Hitman: Blood Money

Format PlayStation 2

Developer Io Interactive

Publisher Eidos Interactive

Genre Action, Adventure

As a cloned, bald assassin with a bar code stamped across the back of his head, Agent 47 couldn't get any more conspicuous. Yet, you'll need to keep his identity and ruthless actions more secret than ever in Hitman: Blood Money.

It's all down to the new notoriety and 'Blood Money' systems that reward clean, undetected hits with extra cash and a lower risk of being exposed. Killing civilians and opening fire in public places results in an artist's impression of Agent 47's face appearing in the local paper. The more notorious you are, the more accurate the portrait, which then affects enemy alertness and the cooperation of potential informants in later levels. Instead of buying new weapons and upgrading existing ones, you'll need to spend money on silencing eyewitnesses or paying 47's contract agency to clear up after him.

Which means, more than ever, you're relying on the meticulous execution of convoluted plans to make hits look like accidents. Figuring them out has always been part of the fun of the Hitman games, but also the series' weakness if you wanted to experiment or stray from the path. So now 47 comes equipped with several new abilities to help make your life easier. These include being able to dump bodies inside objects, concealing a weapon after it's been drawn, pushing enemies over a high drop, a vicious headbutt move that temporarily stuns the recipient, snatching the weapon from an enemy's hand, and a range of Sam Fisher-like athletic moves to help you get closer to a target.

There's no question that stealth is still key, probably even more than before, but it's looking a better game for giving the folically-challenged one a bit more room to manoeuvre.

PSW Staff