There’s something so irresistible about this bald-headed assassin with a bar code printed on the back of his head that gamers worldwide are always hungry for more, no matter how many games the franchise pushes out. Since its inception in 2000, Hitman games have been providing an environment for gamers to experience the chaos that a hitman goes through. The most fun aspect of the Hitman game franchise is the liberty it provides the gamers to carry out their objectives. To answer “Which hitman game is the best ?”, we ranked all the hitman games from worst to best in terms of the fun they provide to the gamer.
Hitman Games ranked from least fun to most fun
8. Hitman 2016
Hitman 2016 was developed by the legendary team of IO Interactive, who is known for designing nail-biting & thrilling gameplays. However, this time the team missed the mark with this disappointingly bland game. It is the successor of the 2012 game, Hitman Absolution but doesn’t deliver even half the thrills that Absolution gave with its cinematic cutscenes & challenging gameplay.
The dark atmosphere, somber undertone, boring & unchallenging missions, the linear gameplay – everything just fails in providing some hardcore spy action entertainment that Hitman fans were expecting. Even the improved graphics compared to the previous games, couldn’t add any flavor to this game. This modern game just lacks the soul of a classic hitman game that used to constantly spike your anxiety.
7. Hitman Codename 47
Codename 47 was the first ever Hitman game, this is where it all began in the year 2000. You get to witness an intriguing story of revenge, of an entrapped orphan who trains to become a killing machine for his organization. He doesn’t even have a name, they just call him “47”. The autobiographical-styled storytelling, the nerve-wracking background music and a riveting storyline make Codename 47 an enjoyable beginning to the Hitman franchise.
However, the choppy graphics and the outdated enemy artificial intelligence doen’t stand up to 2024’s gaming standards, thus the 7th rank. If you have a low-end pc, then you must give this game a try – even in 2024, it won’t disappoint.
6. Hitman 2: Silent Assassin
Silent Assassin was the hitman franchise’s first-ever sequel, it was released in 2002. The creators went bonkers with the storytelling of this game as it looked like an action spy thriller movie during its introductory cinematic prologue. The 90s suspense thriller kind of epic background music, more exploratory options, better sneaking & access to environments, deeply cultural themes and exhilarating locations make Silent Assassin a breathtaking gaming experience.
The gameplay is more engaging than most modern shooter gaming titles. Silent Assassin establishes a friendly relationship between 47 & his handler “Diana”, which will become a crucial element for many sequels that came afterward. You get to witness a more emotional side of 47 in this title, someone who repents for his sins.
5. Hitman Absolution
Hitman Absolution was released in 2012 & marked a new era of visually stunning games in the Hitman franchise. Apart from the visually opulent world, you also experience – the power of instinct that saves you many times from being killed, better weapon-throwing action, a more nuance-driven story with zany evil characters who say the nastiest & most profane things, iconic near-death experiences while sneaking your way through the missions and a pin-drop eerie silence that elevates the game’s intensity.
Absolution delivers the most satisfying enemy eliminations in the most epic, stylish and cinematic fashion possible. However, the goofy characters & the profane jokes seem quite antithetical to the serious theme of this franchise – thus the 5th rank. Hitman Absolution is one of the most replayable games in the shooting action games genre.
4. Hitman Contracts
Contracts is the direct sequel to Hitman: Silent Assassin. This game is like a DC movie, its dark and has a melancholic & mysterious vibe to it. The walking, climbing stairs, sneaking slowly, raindrops falling and the violent snowy blizzard – the game has insane ambient sound effects that will be like a symphony for every gamer’s ears.
You’ll feel like a predator waiting in the bushes to jump on its prey & devour it – Hitman Contracts surpasses its predecessor in terms of creating the nervous energy of anticipation during missions & that too in the most scenic locations. Even the old-school graphics of Contracts get undershadowed by its atmospherically brilliant gameplay.
3. Hitman Blood Money
Apart from Hitman Contracts, the only true O.G Hitman game is Blood Money – it is synonymous with the whole Hitman franchise as it is the first Hitman game most hardcore Hitman fans ever played in their life. It would be fair to say that Hitman Blood Money is a cult classic game. Agent 47 returns in his most lethal & violent form in Blood Money.
The brilliant bilinear storytelling, an art design that makes the game look more lively and less terrifying, surprisingly pleasant graphics for the year 2006, and intensely dramatic cutscenes – Blood Money offers the whole shebang of what a perfect game is.
What makes Blood Money a class apart from the other hitman games is the innovative climax that unexpectedly converts into a massacre and ends with some poetic justice, all while the angelic “Ave Maria” plays in the background. Hitman Blood Money’s climax is every gamer’s wet dream – it’s so good that you would want to replay the entire game just so that you could relive that badass climax experience.
2. Hitman 2
From the very first frame capturing the bald-headed 47, Hitman 2 surpasses its predecessor in terms of visuals & storytelling. This game gets all the basics right – which made Blood Money & Contracts such a mammoth success among the fans of the Hitman franchise i.e. – a ton of sneaking fun, extremely satisfying eliminations like Absolution and culturally vibrant environments like the older Hitman games.
It beautifully depicts the bustling city of Mumbai, there’s so much going on the streets of Mumbai – it’s quite an overload of stunning visual elements being thrown into your sight, all at once. The frame-by-frame comic book style storytelling with Diana & 47’s iconic voices playing in the background – adds a slow-burning old-world charm to this modern gaming title.
1. Hitman 3
Hitman 3 looks more like a mission impossible movie than a video game as it has all the elements of a spy movie – a badass protagonist who doesn’t care about anything except the mission, technically advanced gadgets and a hacker connected to you through an in-ear microphone.
The game pays homage to Hitman Contracts by bringing back the iconic ambient sound effects in fast-blowing winds & snowy blizzards. The Last Train Mission is an aesthetic masterpiece, a literal treat for the eyes – you cannot be a true Hitman franchise aficionado if you don’t experience this visual marvel known as Hitman 3.
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