Baldmen are always dangerous
And in games like Hitman: Blood Money, where the gameplay and ultimate success relies almost entirely on stealth, the player must be patient, observant, and surprisingly, cerebral. Although it doesn?t fall into the puzzle genre, stealth games place a heavy emphasis on problem solving, which may or may not appeal to certain gamers. Those familiar with the Hitman series is likely salivating at the thought of another installment, though, so let?s get started...Agent 47 is back, and more functional than ever.
The graphics in the PS2 version are certainly inferior to both the PC and Xbox 360 versions, but considering the capabilities of Sony?s now-outdated console, the visuals are pretty solid. There?s a great deal of detail amidst the somewhat annoying "jagginess," as you?ll traverse several very pretty environments ranging from a lavish opera house to the sticky Deep South. Coloring, shading, artistic design; it?s all quite well done, despite the lack of anything that we can officially label ?spectacular.? Nothing really leaps off the screen, but it all comes together in graphical presentation that is more than acceptable.
Furthermore, due to the style of the game, it?s intensely trial-and-error focused. Most stealth games operate this way, but it?s even more evident in Blood Money because you?re free to try anything you wish, in any place you wish. Some things are just a waste of time and entirely unworkable, and if you?re trying for a good rating, you?re going to be doing a lot of reloading and restarting. And because this process takes longer than most games, it can get a tad frustrating. Lastly, while character control is more streamlined than ever, some of Agent 47?s actions are still questionably programmed (it shouldn?t take quite that long to figure out how to throw a coin).
But at the same time, that freedom gives the game its very original feel, and ramps up the replay value as well. There are only a dozen missions, but the length of time it takes to complete them (factoring in the assumed high level of trial-and-error) could be between 15 and 20 hours. There?s a great deal of enhancement in terms of the interface, there are widely diverse environments, the maps are well constructed and very helpful, the challenge is appropriately high, and you always feel exactly like an elite assassin fulfilling a contract. That, of course, is the best part.
It may have its failings, because it certainly doesn?t have the amazing story of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater or the deep military realism of Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory. It?s not as polished the SC or MGS games, either, but in spite of all these facts, Hitman: Blood Money carves out a nice little niche for itself in the genre. Bottom line? It?s well worth playing for stealth aficionados, and the PS2 version might be the lesser version, but it?s still quite acceptable.