching footsteps, and I had to turn it way down.

The list of weaponry is expansive enough to satisfy any personal preferences the player might have, while mission parameters are varied enough to require the player to experiment with new methods of threat elimination. Still, it would have been nice for a few more weapons and mods (like laser sights and scopes for the assault rifles--I guess grenade launchers aren't in style of assassins.) Also, some sort of rappelling and climbing mechanisms would have been nice, adding a vertical component too many shooters miss out on.

Finally, it should be stressed that this is not a combat game. If you're looking for the next Doom, you'll be sorely disappointed. Because combat can explode so quickly, it's easy to think you're playing Half-Life, but, if it does, it means you screwed up and you're about to die. The combat is -that- brutal. You might be able to take two or even three enemies at once, but that's if you're lucky and have enough range between you that they don't pop you off with a head shot (armor won't protect you then.) Instead, you've got to take them out one-by-one, playing the role of assassin, gradually eliminating sentries and patrols as you move closer to the target, moving bodies out of sight before they're noticed and all of hell descends upon your bald little head. Though this sounds like a negative point, I'm actually quite pleased to see the gameplay function in this manner. You ARE supposed to be an assassin, not Rambo.

This is a very solid production of Io Interactive and Eidos. The missions are engrossing and the challenge to the player is a welcome gauntlet to have had laid down. The gameplay is smooth and engrossing, with spectacular graphics and sound in which the player is immersed. There are a number of small improvements that would have turned what is already a great game into truly game-of-the-year territory (like more complete mission briefings, better AI, fuller incorporation of disguises, etc), which is why I didn't feel comfortable giving the game a full 5-stars, but it's oh-so-close and definitely worth your attention.

About time someone perfects the 'Stealth FPS' genre!
I see a lot of people complaining about 'slow-paced action' and 'increasingly difficult' missions -- well, that's a prime indicator that they did an *excellent* job! True, this game isn't for those who frequently cut their teeth on the blast-em-up FPSs a la Unreal Tournament. This is a game of patience, and a game of skill. Luckily, unlike real people in this 'profession', you have the ability to restart! That's the only thing that sets this thing apart from reality. I clock a good three hours daily with Hitman 47. The gameplay is very fluid and easy to pick up -- no holding an insane amount of key combinations to perform basic tasks (*cough* Metal Gear Solid *cough*). The artifical intelligence is amazingly realistic - I have never seen so 'human' reactions from AI. The NPCs stare at you as you walk, and you wonder if they know something...If you pull out a gun in front of them, they will run and hide, and not dance around stupidly like in most games. If they see a police officer walk by, they will run up to them and tell them what they saw. No game I have seen has this level of realism.

If you've ever wanted to be "The Professional", you'll love Hitman. Eventually you start getting 'hitman-smart', and realizing "oh, wait, I shouldn't do that because .....". While a lot of the game is stealth observation and cunning action, you also get your fill of fierce firefights and daring escapes using some of the coolest tactical weapons on the planet (sorry, no missile launchers here folks, this game takes place in a little place called 'reality')

The cold-blooded trigger happy will enjoy the fact that you are not limited to 'being nice' in this game. You are more than able to pull out a gun and blast every civilian who walks by -- although I wouldn't reccommend it! Someone's bound to catch up with you, not to mention 'The Boss' doesn't like you leaving a mess. Little things added to the game like the concept of switching clothes and stashing bodies are what make it so entertaining to replay. It makes you look before you leap, so to speak. If you very effectively take out an armed guard...no what? You're standing in a hostile building with a dead guard at your feet, and more are bound to be patrolling -- bet you wish you would've thought this through first, huh? Quickly you drag the downed guard into an empty store room nearby. Then you switch uniforms with him, and leave silently. You can now walk amongst them safely =) Just as an example.

I think what really intruiges me is you aren't spend hour after hour trying to find that ONE way to succeed -- you can accomplish each mission in a variety of ways - catered to the 'style' of the hitman. Quiet kill, or gung-ho blastfest? Your call =)