Hitman (video game series)

Hitman
Genres	Action-adventure, stealth
Developers	IO Interactive
Publishers	Eidos Interactive (2000–2009) Square Enix (2009–present)
Writers	Morten Iversen (2000-2002, 2006) Greg Nagan (2004-2012) Tore Blystad (2012) Michael Vogt (2012-)
Composers	Jesper Kyd (2000–2006) Peter Kyed (2012) Peter Peter (2012) Niels Bye Nielsen (2016)
Platforms	Microsoft Windows, OS X, Xbox, PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, iOS, Android, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows Phone
Platform of origin	Microsoft Windows
First release	Hitman: Codename 47 November 19, 2000
Latest release	Hitman March 11, 2016

Hitman is a stealth video game series developed by the Danish company IO Interactive. Previously published by Eidos Interactive, and currently published by Square Enix, the series is available on Microsoft Windows as well as several video game consoles, including the Xbox, PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The game series has since expanded into a novel, Hitman: Enemy Within written by William C. Dietz, followed by Hitman: Damnation which is an official prequel to the installment, Absolution, and a Hitman film adaptation in 2007, which is loosely based on the storyline of the games. The film was negatively received, but became a financial success. Another film, Hitman: Agent 47 was released in 2015, to negative reviews.

The story revolves around Agent 47 (usually simply referred to as "47" or "Mr. 47"), a cloned assassin-for-hire, whose flawless record places him in high demand among the wealthy and elite. The first original scriptwriter was Morten Iversen, who wrote the scripts for Hitman: Codename 47 and Hitman 2: Silent Assassin. He also contributed to Hitman: Contracts and Hitman: Blood Money. The games feature a mix of orchestral and electronica musical scores, composed by Jesper Kyd. A fifth installment of the series, Hitman: Absolution, was released on November 20, 2012. With it, a spin-off has been released for PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 called Hitman Sniper Challenge. For mobile and tablet, a spin-off game developed by Square Enix Montréal was released and it is a turn-based strategy game, called Hitman Go. There is another game released for mobile called Hitman: Sniper which has first person sniping gameplay.^[1] The sixth game, titled Hitman, is slated to be released episodically, the first of which released in March of 2016.^[2]

Story overview

The first game starts when 47 escapes from a sanitarium where he has seemingly been imprisoned, being guided by a mysterious overseer. After a year, he is shown to be working for the covert International Contract Agency, or ICA, under his handler Diana Burnwood. He is sent on a mission to eliminate four crime bosses across the world, before being hired to kill a fifth target, Doctor Kovacs, at the sanitarium where 47 was imprisoned. As events transpire, 47 finds out that all his targets were part of an advanced cloning experiment, with him as the result; the perfect assassin. Professor Ort-Meyer, himself the scientific head of the experiments, is revealed to be the client who ordered the hits and, to protect himself, sends a squad of docile, highly trained '48' clones against 47. With help from a fellow agent, 47 defeats the clones and kills Ort-Meyer. In the aftermath of this revelation, 47 tries to leave his assassin past behind (in Hitman 2: Silent Assassin), seeking peace in a Sicilian monastery, but is forced to become an assassin once more when his mentor and friend, Father Vittorio, is kidnapped. Getting back in contact with the ICA, he arranges with Diana that he will work for them if they help trace Father Vittorio. Eventually, it is revealed that Father Vittorio's kidnapping was orchestrated by Sergei Zavorotko, the brother of one of the men whose DNA helped create 47, to bring 47 out of retirement and kill everyone who was in on a deal by Zavorotko to purchase a nuclear warhead. 47 successfully infiltrates Father Vittorio's monastery, killing Zavorotko and all his men. Though Father Vittorio begs 47 to lead a good life, the assassin decides to return to the ICA full-time.

A few years later, by the time of Hitman: Blood Money, 47's reputation has spread far and wide, with a large list of clients requesting his services. During the course of the game, it becomes clear that the ICA is under attack from a rival agency called the 'Franchise', who are also planting incriminating evidence against 47 through one of their agents, Alexander Leland Cayne. Eventually, the agency is depleted to the point that Diana and 47 are the only ones left. 47 himself is nearly killed in Paris, prompting flashbacks over previous missions. Eventually, 47 kills one of the two top 'Franchise' assassins and is given a final contract by Diana, who has dissolved the ICA, to take down the 'Franchise'. Soon, an old acquaintance of 47, former CIA agent 'Smith', reveals that the 'Franchise', currently planning to assassinate the US president, is merely a puppet organization for Alpha Xerox, a shadowy political organization who wish to monopolize the cloning techniques that gave birth to 47: they wish to kill the President before he can put a halt to their plans. 47 prevents the assassination, but must go into hiding from the 'Franchise' and the police. At his hideout, he is seemingly betrayed and poisoned by Diana, with the 'Franchise' preparing to cremate the assassin so his DNA cannot be used for further cloning experiments. 47's 'death' is later revealed to be a tactic which would bring 47 within killing range of everyone at the funeral, including 'Franchise' agent Cayne. 47, his identity now a secret, then goes into hiding and Diana uses the remains of the 'Franchise' to revive the ICA.

Years later, in Hitman: Absolution, Diana seemingly betrays the ICA, exposing it to the public. When the Agency learns of her betrayal, they send operatives to eliminate her. During a mission, Diana is forced to suddenly abandon 47 when she sees that the Agency operatives are coming for her. Due to her sudden disconnection from him, 47 is nearly killed during the mission and decides to cut contact with the ICA. The Agency is eventually able to locate 47 once again. Benjamin Travis, who is Diana's superior within the Agency, contracts him to kill Diana and bring a girl she has in her care, Victoria, to the Agency. 47 infiltrates Diana's base and shoots her, but promises to keep Victoria safe from the ICA. It is revealed that Victoria is a clone, like 47, created in secret by Travis, whom the ICA would train to be an assassin. Diana did what she did to protect the girl from becoming like 47. The assassin soon comes into conflict with Blake Dexter, the head of Dexter Industries and a top figure in the criminal underworld, who wishes to sell Victoria to the highest bidder. 47 finds himself fighting to keep Victoria safe as she is hunted by Dexter's forces and the ICA. 47 eventually kills Dexter and his conspirators along with Travis and his lieutenants, saving Victoria. At the end, it is revealed that 47 spared Diana and it is implied that she and 47 are once more working for the ICA.

Gameplay

The core objective in each level is to kill assigned targets (usually multiple and sometimes additional targets as an optional bonus). In most cases, Hitman allows the player different options to accomplish this task. Players can perform precise assassinations or slaughter indiscriminately in order to achieve the mission goals; however, the games reward a subtle approach by awarding special weapons or cash bonuses if players earn a favourable rank (usually achievable by eliminating only the assigned target, and without raising the alarm doing so). 47 can also wear a variety of disguises (such as repairmen, police officers and waiters) to fool enemies and gain access to restricted areas. The focus of Hitman is not hiding in the shadows from the enemy, but rather blending in amongst them. It is up to the player to initiate violence, since guards do not usually open fire unless provoked.

In every game, the player character, 'Agent 47', has limited maneuverability; he cannot jump, scale walls, or mantle up ledges (there are a few pre-scripted places where he can jump from one balcony to another, but these are very rare). This generally limits the player to a single plane of movement, although he is often presented the opportunity to move to higher or lower areas through the use of ladders, stairs, elevators, or hills.

47 is given the ability to hop over minor obstructions in Blood Money, and can also climb certain edifices (such as fencing, vines, loose bricks, crates etc.). There is also the option of climbing onto the top of elevators through the hatch, allowing the player to strangle a victim from above.

A major feature in the game is the 'tension' meter, detailing how much attention the player is receiving from the public or guards and is dependent on many things. For example, walking around in a guard's uniform with the correct corresponding gun won't gather much notice, whereas running around in a waiter's uniform in a restricted area while carrying a visible weapon instead of an appetizer tray will result in an unwanted confrontation with the guards.

In most cases, 47 is required to hide any dead bodies, to prevent alarms. As introduced in Hitman Blood Money, 47 can hide a body in a place such as a garbage dump/rubbish bin. Many targets can be assassinated without firing a single shot; this style of gameplay became more prevalent in Blood Money, where the focus was to make some of 47's hits look like accidents. Accidents can be caused remotely with RU-AP mines acting on some (usually heavy and suspended) object, directly by pushing someone over a railing, and by other, more elaborate methods such as:

• Replacing a World War I replica gun to be used in the opera Tosca with a real World War I era pistol.
• Crushing a man's neck using weights during his morning workout.
• Rigging a grill to set a victim on fire.

The second game of the series, Silent Assassin, enforced the concept of kills without firing more than a single shot. As per the number of shots fired and stealth used, ratings were given after every mission. The best of these ratings was Silent Assassin, indicating no more than one shot per target (and a guard) with no alerts raised.

Methods of assassination

The Hitman series permits the player to kill targets (or non-targets) in a variety of ways, using firearms, melee weapons, or even conventional objects that 47 picks up (such as shovels, fireplace pokers, pool cues, etc.). In Hitman: 'Contracts', melee weapons such as knives can be used to kill in more than one method, including forward stabs, horizontal throat slitting, frontal slashes, repeated stabs under the ribcage, or thrusting the blade into the carotid artery.

47 also has a garrote, or 'fiber wire'. The fiber wire is specially made for strangulation, with reinforced handles. He carries it with him on every mission, even those in which he is stripped of all other weaponry. It is also one of the few weapons which can bypass metal detectors.

To achieve the ideal 'Silent Assassin' rank, it is required that 47 only kill his assigned targets, and few or no one other targets. The sedative syringes, or chloroform in 'Hitman 2: Silent Assassin' (which only has a temporary, dose-dependent effect, unlike syringes), exist for this purpose, so that 47 may incapacitate an innocent person to take items or clothing from their body without harming them, so it does not count against the player in the final ranking. In Blood Money, the ability to add sedatives to food and drink was added, to avoid direct confrontation. Blood Money also introduced the option to hold any NPC hostage using smaller arms and use them as a human shield, and allows the player to knock the hostage unconscious with the gun, saving the player sedatives for food items or any impeding characters that are seated in chairs. In some missions, if a murder can be made to look like accidental death (using the accident system introduced in Blood Money), some kills will not be counted as hits, but as accidents. Any civilians or armed personnel who witness a kill will count as witnesses, and will harm the player's rank if they remain alive or alert nearby guards. If however, someone (target or civilian) dies because of an accident, it will not matter if there are witnesses. 47 has the option of killing witnesses before they reach a guard, but the unnecessary murder will still count against his rank, unless he kills them with an accident. Witnesses also include anybody who sees 47 changing disguises or holding a weapon. In the games prior to Blood Money, the only consequence of having witnesses to a crime is that they will seek out police/guards and trigger an alert.

There are mission-specific options for killing a target in certain levels. Notable examples include locking a target in a sauna to stimulate a heart condition and cause cardiac arrest, poisoning a target's meal (this becomes more widespread in Blood Money), disguising 47 as a doctor and sabotaging a surgical operation, replacing a prop Mauser C96 handgun with a real one at an opera rehearsal, causing an actor to unwittingly kill the target, and causing stage pyrotechnics to explode and set the target on fire.

In most cases, it is required that 47 also hide the body of killed or unconscious victims, in order to avoid any unwanted alarm or if this is the desired effect 47 can leave the victims body in a wide open space for all to see.

Hitman insignia

The logo for Hitman and 47's insignia

The Hitman insignia appears in Hitman: Codename 47 on the gates of Prof. Dr. Otto Wolfgang Ort-Meyer's asylum, throughout his laboratory and is formed by Prof. Dr. Otto Wolfgang Ort-Meyer's pool of blood when 47 kills him at the end of the game. It also appears in 'Hitman: Contracts' on the floor of the cloning lab, this time as though it is the actual floor design, as well as on Ort-Meyer's belt buckle. In Blood Money, it appears on books throughout the levels as an easter egg.

The symbol is engraved on the handles of his custom AMT Hardballer pistols. (They are referred to as 'Silverballers' in Hitman: Contracts, Hitman: Blood Money and Hitman: Absolution.) After Hitman: Contracts, the symbol is on the slides as well. It is also found on 47's equipment such as his laptop, briefcase and cell phone. In the film, 47 wears a pair of silver cufflinks with his insignia enameled in red.

The "Hitman" insignia is a stylized fleur de lis. The fleur de lis is itself a stylized lily flower. This has been confirmed by IO Interactive on their official Twitter page.

International Contracts Agency

The logo of the Agency, bearing a close resemblance to the former logo of MI5

The International Contracts Agency (ICA), also known simply as "The Agency", is Agent 47's employer. It is a worldwide, well-funded clandestine operation organization, with underlying connections to the foreign legion, providing assassination and mercenary services; Credited assassinations have taken place in the Americas, the Pacific Rim, and Eurasia. The Agency enjoys the cooperation of affiliates such as the FBI, CIA, MI6, NSA and even elements within the U.N. Although politically neutral and ethically amoral, the Agency avoids accepting hits ordered by enemies of its allies in government bureaus. In addition, most of 47's assigned assassination targets are criminals.

The Agency's motto, the Latin, "Merces Letifer" means literally, "lethal trade." It is also interesting to note that the Agency's logo itself is based on the original MI5 emblem replacing, along with the images themselves, the characters in the three corners, originally M, I, and 5, from left to right with IOI, for IO Interactive.

The Agency uses "controllers" like Diana Burnwood as go-betweens with its agents. They provide freelance operatives like 47 with electronic correspondence and mission briefings. Contractors also sell intelligence briefings on the subjects of missions to their agents for the fee of USD 1,500 per file. In Hitman 2: Silent Assassin, 47's registration number in the Agency is BRO3886. To date, the Agency encountered and overcame a similar organization, known as The Franchise. The Agency managed to survive, though only 47 and Diana were left.

Characters

• Agent 47: A genetically-engineered assassin created from the recombinant DNA of five of the world's most dangerous criminals. The fact that the DNA came from multiple ethnicities allows 47 to blend in to a certain degree in most places in the world, or at least not look immediately suspicious and out-of-place. His name comes from the last two digits of a bar code on the back of his head – 640509-040147. According to Jacob Andersen, lead designer of Hitman 2: Silent Assassin, Agent 47 went from being "a mean old hairy guy" to having "hi-tech glasses" before getting to his current design.^[3] More inspiration came from "comic books, Hong Kong movies," and other similar media.^[4] According to Game Director Rasmus Højengaard (Hoejengaard), the idea of a clone whose future is decided by the people that created him, intrigued the Hitman team.^[4] Højengaard felt the idea of creating the "ultimate assassin" by cloning "evolved with the character before the first Hitman game was done".^[4] Veteran actor David Bateson has voiced 47 in every Hitman game to date.
• Diana Burnwood: 47's handler at the Agency. Diana briefs 47 on his assignments, oversees his progress, and serves as his guide over the radio. For the vast majority of the series, 47 never sees Diana, recognising her only by voice, however, they do come face-to-face at the conclusion of Hitman: Blood Money and Hitman: Contracts. Although Diana usually handles 47's affairs from afar, she turns out to be a major character in Hitman: Blood Money; serving as a double agent, faking 47's death, saving the Agency from liquidation, and dodging death herself a few times.^[5] In the end, her efforts pay off when the Agency is brought back online, although it is left unmentioned if Diana has been promoted to a higher position.^[6] Diana is voiced by Vivienne McKee. In Hitman: Absolution, she is shot by 47 in her home after betraying the agency. Although presumed dead, it is later revealed that 47 had only non-lethally wounded Diana, allowing her to fake her own death. Her current activities are unknown, but post-game events suggest that she is once again working as 47's handler. She also presumably continues to care for Victoria, a young girl that she and 47 rescued both from the ICA and other captors. In the Hitman film, Diana's only form of contact with 47 is through a synthesized voice via laptop. However, she does directly call 47 by phone in order to warn him that the Organization has targeted him.
• Agent Smith: A fairly inept American CIA agent with ties to the Agency. He has a tendency to be captured and tortured by the people he has been assigned to spy on. As a result, the Agency has sent 47 to rescue him on a number of occasions. His torture experiences have caused him to take up drinking on the job, making him even more ineffective. Like 47, Agent Smith dons a variety of disguises, but most often he's seen beaten and stripped down to his American Flag boxer shorts. He seems to regard 47 as a friend, no doubt because 47 has rescued him so many times. The feeling is not mutual. 47 initially treats his relationship with Agent Smith as detached and professional, but as he is forced to rescue Smith again and again, he increasingly sees Smith as a hindrance. In Hitman Blood Money, 47 puts a gun to Smith's head and threatens to kill him, but in the end didn't as Smith provides him a job which will then lead to the White House assassination. Smith's appearance changes somewhat in Hitman: Blood Money, having lost most of his hair through long term alcoholism and depression. In the Hitman film, Smith is instead portrayed as a very competent and dutiful CIA agent. In return for assassinating a high priority CIA target (Udre Belicoff, the brother of 47's original target), Smith helps 47 elude arrest by Interpol.
• Mei-Ling: A young woman from the Chinese mainland, abducted and recruited into the brothel of Hong Kong crime lord Lee Hong. 47 rescues her in exchange for information about her employer in preparation for assassinating him.^[7] After escaping from Lee Hong, Mei-Ling is later revealed to be prostituting herself to Hayamoto, another Asian crime lord. 47 ends up rescuing her again (much to his consternation).^[8] Mei-Ling is apparently the first woman who has ever kissed 47; his reaction is different in the original game from the remake. In the original Hitman: Codename 47, 47 reacts with significant revulsion. In the remake Hitman: Contracts, his reaction is one of detached bemusement. She was known as Lei Ling in the original game.
• Dr. Otto Wolfgang Ort-Meyer: 47's creator and the ultimate villain of Hitman: Codename 47. A brilliant but dangerous individual. Ostracized by the scientific community for his radical theories on genetic manipulation, Ort-Meyer ran a sophisticated lab hidden beneath a Romanian asylum. There he labored on DNA splicing in an effort to create a flawless human being. He took a great part in raising and indoctrinating 47 at the asylum, where 47 was kept a prisoner until he matured. Ort-Meyer eventually engineered 47's "escape" from the asylum in order to test his performance in the real world. The consummate megalomaniac, Ort-Meyer contracted with the Agency to have 47 kill the other 4 men behind the Hitman Project (47's "fathers"), so that Ort-Meyer could enjoy the fruits of his labor by himself. Ort-Meyer then attempted to lure 47 to his death, having perfected "No. 48", an improved, mindlessly loyal clone. However, Ort-Meyer underestimated how far 47 had advanced. In the final showdown, 47 slaughtered 48 and the clones, then killed Ort-Meyer himself by snapping his neck.

Games

Aggregate review scores
As of 1 July 2015.

Game	GameRankings	Metacritic
Hitman: Codename 47	(PC) 73.65%[9]	(PC) 73[10]
Hitman 2: Silent Assassin	(PS2) 85.02%[11] (PC) 84.88%[12] (Xbox) 84.63%[13] (GC) 83.47%[14]	(PC) 87[15] (PS2) 85[16] (Xbox) 84[17] (GC) 83[18]
Hitman: Contracts	(PS2) 79.92%[19] (Xbox) 77.57%[20] (PC) 75.14%[21]	(PS2) 80[22] (Xbox) 78[23] (PC) 74[24]
Hitman: Blood Money	(X360) 82.98%[25] (PS2) 82.51%[26] (PC) 82.38%[27] (Xbox) 81.76%[28]	(PS2) 83[29] (X360) 82[30] (PC) 82[31] (Xbox) 81[32]
Hitman: Sniper Challenge	(X360) 83.75%[33] (PS3) 70.00%[34]	(X360) 80[35]
Hitman: Absolution	(PS3) 84.83%[36] (X360) 79.29%[37] (PC) 76.13%[38]	(PS3) 83[39] (X360) 79[40] (PC) 79[41]
Hitman Go	(iOS) 81.37%[42]	(iOS) 81[43]
Hitman: Sniper	–	(iOS) 76[44]
Hitman	(PC) –[45] (PS4) –[46] (XONE) –[47]	(PC) –[48] (PS4) –[49] (XONE) –[50]

As of 2012, five games had been released, all of them developed by IO Interactive. As of March 2013, the games had sold a combined 8 million units.^[51] It is an action-adventure stealth-based video game series, although it is possible to switch between third-person and first-person perspective except in the first, which offers an optional camera angle comparable to one used in fixed-camera adventure games, and the fifth, which exclusively employs a traditional, over-the-shoulder camera angle identical to video games such as Resident Evil 4.

Hitman: Codename 47 (2000)

The first installation of the Hitman series revolves around the test subject known as 47 escaping the asylum where he had been experimented on all his life and being employed by the Agency. 47 meets his handler, Diana Burnwood, who assigns him to kill four criminal masterminds and then a doctor who is revealed to be the one who treated 47 at the asylum. 47 learns that he is a clone who has been trained since birth to become an assassin. The four criminal masterminds that 47 killed were part of the cloning experiment and their deaths were ordered by Professor Wolfgang Ort-Meyer, the one behind the entire cloning process. Ort-Meyer planned 47's escape, so he could have 47 kill the other four associates and use 47 for his own purposes. 47, with the help of a CIA agent named Smith, returns to the asylum and plans to kill his creator. Ort-Meyer, having prepared for 47's return, sends his group of clones to kill 47. The clones fail their duties and 47 confronts Ort-Meyer. 47 shoots Ort-Meyer, then snaps his neck, killing him.

Hitman 2: Silent Assassin (2002)

After murdering Dr. Ort-Meyer, Agent 47 has faked his death and unofficially resigned from the ICA, leaving behind his life as an assassin, and retreated to a church in Sicily to seek peace. He works as a gardener for Father Vittorio, his best friend and mentor. 47 attends a confession to admit his sins, but Vittorio understands and believes 47 is decent at heart.

One day, while 47 is working in a garden, Father Vittorio is kidnapped and a ransom note is left for 47. 47 decides to go back to his old job as an assassin to track down Father Vittorio. He contacts his agency, who thought he was dead, and makes a deal with his handler, Diana Burnwood. He states that he will return to his post as an ICA assassin if the agency can help him locate Father Vittorio. They accept the deal.

Diana informs 47 that Father Vittorio was kidnapped by a Sicilian Mafia boss named Giuseppe Giuliano. The man is holding the priest in a cell under his mansion, dubbed Villa Borghese. 47 infiltrates and kills Giuliano, but fails to find Vittorio. 47 is later told by Diana, that a satellite image shows Father Vittorio being taken away by 'Russian-looking types in uniform'.

47 works with the Agency to repay their attempt to find Vittorio, and eventually save him. As 47 realizes that he can't find inner peace, 47 leaves the church and narrates that he can never retire in safety and must return to his life as an assassin.

Hitman: Contracts (2004)

The game begins with a cutscene showing a wounded Agent 47 wandering through a dark hotel corridor and entering his room. He collapses and begins to have flashbacks regarding previous assassinations he committed, beginning with the aftermath of killing Dr. Ort-Meyer at the end of the first Hitman game. The missions are primarily focused on replays of previous missions in the original game, except played in reverse. The graphics, maps and artificial intelligence have been customized and improved. In the game, 47 visits several locations, including Romania, Kamchatka, the United Kingdom, Rotterdam, Budapest, Hong Kong, and finally Paris.

Hitman: Blood Money (2006)

In Hitman: Blood Money, each mission is framed around the killing of one or more individuals, which the main protagonist, Agent 47 must accomplish. Standing between him and success are armed guards, security checkpoints, possible witnesses and other obstacles. The player guides 47 through the game's levels with the help of a satellite map which can be accessed at any time. The map indicates the layout of each topographical area of the level, the whereabouts of 47 's main targets, and other AI-controlled characters. In order to carry out his mission, 47 may use any method at his disposal to eliminate his targets, regardless of witnesses or violence done to bystanders. Beyond rewarding stealth over bloodshed as is traditional in the series, Blood Money includes features that directly penalize the player for making too much noise and/or being too violent; either toward their targets, bystanders, or both.

Hitman: Sniper Challenge (2012)

Hitman: Sniper Challenge is a spin-off of Hitman: Absolution. It was released by Square Enix on May 15, 2012 for PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, thus preceding the main game the same year.

Hitman: Absolution (2012)

Hitman: Absolution was announced by Square Enix and it was released on November 20, 2012 worldwide for Microsoft Windows, OS X, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.^[52][53][54] The fifth installation in the series offers a few different angles from which to observe your surroundings.

Hitman Go (2014)

Hitman Go is a turn based puzzle video game developed by Square Enix Montréal.^[55] The game was released for iOS on April 17, 2014, and for Android on June 4, 2014.^[56] The Microsoft Windows and the Windows Phones version of the game was released on April 27, 2015.^[57]

Hitman: Sniper (2015)

Hitman: Sniper is a first-person shooter developed by Square Enix Montréal. It was released for iOS and Android on June 4, 2015.^[58]

Hitman (2016)

A new Hitman game was originally to be developed by Square Enix developer Square Enix Montreal, a newly established studio.^[59] However, due to cutbacks and layoffs at IO Interactive, a Square Enix representative said that IO Interactive will only focus on the Hitman franchise in the future.^[60][61][62]

Square Enix Montreal, which was originally working on the next Hitman title, will now reportedly focus on developing smartphone and tablet versions of Hitman and other games.^[63][64][65] On 15 June 2015, a full reveal of the game took place at Sony's E3 2015 press conference. Simply titled Hitman, the game was released in March 2016 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.^[66]

Hitman Trilogy

Microsoft Windows and PlayStation 2

A Hitman compilation was released for the Microsoft Windows and PlayStation 2 containing the three games of the series; Hitman 2: Silent Assassin, Hitman: Contracts, and Hitman: Blood Money. The compilation is called Hitman Trilogy^[67] (Hitman: The Triple Hit Pack or Hitman Triple Pack in Europe) and was released on June 22, 2007 in Europe,^[67][68] and on June 30, 2007 in North America.

Hitman: Codename 47 is the first game of the series and follows a slightly different game mechanic from its sequels. It has been omitted most likely due to the fact that it was only released for Microsoft Windows, as the trilogy pack was released for the PlayStation 2 as well. Furthermore, Hitman: Contracts includes most levels remade from Hitman: Codename 47. Two years later, another Hitman compilation was released exclusively for Microsoft Windows called Hitman: Ultimate Contract which is the UK version, the Europe version is called Hitman Collection, which now contains all four games of the series; Hitman: Codename 47, Hitman 2: Silent Assassin, Hitman: Contracts, and Hitman: Blood Money. It was released on July 17, 2009, but it was only available in the European region.^[69]

PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360

Another Hitman compilation was released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 containing the same three games of the series; Hitman 2: Silent Assassin, Hitman: Contracts, and Hitman: Blood Money. This compilation is called Hitman HD Trilogy and was released on January 29, 2013 in North America,^[70] January 31, 2013 in Australia and February 1, 2013 in Europe. The purpose for this new release of the three latest Hitman games is to introduce new players to the series as well as giving old players one Hitman package and for the first time Hitman: Blood Money on PlayStation 3.^[71]

Cancelled games

Hitman: Tactics

A PlayStation Portable and Nintendo DS Hitman title was in development during 2006, called Hitman: Tactics. The game was never officially announced and it was cancelled for unknown reasons.^[72]

Films

Hitman (2007)

A film adaptation of the game was released in 2007. The film, Hitman, is set in a separate continuity from the game series. In the film, the Agency is replaced by the Organization. Like the Agency, the Organization benefits from ties to various government agencies, is neutral in global affairs and morality, and performs missions all over the world. Unlike the game wherein the hitmen are contracted from a range of backgrounds, the Organization instead recruits orphans and trains them from an early age. However, when 47 ties FSB agent Yuri Marklov to a bathtub, and a clock ticks in a laptop, the name of ICA is clearly visible in the laptop, instead of Organization.

Hitman: Agent 47 (2015)

On February 5, 2013, it was reported that the film series was being rebooted with the title Hitman: Agent 47. Paul Walker was attached to star with director Aleksander Bach helming the project as his directorial debut. Screenwriter of the original film, Skip Woods, wrote the screenplay with Mike Finch. Filming is said to be taking place in Berlin and Singapore this summer. On January 9, 2014, actor Rupert Friend replaced Walker as the main character after Walker's death on November 30, 2013.^[73][74] On January 31, Zachary Quinto joined the film in a supporting role.^[75] On February 5, 2014, Hannah Ware also joined the film to play the female lead.^[76] On March 6, 2014, Thomas Kretschmann signed on to play the high-profile villain role in the film, Le Clerq.^[77] On March 13, 2014, Dan Bakkedahl joined the cast of the film.^[78] On March 14, 2014, Ciarán Hinds signed on to star in the film as a scientist.^[79]

See also

• List of Square Enix franchises

References

1. http://hitman.com/announcing-hitman-sniper/
2. "Hitman changes release structure again, now 'fully episodic'". Polygon. Vox Media. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
3. Gamers Hell Interview
4. ComputerAndVideoGames.com interview
5. Diana: You and I are all that's left of the Agency 47, and I doubt I'll last much longer. Eidos Interactive Hitman: Blood Money (United States) 2006-5-26
6. Diana: Yes, your Majesty, almost all of our resources are online again. Hitman: Blood Money (United States) 2006-5-26
7. Mei Ling: You foreigner. Then you understand. Listen, you have to help me, please. They kidnapped me and then they brought me here... [...] First you have to get me out of here and then the combination is yours. Eidos Interactive Hitman Contracts 4-20-2004 (US)
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