The Hitman series is one of the most innovative stealth games of all time. The dynamic and open worlds are far more interactive and layered than most other games in the genre. The developers at IO Interactive created a series that set the bar for spy and espionage games. It implemented disguises, non-lethal attacks, and gave each level and mission a life of its own with almost unrivaled world-building techniques and replayability.
However, the series has a long storied history of ups and downs since the first game in the series Hitman: Codename 47 launched in 2000. It has seen several publishers and very nearly came to an abrupt end before the studio became independent and purchased all the rights to the Hitman franchise. Since then the series has gone from strength to strength, with Hitman 3 exceeding sales expectations and earning a lot of critical praise.
10 One Of The First Games To Use Ragdoll Physics
The Hitman series has become synonymous with its dynamic and procedural worlds that react and change around the decisions and actions that Agent 47 makes. Each map in the new series has some of the most brilliantly designed levels ever seen in a game.
Yet, even as far back as its first title Hitman: Codename 47, the series was breaking new ground as one of the first games to use realistic physics. The game used ragdoll physics, realistic cloth, and even 47’s tie looked great.
9 Most Gamers Started With The Sequel
Even though the first game in the series broke new ground in its use of physics and the graphics engine, most players actually started the series with its sequel Hitman 2: Silent Assassin. This is because the first game was PC only and never made it to consoles.
In fairness, Silent Assassin still served as a great starting point for the series. It helped introduce many of the key features that fans have to come to enjoy while breaking ground for level design and interactivity.
8 Contracts Is A Retelling Of The First Game
Hitman: Contracts is the direct sequel to Hitman 2: Silent Assassin but its narrative sets the game up to tell the story in the past tense. As a result, this turned out to be the perfect opportunity for the developers to retell the story of the original game Hitman: Codename 47.
In terms of its tone, Contracts was a much darker but also a far more accessible entry than Silent Assassin. It also does a great job of tying into some of the events of its successor, Hitman: Blood Money.
7 It Crossed Over With Kane & Lynch
In addition to the Hitman series, IO Interactive created another crime series called Kane & Lynch. They were more linear action-based games that were fun in their own way but didn’t quite live up to the Hitman games.
Nevertheless, both Kane and Lynch make an appearance in Hitman: Blood Money and Hitman: Absolution which suggests – at least at the time – that the games exist in the same universe. The most interesting interaction between 47 and Kane and Lynch is the bar fight that takes place in Absolution.
6 The Seasonal Episode Approach Proved Costly
After Hitman: Absolution underperformed in terms of sales, the rebooted series needed a new approach to keep the series alive. The new World of Assassination Hitman series launched in 2016 and took the unusual approach of releasing each level in the first game as episodic content.
Unfortunately, this approach proved very costly for the studio and the disappointing sales of the physical copies led to Square Enix dropping the franchise. Fortunately, Square Enix worked with IO Interactive to make sure the latter didn’t lose the franchise and that it could continue on as an independent studio.
5 The Novels Were Retconned
Since the series relaunched with the World of Assassination, some elements of the story were retconned. As a result, the stories in the two Hitman novels by Raymond Benson and William C. Dietz, known as Damnation and Enemy Within respectively, have been a point of confusion for fans.
However, the stories are no longer considered canon. According to the comics outlining 47’s origins, the events that occurred in those books are now looked upon as false memories implanted and forced upon Agent 47 after he tried to escape the facility he was created in.
4 Traci Lords Voiced Four Characters In The Series
Actress Traci Lords has appeared in films such as Blade, the Zack and Miri movie, and the comedy detective series Swedish Dicks. She’s also worked as a voice actress in several video games, including providing additional voices to Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII.
Lords has also voiced four different characters in the Hitman series, with her first being Layla Stockton in Hitman: Absolution. Lords returned to the series for 2016’s Hitman, voicing Dino’s Agent, Dexy Barat, and Maya Parvati.
3 There Are Three Voice Actors For Diana Burnwood
Diana Burnwood’s guiding voice is almost as iconic as Agent 47 himself. She watches 47 via satellite and provides intel on missions as well as the backstory on certain characters. Her cold personality, dry wit, and often sarcastic overtones convey a woman that seems to have a dark past of her own.
However, as recognizable as Diana is, it may be a surprise to some that there have been three different voice actors that have portrayed this role throughout the series. From the first game up to Hitman: Blood Money, Diana was voiced by Vivienne McKee. In Absolution, the role was handled by Marsha Thomason, while in the World of Assassination series, Diana is currently played by Jane Perry.
2 The Non-Lethal Approach Wasn’t Introduced Until The Second Game
One of the major themes of the series has always been getting Agent 47 to achieve the Silent Assassin rank in missions. This usually means that all NPCs other than his assigned targets are off-limits when it comes to kills.
However, it wasn’t until the second game, Hitman 2: Silent Assassin, that non-lethal weapons and takedowns were introduced. It’s just another example of why Hitman: Codename 47 felt more like a practice run compared to the sequel.
1 The Creative Kill System
The Hitman games are loved by the fans for the almost completely dynamic and procedural ways that 47 can take down his targets. While it may seem like this has been the case since Hitman 2: Silent Assassin, the “Creative Kill System” wasn’t actually introduced until Hitman: Contracts.
The Creative Kill System is what gives players the freedom to take down their targets in a number of ways. This includes using the environment, creating events that appear to look like accidents, and many other approaches to taking down the target.
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