Hitman: Codename 47 Review

There are no dilemmas that Hitman: Codename 47 features some engaging eye-candy, but does it have anything more lasting to offer? Well that's what I'll be chatting about in the following review. The game's developers, Io Interactive have presented us with some rather tantalizing notions, mostly in the sense that you're a professional assassin and you get to use the hitman techniques. Graphics appear very well done and the rather rich textures make the surrounding area look extremely realistic. You will see some remarkable building interiors as well as huge outdoor levels with equally good sound effects. Unfortunately, we cannot let drastically important aspects go unnoticed -- the game simply doesn't posses many characteristics, which could leave a lasting impression.

Nice scenery...

The brothel veranda.

The original concept of the game is not bad. The idea was for you to play a mysterious character, whose only way of surviving is taking out targets like triad bosses and drug lords or corrupt politicians. The basic storyline gives you very little to hold on to. You see this extraordinary individual turn just another dull and cliché crusader for justice, as he marches alone against two hundred violent foes. In one particular mission the developers had such a vivid imagination that they recreated Brian De Palma's character Tony Montana (of course I'm referring to the famous movie Scarface - from 1983). And not only that, they've taken the exactly same interior of the mansion that was used in the end of the movie. This was fun to play for maybe a few seconds, and then I realized that it kinda kills all originality. To anyone who disagrees with the notion of a story being important for FPS games I say they're mistaken. Omitting the story sometimes annoys you so much, that you wish to quit playing games in general.

At the beginning of the game, you will have a simple tutorial that can help you comprehend the control system. You have to escape from a sanatorium... After you've learned a few basic moves, you may begin to examine the variety of weaponry, which you can test in the shootout area. Nothing revolutionary here of course. It is all pretty standard. You will test all sorts of professional hitman weaponry, which includes everything from the Beretta silencer to the ever-loved AK 47 Kalashnikov. The fiber wire is one of the most silent ways of getting rid of enemies. I also rather enjoyed using the so-called Blaser Jagdwaffen R93 Sniper --- I must mention that in sniper mode you have realistic motion of your aiming lense, so taking out particular targets won't be an easy task. The weapons seem in many ways authentic. When you use the mini-gun for example, your character will efficiently turn enemies into Swiss cheese. On the other hand, he will have extreme difficulty moving about because of the tremendous weight of the weapon.

Visually, the military arsenal appears to be convincing. OK, so there's no dispute over the weapon assortment and the way it was used. Another good thing is that you can't buy the sniper rifle before every mission. This makes the game more challenging and stimulating; and besides, if you hunger that much for military weaponry you can find a lot of it laying around in game.