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Reviews for Hitman Contracts

Xbox - MPN: 788687200158

  • 5
  By member: shrike424242 - Jan 14, 2005

Hitman Contracts

Strengths: Great stealth action, extremely well done atmosphere, great graphics and sounds, lots of open gameplay in some levels, improved controls

Weakness: Lack of assistance in gameplay may not be for everyone, M-rated for a reason

Hitman Contracts returns to the role of 47, super assassin for hire. As an assassin, it's important to work through the missions without being spotted for being such, so disguises and stealth play an important role in surviving through the mission to the end. There are plenty of ways to accomplish a mission, and there isn't a great deal of assistance to point out how to do it. This lack of "hand holding" may turn off some, though it's a refreshing change to be allowed to think so freely on how to make it to the end of the mission.

The graphics look very well done, creating an impressive atmosphere that draws people into the world of Hitman. The sound adds into the atmosphere, keeping the player on their toes for the slightest clue on what's to come next. The controls are a great improvement from other games, making the game easy to control. One word of note is that the game is M-rated, and it's very necessary, due to the game's violence.

For stealth action fans, it's a great game to be had, though not for the squeamish, or for those that need to be hand-held through the course of the game.

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  • 4
  By member: xjpilot - Apr 27, 2005

Hitman Contracts

Strengths: Excellent shooter based missions.

Weakness: Kind of repetitive, aiming is hard to do.

Graphics and sound are definitely excellent, plenty of missions and weapons. It does seem as though the missions are repetitive after a while, and the aiming can be aggravating at times, but overall a good game. If you like the Hitman series or stealth action, this is a good addition to your collection!

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  • 3
  By member: ssimp12626 - Oct 29, 2005

Hitman Contracts (Xbox

Strengths: good graphics

Weakness: no free roaming

A good action packed stealth game. You play as Agent 47 who travels the globe to eliminate corrupt politicians, terrorists, and crime bosses. Interactive environments in which you can pick up other things to use as weapons.

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  • 4
  By member: galvatron2k1 - Jul 30, 2005

Hitman Contracts

Strengths: Graphics, game play, storyline

Weakness: Controls

This game is definitely fun to play. It is similar to the other Hitman games, in particular, Hitman 2. You play as Agent 47, a hired assassin trained to take out numerous enemies. There are multiple difficulty settings and on some of the higher settings, you will have to use stealth and wit to accomplish your goal, rather than gunning everybody down.

The graphics are solid, although they look similar to the other Hitman games with no visible updates. The game play and the story line are both amazing and will engage you from the start. The only weakness I saw were the controls as I would much rather be using a keyboard/mouse setup for this game (guess I should have gotten the PC version instead). Overall, the game is fun and I recommend it.

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  • 4
  By member: vherub - Jul 28, 2005

Nonlinear!

Strengths: Immersive experience and nothing else really like it

Weakness: Well, besides the previous games which it does not stray from

Levels in Hitman might be frustrating because it is unclear what exactly you should be doing and where you should be going. When you start out on a big map and can go anywhere, until you get the hang of choosing your own adventure, the experience can be frustrating. All the moreso if it feels like you are just trial, error and dieing your way to the "right" path. Figuring out your own solution is the best part about the Hitman games, but if this sounds too frustrating or you want a more defined stealth experience, it becomes the heel of the game. The fact that it looks, and sounds nice are great, but the meat of this game's enjoyment is the stealth assassion gameplay. For a relatively new title, it has dropped quickly i price; do not take this for the game being terrible, but a good chance to get a solid game that still looks good compared to other new titles.

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  • 4
  By member: radjago - Jul 18, 2005

More open-ended contract killing.

Strengths: Open-ended gameplay, level design, AI

Weakness: Flashback based-storyline, controls can be a bit of a hassle

Little has changed in this game, the third title in the Hitman series, from its predecessors. You still read your briefings, look at the map and plan out how to take out your mission objective. Mission difficulty varies from frolics to frustrations, so use that difficulty setting wisely. The AI proves to be a formidable foe to outwit at times. Levels are nicely detailed and work well for adding challenge and choice to missions. Overall, it's well-done and fun to play, but it doesn't add much, if anything, to the series.

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  • 5
  By member: blackninja - Jul 14, 2005

Fans of Hitman (or stealth games in general) will...

Strengths: Great graphics, excellent mood/style/gameplay

Weakness: Same old, same old gameplay

I am a huge fan of the Hitman series, so I was excited to unwrap my copy of Hitman Contracts. I loved the first two games in this series and I knew I would love this one. I felt a little…empty though, like I wanted more. That’s due to the fact that this is the same old Hitman gameplay. Not that there is anything wrong with that, it just means this game leaves you with a taste of “rehash” or “been there, done that” in your mouth. This only applies of course, if you have played other Hitman games, specifically the superb hitman 2: Silent Assassin. If you are new to Agent 47 however, you will love this game (you will still like this game if you have played the others – you will just be expecting more).

The graphics are great, with improvements enough to be a little better than Hitman 2. The stealth-action gameplay is excellent (something the series is famous for), the fact that the stages are nonlinear adds to replay value and leads to ingenuity as you try to make your own personal way through the game.

An excellent buy, even if it seems a little familiar.

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  • 4
  By member: MaxBiaggi2 - Jul 14, 2005

Agent 47 literally and figuratively returns for more...

Strengths: Great sound and voice acting, good combination of stealth and action gameplay, gritty realistic atmosphere, freedom to choose how you complete each mission, value retail price

Weakness: Short overall length, inconsistent graphics, faulty collision detection, trial-and-error gameplay, no health power-ups, disjointed storyline, vague mission objectives

If you enjoyed Agent 47's previous console outing Hitman 2: Silent Assassin, you'll probably enjoy his latest adventure, but be advised going in that Contracts not only doesn't break much new ground but also retreads some levels from the previous games.

As Agent 47 you can use stealth and cunning to go unnoticed as you accomplish each of your missions, or you can simply run and gun like you would in a first person shooter. This level of freedom adds a lot of depth and replay value to an otherwise ordinary stealth adventure.

The story consists of a series of flashbacks that retread missions from previous games. The plot can become confusing as a result, and you don't get a lot of instruction on how to accomplish each of your missions either. However, the gritty atmosphere and mature subject matter will keep most players interested to the end of this 8-10 hour game.

If you like stealth-based action games like the Splinter Cell series, you'll probably enjoy Hitman: Contracts. The now reasonable budget asking price more than makes up for its few shortcomings.

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  • 3
  By member: jj5919 - Jul 10, 2005

Not Quite Up to Hitman Quality

Strengths: Good Action, Well done Stealth, Great Sound Effects

Weakness: Is pretty short, Repetitive, Clunky control/response

Hitman Contracts is the third game in the Hitman series. As in the previous two games, you play the role of Agent 47, a silent assassin. At the beginning of the game, you are morally wounded by an unknown cause. The game ends up being mostly flashbacks where you try to find out what happened to yourself. The game will only take 8-10 hours to complete and I found it quite easy. Even on the hardest setting, the game never was a real challenge in my opinion. The levels are fairly well varied and for the most part are interesting. Each objective can be completed in a variety of ways such as stealthy or plain run-and-gun. The stealth part works surprisingly well but I found it much easier to run-and-gun. This leads to very repetitive gameplay-running into a room, shooting people, getting out, and repeat. The stealth part of the game will appeal to some but I found it inferior to the open-shooting method. The graphics are on par compared to other Xbox games. At some times, the graphics look amazing, but at other parts, they look uninspired and choppy. The sound of the game is fantastic-from the voice acting to the gun sounds, it is done amazingly well. The major gripe though I have of this game is the clunky controls and a horrible response system. The controls are pretty well placed on the controller, but they just feel weird during the gameplay. I never felt any comfort while using the controls. The response system is even done worse. When I was holding a butcher knife, I was able to slash a guy that was about 5 ft away from me while he was running away. It was easy to see that the knife didn't hit him, but he still flailed forward. But if you are able to look over this flaws, this game can be quite fun. There is a variety of weapons to use and it’s always fun to switch clothes with whoever you kill to give yourself another identity. Overall, this game is ok. It has its good parts, but is overshadowed by its flaws and the games overall length. Just don’t expect a game that is better than the previous Hitman games.

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  • 3
  By member: dago2727 - Jul 4, 2005

Hitman Contracts

Strengths: Good story

Weakness: Graphics are not up to todays standards

Hitman Contracts is the 3rd game in the Hitman series. Never playing a Hitman game before, I felt myself drawn into its dark work. I really enjoyed the story here, as it reminded me of some good Gangster movies. Game does take a little getting used to, but all in all, it was a good purchase since it can be bought online for usually under $10.

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  • 4
  By member: sabin23 - Jul 4, 2005

Hitman Contracts

Strengths: Good variety of gameplay (stealth and action), good graphics and sound, fun missions.

Weakness: Missions from past games reused as "dream sequences," camera could be tighter.

This is my very first game of Hitman and I must say I'm impressed. I wished I had played the earlier games in the series sooner. I liked playing the role of the assassin but the what's great about Hitman is that you get to choose which method you would rather take when it comes to meeting your objectives - either stealth or go guns blazing. I'd prefer the stealth mode because there is so many varieties to either get out of sticky situations or actually assassinate someone. The graphics are good but don't really push the Xbox hardware to the limits. The sound is great and the controls are good but I wish the camera could be tighter. Although I realize some of the levels have been rehashed, for a noob like me, I don't mind and like their inclusion. A good purchase overall.

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  • 3
  By member: DirtyPudding - Jun 29, 2005

Hitman Contracts

Strengths: Excellent graphics and sound. Cool weapons. Bizarre story.

Weakness: No health items. Only 2 cheat codes.

Hitman Contracts features the return of Agent 47. The story line in this game is bizarre in that all of the levels are flashbacks to previous missions agent 47 has encountered in his career. As a fan of non-linear story telling, I happen to like this approach. The gameplay is the same as the previous Hitman game. Once again there are NO health items and no fun cheats codes like in the first game. That being said, this is a very difficult game. There are multiple ways to go about your mission but they are all hard. You can switch perspectives by pressing a button but it is hard to aim either way. It must also be stated that this a very mature game. If your looking for a dark, bloody stealth action game, Hitman Contracts may be right up your alley.

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  • 5
  By member: Alive741 - Jun 24, 2005

Hitman Contracts

Strengths: Graphics, Gameplay, Hitman

Weakness: None

Game is incredibly good. Some levels are remade from the original Hitman Codename 47 for PC, and mostly remade for the better. This game is absolutely the best Hitman by far. The storyline is still minimal, but the missions are fantastic! Buy this one.

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  • 4
  By member: chrishughes - Jun 20, 2005

Hitman Contracts

Strengths: graphics

Weakness: too few missions

Hitman: Contracts explores the psychology of killing for a living and delivers the darkest and most disturbing episode in the series. The game takes you into the mind of Agent 47, who is the most ruthless contract killer in history. The game starts in Europe as Agent 47 finds himself wounded and trapped in what is a dangerous situation.

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  • 4
  By member: jjz203 - Jun 16, 2005

Hitman Contracts

Strengths: Open ended gameplay, graphics and story.

Weakness: Somewhat vague at times and confusing as to what to do.

This is the third game in the Hitman video game series. I played the first two and really enjoyed them and thought it natural to get the third one. I must say that this game probably isn't as fun as the second game but that's just my opinion. At first the game is fun because it has nice cutscenes and a still decent looking graphical engine, but that's about all it has going for it. The story is interesting but somewhat confusing since the plot is based on flashbacks and it's all cohesive though very disjointed. It follows the hitman gameplay formula of finding your target and putting the hit on him without anyone finding out, but this time around you are a little more lost. Sometimes the game can be frustrating since it doesn't always give you a clear idea of what you need to do to achieve your goal. That's about the only thing I can complain about as a Hitman game series fan. Other than that, it's more Hitman for those who like the series and I can't wait til 4 comes out.

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  • 4
  By member: Venent - Jun 10, 2005

Hitman Contracts

Strengths: Open ended gameplay, diverse locations, nice graphics, characters speak in their native language, large variety of weapons, musical score is fantastic

Weakness: If you choose to use a more aggressive approach to your assassinations (just shoot everyone), the game will be a little too easy, the ai is a bit sub-par by today's standards

Fun game that definitely earns its rating. The gameplay and environments were both really exciting. Think of an 'R' rated James Bond. You will have access to all kinds of different weapons, and travel to different exotic locations. The game is worth the bargain price and has a good amount of gameplay length. There isn't a resolution to the story, so expect to see a sequel. Enjoy this game, I certainly did.

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  • 4
  By member: jeffblack12 - Jun 9, 2005

Hitman Contracts

Strengths: great open gameplay sandbox type.

Weakness: can get lost in the sandbox

Its a very fun game and you can accomplish your "hits" in any number of ways, but sometimes it is hard to even find one way. The game does not help you out too much with how to go about your tasks, which is both good and bad. Good in that you are forced to come up with it, bad in that that can take a while and be quite frustrating. Graphics are great and the gameplay is like the other hitman games, which are also very good. I would definitely buy this game again.

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  • 1
  By member: Spoon_Si - Jun 9, 2005

Hitman Contracts

Strengths: Slightly Improved graphic over the last game, Some new Weapons, Control improved upon.

Weakness: Weapon story plot! Eidos has run this game down the drain! Crappy Character development! No goals what-So-Ever!

After being fan of the 1st 2 games, I was exciting about the 3rd, but after playing this game, my expectation fell short. It just seem eidos is just out to make a quick buck on this series. If the development team would put more time & effort torwards the 3rd game like they did with the 1st this would still be a great series. I hope this series don't end up like tomb raider.

Pros: Just A slight improvement in the Graphics Department.

Cons: Weak uninteresting story plot, I found tons of bugs in the game, this version seem very rushed...

Overall: 1 OUTTA 5 STARS

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  • 4
  By member: isaack82 - Jun 3, 2005

Hitman Contracts

Strengths: Controls, Interesting Missions

Weakness: Story, Can be completed quickly

Having never played a game in the Hitman series, I did not know what to expect upon firing up Hitman Contracts. The basic premise is of course simple, you are a highly trained assassin on a series of missions. I found the controls to be easy to adapt to, and in less than an hour I was comfortable with them. Your character autoaims to an extent so aiming is made easier via the controller thumbstick. On the other hand, the story was very weak, basically just a series of flashbacks that really make little sense. So the missions are not really interconnected in a meaningful way. In terms of the missions themselves I enjoyed them. They all held my interest and most had a couple different approaches that would be successful. Though being stealthy was not really needed to be successful in most of the missions. Going in guns blazing worked pretty well for most of them. It is worth noting that the game itself is not very long and can be completed in 7 to 10 hours for an average player (which is what I consider myself). The graphics were good but not great and the sound was merely average. That being said I enjoyed the game and am glad I purchased it.

Overall: With it selling for $10 or less, Hitman Contracts is a solid buy.

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  • 3
  By member: redgopher - May 27, 2005

Hitman Contracts

Strengths: Stylish visuals and action, intense shooting and great stealth gameplay.

Weakness: 47's animations are a little rough, creating a "hover-walk" occasionally

I had never played a Hitman game before, and was quite surprised to find it a very stylish, action packed game with plenty to offer in terms of storyline and gameplay. Although it features many missions from the first game, Hitman: Codename 47, it is well worth the purchase and will provide hours of fun. The cutscenes are very well executed (pun intended), and I am anxious to start playing the original Hitman and Hitman 2.

Overall, well worth the purchase. For fans of Max Payne and Splinter Cell.

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  • 4
  By member: mkelehan - May 18, 2005

Hitman Contracts

Strengths: More missions for the already excellent Hitman 2.

Weakness: More of an expansion pack than a sequel; many missions reused from Hitman 1.

The original Hitman 47 wasn't too great, but its sequel, Hitman 2, was. Realizing this, IO Interactive remade many of the best Hitman 47 missions using the Hitman 2 engine, added a few totally new missions, and called the whole thing Hitman Contracts. If you played, beat, and enjoyed Hitman 2, this game is right up your alley... just don't expect it to be as big of a leap as Hitman 2 was from Hitman 47.

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  • 4
  By member: road3283 - May 9, 2005

Hitman Contracts

Strengths: Multiple ways to accomplish objectives. Good production values.

Weakness: Gameplay might not be for everyone. Veterans of the series may recognize redone missions from the first game.

The beauty of Hitman Contracts is that it allows you to play the game how you choose. You can choose the stealthy route and stay in the shadows, pick up disguises and blend in to get closer to your mark inconspicuously, or go all out Rambo style and take out anyone in your way. You'll encounter different objectives like data retrieval, hostage rescue, bomb diffusal, escape, and obviously assassination.

While the game allows you to decide how to undertake your missions it is more tailored to the stealth gameplay so one shouldn't expect a straight up shooter game. It's also a more rewarding experience to play as a "Silent Assassin as you'll have to use your instincts and cunning to go unnoticed, but it will leave you feeling like a true professional.

That being said if you want to blast your way through the game the controls certainly provide for it with the ability to switch between 3rd and 1st person on the fly and a plethora of weapons.

One thing to consider though is there is a bit of a learning curve in that the open map design pretty much leaves you on your own to discover the game's nuances and sometimes calls for some "try and die" experimenting before you can master the game.

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  • 4
  By member: dtsai24 - May 1, 2005

Hitman Contracts

Strengths: Good shooting game

Weakness: Somewhat Hard

Hitman Contracts is a very good hsooting game that lets you play as a stealthy assassin. It allows you to choose how you want to accomplish your goals though and creates a sense of freedom for you. The graphics are good and the controls are decent. The game can get somewhat hard. It's an enjoyable game but it can be pretty violent.

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  • 5
  By member: mcgavin27 - Apr 11, 2005

Hitman Contracts

Strengths: great stealth

Weakness: rehased missions

this game takes some missions from the first hitman game and mix them with a few new ones. This game is very mature and the kills can be graphic. The story is well drawn out, the graphics are decent and the controls are spot on. For what i paid for it, it is well worth it.

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  • 4.0
  TopTenREVIEWS.com - Mar 17, 2008

Hitman: Contracts

Hitman: Contracts receives an overall TopTenREVIEWS rating of 3.18 out of 4.00. It is ranked the #1,801 game of all time, #53 game of 2004 for the Xbox and #245 Xbox game of all time. The rating and ranking is based on an average of 63 critic scores, awards and other criteria. To see a breakdown of the game ranking, read individual critic reviews, or see how other games ranked, click on the link...

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  • 5.0
  GamePro.com - May 24, 2004

The third time’s the charm as Hitman irons out the flaws of his past contracts in this riveting game.

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  • 4.0
  GameZone - May 5, 2004

Hitman: Contracts

While the Hitman series has always been pretty dark, Hitman: Contracts, the latest title in the series, pushes that even further by upping the ante in terms of a dark and desolate aesthetic and atmosphere. In terms of presentation and visual style, Contracts is certainly the most disturbing entry to the series. However, fans of the series will find that the gameplay is simply more of the same....

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  • 4.0
  GameSpy - Apr 22, 2004

Hitman Contracts

Unless you were living as a mango picker in Guatemala as part of the witness relocation program for the last six months, chances are you've been bombarded with Hitman: Contracts previews. Thus, I'll dispense with the game summary and get to my impressions and opinions. Dig?

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  • 4.2
  IGN.com - Apr 16, 2004

Hitman Contracts

With everyone's focus on implementing online functionality and making games bigger and more movie-like, the once-burgeoning stealth sub-genre has become a little more than a footnote in today's games. Sure, it's mentioned, as in, Uh yes, we have stealth, yes we do. You can um, sneak around stuff. Just after the flame-thrower and rocket launcher levels you can tip-toe out of the nuclear...

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  • 4.2
  games.net - Jan 1, 2000

Hitman: Contracts

Published by Eidos and developed by Eidos, Hitman: Contracts is a action game for the Xbox. It has an ESRB rating of MATURE.

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