User Rating: 6.5 | Hitman: Contracts PC
Once again, the Hitman series has a great idea that they failed to match with gameplay elements. The entire overhaul they were trying to achieve with the film noir type of cutscenes was very interesting to me when I first took notice of the game. However, this appealing backdrop soon became much less appreciated after I began to play through the first few levels. the first thing that caught my eye was, of course, the in-game visuals. These graphics struck me as sub-par at best. There were few improvements made since Hitman 2 in this area. Another major flaw comes in the form of AI. The Ai in the game pathetic. Maybe Gods and Generals did a little worse, but as far a mainstream gaming goes this should not be allowed, and I did not play through this game on normal either. I love how guards just let you walk into the Meat King's room as long as you dont come up the stairs. I also find it interesting that you can pick up a poker from the fireplace to beat the crap out of the first guy in the russian level, and nobody notices you doing it. Its not just the fact that they cant make realizations, it's also that they are so freakin EASY! Killing them all brings no joy, because you dont even get hit while doing it. As long as theyre in a bottleneck you can kill 'em off like your stepping on ants. Overall, Hitman: Contracts is just one more story of a game that has an interesting concept without being able to deliver on gameplay. Perhaps if they focused a little more on the pathetic AI, and a little less on the pain in the arse little subtle ways to kill targets, then the balance would be restored to the gameplay. At the end of the tunnel, the gratification of killing targets is lost in the aforementioned flaws. 
