Hitman: Contracts
A remastered and expanded return to Agent 47's past contracts.
Hitman: Contracts, released in 2004, is a stealth game from IO Interactive and Eidos Interactive for Windows, PlayStation 2, and Xbox. As the third entry in the Hitman series, it works as both a remake of the first game, *Hitman: Codename 47* (2000), and a follow-up to *Hitman 2: Silent Assassin* (2002). It takes gameplay features from the second game and applies them to missions from the first, which have been visually upgraded. Several new missions are also included, framed as flashbacks the cloned assassin Agent 47 experiences after nearly dying on a job.
The game was generally well-received. Reviewers liked the better gameplay, graphics, soundtrack, and the darker mood and atmosphere, but they criticized the lack of major new features and the sense of déjà vu with the earlier games. By April 2009, it had sold roughly 2 million copies. In January 2013, high-definition versions of *Contracts*, *Silent Assassin*, and the later *Blood Money* came out for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 as the *Hitman HD Trilogy*.
**Gameplay**
Players control Agent 47 from a third-person view, traveling to different places worldwide to kill specific targets. A wide range of weapons is available, from kitchen knives and handguns to assault rifles and belt-fed machine guns. While the game encourages stealth and disguise, it also lets players take a more direct, violent approach and shoot their way through objectives. As they advance, players can pick up weapons found in levels and use them in later missions. Besides straightforward kills with guns or strangulation, some missions offer subtler methods, like using poison or setting up "accidents," such as causing a heart attack in a sauna.
Performance is graded on several factors, including shots fired, how many non-player characters (NPCs) are killed (whether armed enemies or civilians), and how often guards are alerted. The lowest rating is "Mass Murderer," given to players who kill many NPCs without using stealth. The highest is "Silent Assassin," awarded for completing the mission without being spotted and usually killing only the intended target.
The game keeps the context-sensitive action system, where one button does different things depending on the situation. Near a door, it lets the player peek through the keyhole, pick a lock, or simply open it.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Hitman: Contracts
- Developer
- IO Interactive
- Publisher
- Eidos InteractiveSquare Enix Europe published the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions.
- Writer
- Greg Nagan
- Composer
- Jesper Kyd
- Series
- Hitman
- Engine
- Glacier
- Platforms
- Microsoft Windows · PlayStation 2 · Xbox
- Released
- NA · 20 April 2004 · EU · 30 April 2004 · AU · 13 May 2004
- Genre
- Stealth
- Modes
- Single-player
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Hitman: Contracts was originally meant to be the final game of a trilogy, but due to time pressure from publisher Eidos, IO Interactive split into two teams to work on Contracts and Hitman: Blood Money simultaneously. Contracts was developed on a tight schedule to release two years after Hitman 2: Silent Assassin. The game was released in 2004 in North America on 20 April, in the UK on 30 April, in Australia on 13 May, and in Japan on 14 October.
The plot begins on 17 March 2004, around two years after the events of Silent Assassin, when Agent 47 is shot and critically wounded while carrying out a mission in Paris, France, for the International Contracts Agency (ICA). Returning to his hotel room, he reflects on past contracts, including assassinations in Romania, Russia, England, the Netherlands, Hungary, and Hong Kong. An ICA doctor performs emergency surgery, but GIGN officers storm the hotel to capture 47. After recalling his current contract involving a child prostitution ring and a corrupt GIGN officer named Albert Fournier, 47 escapes, kills Fournier, and flees to Charles de Gaulle Airport, where his handler Diana Burnwood warns him that the ICA is being targeted by a group called the Franchise.
Reader's Guide
Hitman: Contracts is notable for blending remastered levels from Hitman: Codename 47 with new missions, all while retaining the context-sensitive actions and Suspicion Meter introduced in Hitman 2: Silent Assassin. Players control Agent 47 from a third-person perspective, using a wide array of weapons and disguises to eliminate targets. Stealth is encouraged but not required; players can choose violent approaches. Performance is rated from 'Mass Murderer' (lowest) to 'Silent Assassin' (highest), based on factors like shots fired, NPCs killed, and guard alerts. Disguises allow access to restricted areas but can be seen through if behavior or equipment is inconsistent. The game received generally positive reviews, with praise for improved gameplay, graphics, soundtrack, darker tone, and atmosphere, but criticism for lack of significant changes from previous games. High-definition ports of Contracts, Silent Assassin, and Blood Money were released in January 2013 as the Hitman HD Trilogy on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.
Did You Know?
- The game's soundtrack, composed by Jesper Kyd, won 'Best Original Music' at the 2005 BAFTA Games Awards.
- Hitman: Contracts includes licensed songs such as 'Put Your Head on My Shoulder' by Paul Anka and 'Immortal' by Clutch.
- The game sold around 2 million copies as of April 2009.
- The highest player rank is 'Silent Assassin', earned by completing missions without detection and killing only the intended target.
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