I knew before I played Contracts that it had a lot of missions in it that were from the original game, Codename 47. So, I naturally presumed that this game was a remake, and it was going to retell the first's game story, but hopefully better. Also, I thought that the game would end explaining or setting up the events for Hitman 2, but I'm going to spoil that and tell you it doesn't. After watching the credits roll, I was left feeling very confused and I came to the conclusion that this game's story is a mess!
The opening cut scene of the game shows 47 having been shot and collapsing into a hotel room and it then goes into a flashback. These flashbacks are the playable missions throughout the game. So, it goes like this, you play though 47's flashbacks and once the mission is completed than you're shown a cutscence of what's happening to 47 in the present day. Well, you'd think these flashbacks would help fill in part of the mystery and that they would lead into the answer on what happened to 47, but they don't at all. None of the missions are ever connected to one another and aren't connected to the story in anyway. You're never shown what actually happened to 47. At the end of the game, you're told that while on a mission someone got the drop on him, but you don't even get the satisfaction of playing through a mission that shows the actual event. It just feels incredibly lazy! In the very first mission you start off in the asylum which is the final level in Hitman: Codename 47 and if you didn't play the original you won't even know how he got there or why. So much of this game is never explained and a lot of times just doesn't make sense.
It doesn't help either that there are now no briefings in between missions. You can pause the game and it will show you a list of objectives which are told to you by Diana Burnwood. However, there are no videos, no photos, or overlay of the level's map to assist you on your missions. The cutscenes that lead into the next mission gives you a clue on the location, but the targets themselves are never mentioned in these scenes and because they aren't tied into the story at all, the targets themselves just feel insignificant.
Out of the first three Hitman titles, Contracts has a much more dark and grim tone than the previous two. I know some fans like the atmosphere and tone in this game, but I couldn't disagree more on that. I don't hate it per say, I just find it a little over the top and somewhat try-hard. The mission The Meat King is a perfect example of this and the whole level gives off this vibe of "Hey look at how kewl our level is guys with all this unnecessary blood everywhere, gimp suits and ball gags, kewl right?!". I know it takes place in a meat factory, but how it's designed to be so edgy seems like it's written straight out of someone's bad fanfiction. It wouldn't have been bad if was just a few levels that were like this, but the game as a whole just takes itself way too seriously.
The gameplay in Contracts feels very similar to that of Hitman 2, but with some refinement. I say that because I was able to actually play the game without having to cheat which is the first out of the original 3 that I've played so far. A huge part of that is because unlike Silent Assassin, the disguises actually work the way they are supposed to in this game. I could now walk around the levels as long as I didn't stay too close or run around enemy NPCs. Another nice improvement was the inventory system which actually paused the game to let you cycle through items and weapons which made it a lot less stressful because you didn't have to worry about getting caught or dying. Sadly, the map is still the same as the second game where it doesn't pause while checking for points of interest or exits, so make sure you're not around enemies when checking it.
Saves work the same way in Contracts as the previous game, which is seven for normal, three for expert, and zero for professional. Crouching still feels very sluggish in this game and it feels like it takes forever to get anywhere while moving which you'll have to do to get to certain enemies to targets. Don't even bother walking up behind an NPC or enemy because they'll automatically shoot you or call the guards so crawling is pretty much your only option. Another thing I didn't like in this game is that once you knocked out an enemy or civilian, they'd regain consciousness after a short while and then they'd go inform the guards thus blowing your cover. Some of the levels did provide you with ways to keep that from happening like closing trailer doors on a truck while they were knocked out inside or hiding them in the sewers because apparently, they can't use ladders. Most levels don't provide you with any way to hide the NPCs though, so you're left with no other option than to use another disguise or hope the guards don't notice you, but good luck with that.
Some of the levels are straightforward and others have more variety in the ways you can accomplish your objectives. In Contracts, the devs added a few more items for the player to use like laxatives or being able to hide a weapon in a turkey adding a little bit more creativity depending on the mission. While I'm glad they cut the levels from Columbia that were in the original game, I don't really get why they felt the need to keep all four levels from China. They really should have re-written it and condensed it into one or two missions.
Overall:
After finishing Hitman: Contracts I've realized there are some of elements in this game that just don't flow together. It feels like the developers couldn't decide if the game was a remake of Codename 47 or a standalone title. It's like some weird hybrid and if I'm being perfectly honest, I'm not really sure what they are going for in either tone or story. Even though I like this game and I'll probably replay it sometime in the future, I think it's a step back from Silent Assassin.
Pros:
+ unlockable weapons
+ decent voice acting
+ inventory system has been improved
+ game has more variety in eliminating targets on certain levels
Cons:
-Convoluted story
-too serious in tone and atmosphere
-enemies wake up after a while after being knocked out
-too many levels in China
The opening cut scene of the game shows 47 having been shot and collapsing into a hotel room and it then goes into a flashback. These flashbacks are the playable missions throughout the game. So, it goes like this, you play though 47's flashbacks and once the mission is completed than you're shown a cutscence of what's happening to 47 in the present day. Well, you'd think these flashbacks would help fill in part of the mystery and that they would lead into the answer on what happened to 47, but they don't at all. None of the missions are ever connected to one another and aren't connected to the story in anyway. You're never shown what actually happened to 47. At the end of the game, you're told that while on a mission someone got the drop on him, but you don't even get the satisfaction of playing through a mission that shows the actual event. It just feels incredibly lazy! In the very first mission you start off in the asylum which is the final level in Hitman: Codename 47 and if you didn't play the original you won't even know how he got there or why. So much of this game is never explained and a lot of times just doesn't make sense.
It doesn't help either that there are now no briefings in between missions. You can pause the game and it will show you a list of objectives which are told to you by Diana Burnwood. However, there are no videos, no photos, or overlay of the level's map to assist you on your missions. The cutscenes that lead into the next mission gives you a clue on the location, but the targets themselves are never mentioned in these scenes and because they aren't tied into the story at all, the targets themselves just feel insignificant.
Out of the first three Hitman titles, Contracts has a much more dark and grim tone than the previous two. I know some fans like the atmosphere and tone in this game, but I couldn't disagree more on that. I don't hate it per say, I just find it a little over the top and somewhat try-hard. The mission The Meat King is a perfect example of this and the whole level gives off this vibe of "Hey look at how kewl our level is guys with all this unnecessary blood everywhere, gimp suits and ball gags, kewl right?!". I know it takes place in a meat factory, but how it's designed to be so edgy seems like it's written straight out of someone's bad fanfiction. It wouldn't have been bad if was just a few levels that were like this, but the game as a whole just takes itself way too seriously.
The gameplay in Contracts feels very similar to that of Hitman 2, but with some refinement. I say that because I was able to actually play the game without having to cheat which is the first out of the original 3 that I've played so far. A huge part of that is because unlike Silent Assassin, the disguises actually work the way they are supposed to in this game. I could now walk around the levels as long as I didn't stay too close or run around enemy NPCs. Another nice improvement was the inventory system which actually paused the game to let you cycle through items and weapons which made it a lot less stressful because you didn't have to worry about getting caught or dying. Sadly, the map is still the same as the second game where it doesn't pause while checking for points of interest or exits, so make sure you're not around enemies when checking it.
Saves work the same way in Contracts as the previous game, which is seven for normal, three for expert, and zero for professional. Crouching still feels very sluggish in this game and it feels like it takes forever to get anywhere while moving which you'll have to do to get to certain enemies to targets. Don't even bother walking up behind an NPC or enemy because they'll automatically shoot you or call the guards so crawling is pretty much your only option. Another thing I didn't like in this game is that once you knocked out an enemy or civilian, they'd regain consciousness after a short while and then they'd go inform the guards thus blowing your cover. Some of the levels did provide you with ways to keep that from happening like closing trailer doors on a truck while they were knocked out inside or hiding them in the sewers because apparently, they can't use ladders. Most levels don't provide you with any way to hide the NPCs though, so you're left with no other option than to use another disguise or hope the guards don't notice you, but good luck with that.
Some of the levels are straightforward and others have more variety in the ways you can accomplish your objectives. In Contracts, the devs added a few more items for the player to use like laxatives or being able to hide a weapon in a turkey adding a little bit more creativity depending on the mission. While I'm glad they cut the levels from Columbia that were in the original game, I don't really get why they felt the need to keep all four levels from China. They really should have re-written it and condensed it into one or two missions.
Overall:
After finishing Hitman: Contracts I've realized there are some of elements in this game that just don't flow together. It feels like the developers couldn't decide if the game was a remake of Codename 47 or a standalone title. It's like some weird hybrid and if I'm being perfectly honest, I'm not really sure what they are going for in either tone or story. Even though I like this game and I'll probably replay it sometime in the future, I think it's a step back from Silent Assassin.
Pros:
+ unlockable weapons
+ decent voice acting
+ inventory system has been improved
+ game has more variety in eliminating targets on certain levels
Cons:
-Convoluted story
-too serious in tone and atmosphere
-enemies wake up after a while after being knocked out
-too many levels in China