Hitman: Codename 47 first brought gamers’ attention to the bald, emotionless, and absolutely accurate Mr 47 in the Stone Age, aka 2000, when most of us were goofing around in college and other dinosaurs still roamed around. the earth. The beginnings of the Hitman series are humble, to be sure, but the stealth gameplay and open mission completion have made it a treasure trove in the gaming world.
From the very beginning, when the mysterious Mr 47 is being freely educated in the art of death by a disembodied voice in the game’s tutorial section, players will know that they have come across something special. 47 is not Rambo, nor is it any other semi-immortal bullet absorbing machine. 47 is a professional, in the true sense of the word.
He (and by extension, the player) should delight in the perfection of a shot well done. A long-distance shot from a windswept rooftop and a silent fading into the crowd is his masterpiece; a silent death in the foreground in a deserted bathroom surrounded by guards is his symphony. He is never seen, never commented on, and never remembered. His only cover letter is the complete and utter lack of evidence surrounding his coup.
At least, that’s one approach. Players can happily barge in, fire weapons, and slash anything that breathes if they wish, and in some cases this becomes necessary. But 47 isn’t really his front gunman; prefers a more subtle artistic approach to his work. Players will be called upon to eliminate the major figures of the underworld across the planet, from the initial levels in Hong Kong to Budapest and beyond. Each assignment comes from the Agency and 47’s controller, Diana.
Weapons for each mission are selected before entering the play area. This is paid with 47, using funds from previous visits. The correct selection for a given mission is essential, and while weapons can be picked up in the field, proper application of the tools at hand will often lead to the end. Available weaponry is modified based on mission parameters and can range from silenced pistols to car bombs.
There are no savings when on a mission, a mechanic that has caused some complaints but forces players to be as precise as possible with their planning. Disguises play a huge role in completing objectives and any NPC can be killed and their gear can be stolen by the bald wonder. Proper removal of bodies is essential, as a naked body found by a patrol guard instantly compromises 47’s disguise.
Game Al isn’t as smart as it could have been, and again it can sometimes be too sharp for the gamer’s sake. Entering the wrong area will result in a violent death as the guards see through your disguise. Other times, killing a guard and dropping the weapon results in puzzled looks as other NPCs try to figure out what happened, regardless of the smoking gun at your feet. Game control and camera are sometimes a problem.
Sometimes the position of the player will mean that the target is hidden by a nice close-up of the barcode at pip 47. Finding a decent sniper spot will also require a bit of fidgeting at times, as the edges of the wall get in the way by accident. The control relies heavily on context-sensitive commands. These are activated by pressing a button or the right mouse button, after which players can select an option if it exists. First drag the corpse of the rag doll and hide it or steal his clothes and then hide the murder. This process may seem a bit laborious and has been refined for subsequent Hitman titles.
With Direct X and Open GL options for graphics rendering, Codename 47 still manages to look playable in this near-photorealistic day in games. A fantastic amount of detail accumulates in the arenas where players will practice their deadly art, and after just a few minutes, the great old days of silent deaths return to the player.
