I Saw Him Kill A Man with A Coconut
Introduction
I was never quite one for the Hitman franchise. I always found agent 47’s character to be a bit bland and the gameplay to be lackluster. When Hitman 3 came out, I decided to try out the rest of the World of Assassination Trilogy before jumping onto the final game, starting with 2016’s Hitman, developed by IOI Interactive.
Plot and Setting
Hitman 2016 has our favourite bald genetically modified assassin, Agent 47, travelling the world to eliminate a secret organisation made of some of the world’s most dangerous people, one hit at a time. So, business as usual for the barcoded baldy.
The game’s narrative structure is very episodic, there are six different sandboxes them. Each of these episodes has you hunting a different target with little to no relation to the previous one. Outside a few forgettable and short cutscenes, there really is not much of an explanation that can help you understand what is going on.
Every level came out as monthly episodes as well. One had the option of paying for the episodes individually, or buying the entire package once the full game came out, and if anyone was wondering, I did the latter.
Hitman’s plot feels like it was tagged on as a bonus, almost like a massive excuse to justify having Agent 47 run amok executing his targets in a mime costume. It is hard to imagine players feeling invested in the plot after having to wait a month to continue it.
Characters and Performances
One could remark that Agent 47’s personality is a bit on the stiff side, but he is supposed to an apathetic and emotionless killer. It would be strange for this silent terminator to be cracking jokes with the same quantity as Nathan Drake from the Uncharted series.
The game only has one prominent relationship, and that is between Agent 47 and his handler, Diana Burnwood (portrayed by Jane Perry). She gives Agent 47 advice and support on his missions while providing him with information about his targets. While they seem reasonably close, as she is the person who recommended him to the agency, their relationship is purely professional.
Gameplay and Mechanics
Stealth Gameplay
Hitman is an enjoyable stealth action game with several gameplay mechanics to help Agent 47 reach his target and blow their brains out. Each of the six areas feels like giant playgrounds where you can devise overelaborate schemes to execute your targets for varying levels of proficiency.
While the game asks its players to go for a stealthier approach, it does give you the option to run in guns blazing and eliminate the target and a sizable amount of the world’s population like the baldheaded human terminator that you are. However, be prepared for a lot of resistance from guards.
Going for the stealthier option is probably the easier approach, but a longer one at that. Agent 47 can use disguises to slip passed guards and ward off unwanted attention upon himself. The man can disguise himself as practically anything to evade suspicion in the weirdest cosplay possible. I can proudly say that I once killed a mafia boss in his mansion while dressed as a plague doctor and then disposed of the body in a garden shredder. I am perfectly sane, I think?
As for disguises, there isn’t much with regards to the limit of what you can deck yourself up as, so long as you can find the appropriate suit for the job. However, some NPCs can see through your disguises, but those characters are marked with a white dot on their heads because Agent 47 has the power to see through people’s relationships by putting on their clothes for reasons.
For most of the game, you will be surrounded by crowds of people going about their business while you will be trying to exterminate your targets. Try to get some privacy before making a move, as bystanders will get suspicious if they catch you in the act. It would be best for you to take your target to a more private room for some alone time before introducing them to the barrel of your gun. If you do happen to get caught in the act, you can ditch your current outfit and swap it out with a different one, and no one will be wiser.
The more you experiment with different methods to eliminate your targets, the more the game rewards you for it with points that can grant you benefits in that particular map. The more points you earn through completing challenges, the more options you acquire to make your hunts easier. These include new weapons, disguises and gear, as well as better starting locations.
Combat
As for combat, anything that Agent 47 can pick up while on the field can be used as a weapon, from axes to fire extinguishers and coconuts. However, do be careful near unconscious bodies, as that same button can accidentally make you snap their necks, resulting in very awkward (and hilarious) situations.
Enemy intelligence is a bit on the dim side. I once hid behind a glass shower door, ready for a showdown with security, expecting the guards to barge in and gun me down on the spot, but they just ignored me. It turns out transparent glass is their weakness!
Content
Outside of the six-hour story campaign, there are other jobs and challenges that you can take Agent 47 on within the same areas. There are the Sarajevo Six bonus contracts. These are small missions centred around a six-man mercenary with the same name. They are not as tedious as the main game hit but still provide a nice little distraction nonetheless.
You can also take part in the game’s many challenge hits. You select a specific challenge, and with each successful run, the difficulty increases slightly. Let us say that one required a little bit of creativity on my part to complete.
Conclusion
The plot is forgettable and feels like a massive excuse to make Agent 47 go on a murder globetrotting grand tour while wearing strange and amusing costumes.
Hitman lets players study their targets and plan accordingly on how they are going to strike. While killing the target completes the objective, there is no one way to do it. That is something that games like Assassin’s Creed lack with their open worlds: the feeling of true freedom. Hitman is a game and can change pacing within its sandboxes well to accommodate different playstyles.
Hitman is at its best when you are stalking your prey using the multiple options provided, and leading your poor victims into a well-planned trap makes one feel like a mastermind.
