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Hitman: Contracts

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8.4 User Score:

Mixed or average reviews

Based on 27 critic reviews
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Based on 12 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Eidos Interactive

Developer: Io Interactive

Genre(s): Third-Person Action

Players: 1

ESRB Rating: M (Mature)

Release Date: April 20, 2004

Summary

Hitman: Contracts takes you into the mind of Agent 47, the most ruthlessly efficient contract killer in history. The game begins in Paris as Agent 47 finds himself wounded and trapped in what is a dangerous situation, even for him. Hitman: Contracts explores the dark psychology of killing for a living and promises to be the darkest, most disturbing episode in the series. [Eidos Interactive]

Also On Metacritic

GAMES: Hitman 2: Silent Assassin Hitman: Blood Money Hitman: Codename 47

Cheat Codes & Hints: Cheat Code Central GameSpot Guide

Also On The Web: GameSpot Preview GameSpy Preview IGN Preview Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

Stuff

Elaborate levels and the multiple paths you can take to solve them go a long way in making you forget about the lack of narrative element.

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Australian GamePro

For many, HC will be a disappointment, but its inventive storyline and intricate level design will entertain lounge-room assassins.

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BonusStage

It’s best to think of Hitman: Contracts as a mini game to keep fans of the series satisfied until a true sequel is released.

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GameZone

It wasn’t landmark on any level, but it can compete with the current PC action big boys.

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IGN

This is more of the exact same Hitman you played with Hitman 2. It's good, it's deep, but it's not really all that new.

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Game Over Online

But between the overly tight scripting and the split-second timing required to pull it all off, I thought it was a little difficult to play the missions out the way they wanted you to, finding Hitman: Contracts instead played like an average first person shooter with excessive stealth elements.

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Gamer's Hell

In some ways the game feels like an expansion, or maybe a half-sequel. It doesn’t have as many levels as Hitman 2, but they’re longer, and usually more interesting.

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AceGamez

Hits the target despite not moving the concept on much.

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2404.org

I found it annoying that there was no mission briefing. There was no introduction information on your target or why you were there that came up prior to the mission starting.

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Total Video Games

From the story angle alone Hitman: Contracts is a worthy addition to the series, and will particularly entertain fans of the franchise who’ve played both the predecessors. That said it’s certainly time for some innovation.

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Computer and Video Games

Gritty movie atmosphere and clever storyline fail to outshine the unforgiving gameplay. It's got some great ideas but could've been so much better.

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PC Format

Rather too over-familiar, but still a very entertaining stealth experience.

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GameSpot

Given that "Hitman 2" was such a huge improvement on the original, it's inherently somewhat disappointing that the new Hitman: Contracts is really just a rehash. It's more of the same, replete with everything that was good and everything that wasn't so good about the 2002 game.

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1UP

If you're looking for some stealth gameplay in a sandbox environment, this is a great beginner's course into the world of Agent 47. If, however, you're expecting something as revolutionary as the multiplayer in "Pandora Tomorrow," or the high polish of "Snake Eater," this isn't for you.

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PC Gamer

The intricate level construction and enhanced AI are appreciated, but I still felt like I was playing nothing more than a glorified expansion pack. [July 2004, p.66]

Play.tm

The level of freedom offered may be a dream come true for some but will simply be far too much for others, thusly alienating this title from a majority of gamers.

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games(TM)

The whole thing smacks of laziness - of the 12 missions, we count a total of four completely new ones...the annoying thing is that Contracts is an enjoyable game; that IQ had the cheek to crib from its previous work almost doesn't matter when the result is still worth playing. [June 2004, p.98]

Gamers Depot

Though there’s not a ton of replay value to this one, if you play it on the medium (or highest, if you’re totally insane) difficulty setting, you’ll have enough of a challenge to get a big dose of the sick and twisted Hitman-style gaming all us psycho-killers have grown used to over the years.

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Edge Magazine

The picaresque form allows the levels to function as discreet puzzles rather than as parts of a story arc: the objective remains pure and always the same. The obstacles and methods open to you are what change, and it's in these areas that Contracts has both expanded and improved. [June 2004, p.103]

Yahoo! Games

A handful of glaring errors and nagging problems hamstring the title, preventing it from garnering overly high acclaim.

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GamerFeed

Missions are short, but the trial-and-error of finding out how to accomplish each one compensates for it.

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ActionTrip

The new Hitman game does bring a lot of moodiness and great cinematic value, in addition to some of that customary gameplay that drew me to the franchise in the first place. Ultimately, however, because of some rather silly design mistakes, it fails to deliver the kind of experience I was hoping for.

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GameShark

More of the same? Absolutely, but whether this is a good or a bad thing depends on your enjoyment of the previous games in the series.

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Play Magazine

It's a shame he's such a one-dimensional character, wasting an exceptional opportunity for a compelling psychological backdrop to join the pervasively strong imagery. [June 2004, p.56]

Computer Gaming World

Despite the patient sneaking this game encourages, Contracts seems a little rushed. [Aug 2004, p.73]

Computer Games Magazine

By the end, even if you've blasted your way through the entire game in under ten hours, you get a strange sense of years having elapsed not far removed from an absinthe hangover. [Aug 2004, p.54]

GameSpy

Typical sneak/shoot-'em-up action that relies too heavily on remade content and brittle gameplay. Although it was novel four years ago, games have come much farther than this.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 8.4 (out of 10) based on 12 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

c0l0r gave it a 10:
Hitman is just one of the best games for shoot and! stealth + all the different ways a player can go through the missions.

Andy L. gave it a 9:
Really though its just more of the same-old excellent game that was hitman 2 for those stealth shooter fans. Keep in mind that not everyone is one. The freedom factor found in this is a rare privilege in modern day shooter/action games though.

Paul B. gave it a 10:
I know you have all been waiting for my review but I had to think about this one. First of all most professional reviewers gave it a lower score then it deserves. Their reasoning is that it is pretty much the same game as the previous one. The Graphics have not changed much, this is true. The game play has not changed much either. But! (And yes I have a nice butt) How come a game like Splinter Cell which has not changed much at all, except its multiplayer which is very good I might add, got such high scores. In the single player of Splinter Cell you feel as though most of the time someone is leading you by the hand through it. In this game the playing field is wide open. You can play each level many different ways. It is very nicely open ended. If you want to achieve Silent Assassin you have to work for it. Sweat, hide and think. The limited amount of saves adds to the tension .The end is always the same but it is a real involvement to achieve it. It is a console game like Splinter Cell but it is a good well thought out one. An absolute joy to play. For this and other reasons I give it a 10.You can give me more Bells and Whistles. I will take that, but a good involving game is hard to come by. A special note to the makers of Thief 3 AKA Deadly Shadows. If you muck up my favorite game of all time like you did in Deus Ex my pen will be waiting.

Kevin S. gave it a 10:
Superb game what more can i say?

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Hitman: Contracts

Game Info

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