Overview/Description :

This may be the fourth game in the Hitman franchise, but it's pretty much in a genre all its own, so it still seems fresh, especially if you're like me, and haven't played a Hitman title before. In this title, you get to play as Agent 47, a cloned individual, working as a hitman. The interesting part comes into play when you find out that you can complete all the levels in any way that you can figure out, that makes sense. This adds a lot of replay value to the game.


Graphics: 7.5/10

This game looks pretty outstanding, with the exception of many of the characters' voices and mouth animations syncing up, or even animating properly for that matter. With that said, everything else looks really well done. So why the 7.5/10 score? It's simple. It's because it's very visible that this is an upgraded port of the PC version. Sure, it has much better shading and lighting, and graphics, overall, but you can tell when you look at objects that they aren't made of as many polys or as detailed as they could be. It's not a Gun quality port, by any means. It's more Tomb Raider: Legend quality, and that's not bad, but I'd really like to see what the developer could have done if they developed for the Xbox 360 first and then dumbed the other versions down. If the fact that it's an upgraded port, with graphics that aren't U.S. Army (all that they could be) calibur, then bump this score up to an eight.


Sound: 7.5/10

OK. I grade stuff just like things were in school, so this is a 75%. That doesn't mean that it's bad, it's just average. Sure, it has all the surround sound stuff that we're becoming accustomed to with the Xbox 360 hardware, but the thing that brings the score down for me is the overall volume of everything. It just seems too quiet. I know what you're thinking... Just turn up the stereo, right? Yeah, that works, but you'd better not forget to turn it back down when you're done. Here's a perfect example, and unless you care about the opening scene being spoiled (not a plot spoiler), read on... The game opens to show an amusement park and a ferris wheel. The ferris wheel's motor explodes and the wheel disassembles and crashes to the ground, right on top of the camera. OK, now keep in mind that I had a (very very quiet) fan running in the background, but I had my sound system turned up past my normal reasonable volume to compensate, which was working more than adequately for everything else (and other games). I had trouble hearing the explosion, let alone the accompanying music, and wheel pieces falling on top of the camera (which should have had a fairly loud boom using my subwoofer). Voices and sounds are adequate, and of standard fare, but I will give the voice work some credit. Agent 47, when he talks, is a blast to listen to. He just seems really calm and collected, like he should, probably more so.


Gameplay: 8.5/10

This game controls rather well. Agent 47 moves and does what he should, with the action buttons' functions changing all the time, but to compensate for this, there is a picture of them in the upper left part of the screen with text displaying what each button will do at each second of gameplay. There's a couple quirks that I think could have been done better, but nothing too severe. Coin throwing, for example, is done by clicking and holding the left stick for distance, while aiming with the right stick. Clicking the left stick and holding it just isn't as natural as a button, and often times feels awkward.

The best part about the gameplay is probably the fact that you can go back and complete missions again, gaining better equipment, more money, and that you don't have to do them the same way. The missions can be done quick and messy, or slow, stealthy, and sneaky. Agent 47 can change clothes with his foes when they are killed, to fit in with the enemy, and go unnoticed. Just trying to figure out different ways to go about the missions is fun.


Overall: 8/10

Don't buy this title expecting it to be the best thing ever. Rather, if you're itching for a new Xbox 360 game that will keep you busy for a while, and keep you entertained the whole time, consider it. This is not the game to get if you're just wanting to show off your shiny new 360, but one to get once that newness feeling has worn off, and you're looking for something that you can enjoy playing for extended periods. Personally, I'd be happier with it if the saves that you made during levels stayed even after turning off the power, but, sadly, they don't. This is not one of those times where graphics save the game, but where the entire thing is fun because of the gameplay. This review may sound like I'm being hard on this game, even though I enjoy it, and that may be true, but I don't like it how developers aren't trying to use the full power of the system yet. I know it would take more time and money, but in the end, I think it'd be worth it for the company's image, and the gamers' enjoyment of the product.


Jm