Reviewed by TL on 2/15/2006
Gameplay:
It's a Hitman game. As such, the controls and feel are about what anybody would expect. Veterans to the series don't have a whole lot of surprises headed their way. Newcomers can take note that there are two very different means of progressing through these titles: The frustrating way and the fun way. That is, blasting everything that moves (including random animals and pedestrians) and sneaking past everything that moves (including pedestrians. I should add that pedestrians are a liability). Should the player attempt sneaking, the way that the title was "meant" to be played, they should be prepared to try and try again. Alarms get tripped for seemingly no reason whatsoever (usually it means having been spotted, having walked too close to the wrong guard, running into a checkpoint without the proper item, etc), and the end result is; well, the other way of playing it. On the plus side, there's a save feature in this one, so sneaking is actually possible. Still, the illusion of a trained hitman stalking a target is somewhat diluted during replays of a specific scene, and the true test of skill comes in attempting to complete the level without the use of the save feature.
Audio:
Sound effects are sufficient. While the knife cuts and bullet strikes could have sounded "meatier" (were realism the intent), the abstracted audio (remember comic book knives? And remember how they make that "SHHNNNK" noise? Yeah, it's kind of like that) conveys what needs to be conveyed. The silenced pistols, however, are joys to use. Especially on unsuspecting targets in dark alleys. Preferably from behind.
Presentation:
The graphics aren't bad. They aren't great either. But the title runs smoothly, and I don't recall any instances of lagging or slowdown. The ragdoll physics developed during the first Hitman title seem to have returned. I don't remember any instances of limbs "wringing" themselves out (that is, the vertices flip, and the geometry necks down to a single plane that is half inverted), so they've improved that slightly.
Replayability:
On the one hand, there's almost no story line development in this title. I might take marks off for that. However, it remains to be seen if the next Hitman game will continue off this one, and perhaps shed light on the somewhat cryptic comments that Agent 47 utters at the game's introduction. If so, there might be some replay value later on, should one wish to clarify the story of the Hitman universe. On the other hand, the Hitman games aren't really about story, I don't think. It's about the joy found in sneaking around and blasting thugs. If you enjoy sneaking, I'm not sure how much replay one could find. Certainly, there are a handful of means to get through each level. Once found, however, the setup and execution doesn't change. If you enjoy shooting stuff; well, it's really fun to shoot stuff in this game, so you're in luck where replayability is concerned.
Overall:
Eidos has been running this horse for quite some time. While there are minor tweaks and improvements with each iteration, I am reminded of the Dynasty Warrior series. Hitman: Contracts is much like every iteration prior, just with some updated graphics and new maps. Of course, that's not to say that the title is not fun or enjoyable, it is. But if one has played the other Hitman titles, this may seem more like a trip down memory lane than a new gaming experience.
