Hitman: Blood Money
| Hitman: Blood Money | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | IO Interactive |
| Publisher(s) | Eidos Interactive |
| Director(s) | Rasmus Højengaard |
| Producer(s) | Helle Marijnissen |
| Designer(s) | Peter Fleckenstein |
| Writer(s) |
Morten Iverson Greg Nagan |
| Composer(s) | Jesper Kyd |
| Series | Hitman |
| Engine | Glacier |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, Xbox, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 |
| Release date(s) | |
| Genre(s) | Stealth |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Hitman: Blood Money is a 2006 stealth video game developed by Danish developer IO Interactive and published by Eidos Interactive. It is the fourth installment in the Hitman game series. It was released on 26 May 2006 in Europe, 30 May 2006 in North America, and 30 August 2007 in Japan. The renewed (HD) version was released on 29 January 2013 in North America, 31 January 2013 in Australia, and 1 February 2013 in Europe.
The story follows the life of professional hitman, Agent 47, as narrated in cutscenes by a former Director of the FBI to a journalist who is interviewing him. The wheelchair-bound ex-director recounts how his agency tracked 47 over a two-year period. The game also marks 47's arrival to the United States. The game was a commercial success, selling more than 2.1 million copies. It is the last game in the series to feature composer Jesper Kyd.
Gameplay
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.
Many new features were introduced in Blood Money. These include the capability to climb through more obstacles, improved unarmed combat, the ability to use an NPC as a human shield with the help of a weapon (and to knock them unconscious afterwards), the ability to dispose of dead or unconscious bodies into containers, improved character animations, a new game engine, and the ability to upgrade weapons and equipment.[1] Five of the featured weapons in the game, as well as assorted pieces of equipment such as bombs and armor, can be upgraded.[1] Every level contains some method to make the target's death look like an accident;[1] for example, tampering with someone's grill to make it explode when it is turned on, rigging a chandelier to fall on a target, or simply pushing the target off a balcony. There are also improvised weapons, such as nail-guns, a child's air rifle, kitchen knives, screwdrivers, stilettos, cane swords, fire extinguishers, hammers, and hedge clippers.
Also added was the Notoriety System. If the player, during a mission, gets caught on camera surveillance or is witnessed committing murder, Agent 47 's notoriety will rise.[2] Conversely, if the player executes the mission perfectly with none of the aforementioned events occurring, 47 's notoriety will be minimal. However, if the only factor affecting 47 's notoriety in a certain mission is the fact that he was recorded on CCTV, the player may enter the location in which the tape that recorded him is located, usually in disguise, and retrieve it, thus eliminating that factor; if the player retrieves the tape before being recorded, this eliminates the risk of being recorded in the first place. The higher Agent 47 's notoriety is, the easier it will be for NPCs to identify him. Players may use the bribery system to negate accumulated notoriety.[2] Notoriety gained in early missions will affect later missions. Earlier missions in which 47 has gained notoriety in can be replayed to reduce notoriety in later missions. The Notoriety System is not enabled on "Rookie" mode, the easiest difficulty setting.
At the end of each mission, a newspaper article is displayed about the hit, in which the content varies depending on the investigation results and the player's notoriety. It will detail the weapon most frequently used, how accurately it was used, the number of police, security, and civilians killed or injured, and if there were any witnesses. Any injured people will be counted as witnesses, who affect your notoriety. Sketch drawings are also sometimes visible showing Agent 47 's face, which grow progressively more accurate as 47 's notoriety grows. The newspaper announces in the headline how many people were killed, whereas executing the target without any problems will simply have 47 as 'wanted by police'. The article's title relates to the player's mission rating. "Silent Assassin", in which one assassinates the targets as cleanly and quietly as possible and draws no unnecessary attention to themself, is the best rating possible. On higher difficulty levels, even something as simple as 47 exiting the level in a disguise rather than his original suit will adversely affect the player's notoriety, as well as deduct $5,000 from their payment for the mission. As one advances further into the game, more and more newspapers containing the headline from the last mission will be scattered around levels.[3]
Blood Money also improved the melee weapons system, allowing the player to lethally throw certain weapons at NPCs. Once thrown into anyone, however, the weapon cannot be retrieved. There is an exception for the hammer, which can be retrieved even though thrown into a victim. Also note that unlike previous games, melee weapons cannot be transferred to the player's armory.
If 47 renders an NPC unconscious, either by using his syringe filled with sedative or knocking them out with close combat, they will not awaken for the entirety of the level until a security guard checks it, unlike previous games. In addition, if both uses of 47 's sedative syringe have been used and the player does not wish to use close combat (which increases their violence rating and by extension affects their mission rating), the player may take the person they wish to sedate as a human shield and merely knock them out with their weapon.
47 's ability to hide bodies has also been revamped. In previous games, 47 had to drag the body to a secluded area without "hiding" it, and either eliminate everyone who could possibly see the body where he left it or be quick enough to finish the mission before the next person entered. Now, 47 can dispose of unconscious or dead bodies in containers to hide them from view of guards. If the container's lid is closed, no NPCs or guards will ever look inside it, thus ensuring the body stays hidden and 47 's cover is not blown. In addition, if 47 kills someone in an elevator by climbing through the hatch and strangling them, their body is also considered hidden, and cannot fall out of the hatch, thereby preventing it from being found. Some levels feature high level areas; it is possible to toss bodies over the side.
Blood Money introduced the concept of rival assassins to the storyline.[4] The developers created the Mark Parchezzi character as a sort of foil to Agent 47, for he is "everything Parchezzi is not."[4] The other "lesser" assassins were there to prove more able than "drug dealers or similar adversaries."[4]
Plot
In 2004, Agent 47 is hired to assassinate former amusement park owner Joseph "Swing King" Clarence, who had gone into business with Snoop, a notorious Baltimore drug kingpin, after being forced to close his park due to an accident that killed 33 innocent people. Utilizing all of his skills, he kills both men and escapes undetected, leading to a string of new contracts with other American clients.
Two years later, former FBI Director "Jack" Alexander Leland Cayne arranges an interview with investigative reporter Rick Henderson, where he traces 47's activities from 2004 to 2005, including the execution of a Chilean cocaine smuggler and his son, a U.S. ambassador in Paris, several mobsters under government surveillance in California, a mercenary group in New Orleans, a professional blackmailer in Montana, narcotic traffickers in Mississippi, the head of a Saudi pharmaceutical firm in Las Vegas, and even a corrupt CIA agent selling high-powered rifles to an arms dealer.
Despite 47's successes, the Agency begins to crumble under the weight of both federal investigations and a series of hits carried out by albino clones Mark Purayah II and Mark Parchezzi III, both of whom are in the employment of a mysterious organization known as "The Franchise". The situation degrades to the point where 47's handler, Diana Burnwood, informs him that they are the only two agents still alive. An attempt is even made to kill 47 during his time in Paris, nearly resulting in his death (prompting the events of Hitman: Contracts). During his time in New Orleans, he kills Purayah II, but is unable to identify his superior.
Following his work in Las Vegas, Diana contacts 47 and announces the dissolution of the Agency, splitting its remaining resources with her former partner before ending their relationship. While departing from the scene in a stolen van, 47 is surprised to find CIA officer Smith, who he rescued in an earlier mission, hiding in the back. He warns 47 that the Franchise is planning to assassinate President Tom Steward, and offers him millions of dollars' worth of diamonds to stop them. At a follow-up briefing, Smith confirms that the assassins in question are Parchezzi III and acting Vice President Daniel Morris, both of whom are working for Alpha Zerox, a shadow group that controls the Franchise and plans to exploit advances in cloning for their own benefit. As President Steward favors the legalization of cloning, which would neutralize the underground market they need to remain hidden, Zerox intends to replace him with the much more agreeable Morris.
47 enters the White House and kills Morris, then confronts and kills Parchezzi III in a chase through the West Wing. The mission is a success, and the government pins the blame on the Franchise for Morris's death. While planning his next move, he receives a visit from Diana, who offers to help him take down the Franchise. As 47 mulls over why she would come to him instead of fleeing, Diana poisons him and turns his body over to the police. For her actions, she is rewarded with membership in the Franchise by its founder, Cayne.
Eager to show off his prize, Cayne arranges a wake for 47 in his private church before ordering his cremation to keep anyone from using his DNA for new clones. While Henderson distracts him with conversation, Diana plants 47's custom pistols on his body and kisses him, having placed an antidote in her lipstick. As a priest arrives to conduct final rites, 47 suddenly awakes and kills everyone present, including the priest, the guards, Henderson, and Cayne himself (Diana had already fled). With no surviving witnesses, 47's identity is kept secret.
Assuming the title of Director, Diana uses the Franchise's assets to rebuild the Agency. While on a business call, she admits that she's lost track of 47. Meanwhile, 47, on an independent contract, enters an underground brothel as the curtains close behind him.
Soundtrack
| Hitman: Blood Money Original Soundtrack | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by Jesper Kyd | ||||
| Released |
30 May 2006 | |||
| Genre | Video game soundtrack | |||
| Length | 64:41 | |||
| Label | Sumthing Else Music Works | |||
| Jesper Kyd chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| SoundtrackNet |   link |
The Hitman: Blood Money Original Soundtrack, composed by Jesper Kyd, was released on 20 May 2006 by Sumthing Else and Eidos. The score was performed jointly with the Budapest Symphony Orchestra and the Hungarian Radio Choir. It features Kyd's trademark ambience and dark, foreboding arrangements with the choral parts in deep brooding Latin.[5]
In the composer's own words:
"It seemed like a natural choice to mix things up for the Blood Money score. After the electronic-driven score for Hitman: Codename 47, the orchestral Hitman 2: Silent Assassin score was a new direction for the sound of Hitman, although there are still a few purely electronic tracks in Hitman 2: Silent Assassin. For the third title, Hitman: Contracts, we wanted to go back to the games's roots and create an updated and more modern electronic score. So the Hitman series has a strong background in electronic music."[6]
The score was nominated for the "Best Video Game Score" award in the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards ceremony, but lost out to The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. However, it did receive the "Xbox Game of the Year - Best Original Score" award from IGN.[7]
| Track listing | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 1. | "Apocalypse" | 4:33 |
| 2. | "Secret Invasion" | 5:06 |
| 3. | "Before the Storm" | 2:40 |
| 4. | "47 Attacks" | 2:12 |
| 5. | "Hunter" | 6:21 |
| 6. | "Action in Paris" | 3:10 |
| 7. | "Amb Zone" | 3:56 |
| 8. | "Night Time In New Orleans" | 3:17 |
| 9. | "Vegas" | 6:28 |
| 10. | "Club Heaven" | 5:52 |
| 11. | "Invasion on the Mississippi River" | 4:15 |
| 12. | "Rocky Mountains" | 2:41 |
| 13. | "Day Light in New Orleans" | 4:43 |
| 14. | "Trouble in Vegas" | 3:35 |
| 15. | "Funeral" | 2:47 |
| 16. | "Main Title" | 3:05 |
Additional music includes a rendition of Franz Schubert's "Ave Maria" sung by Daniel Perret (Boy Soloist of the Zurich Boys' Choir) (which has become the series' unofficial theme music) over the main menu, a rendition of "Tomorrow Never Dies" by Swan Lee in the 'Heaven' nightclub, the song "White Noise" by The Vacation in a club in the New Orleans level, as well as "Slasher" by Institute For The Criminally Insane in the 'Hell' nightclub. Bach - Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major BWV1007 in "A Vintage Year"
Advertisement controversy
Despite the fact Blood Money has been said to be the most violent game of the series yet, the magazine ads for the game generated more controversy than the title which spawned them.[8] The ad that drew the most attention and protest depicted a woman lying on a bed in lingerie, seemingly asleep but with a bullet hole in her forehead.[9] The caption above the picture read: "Beautifully Executed", a pun regarding the woman's appearance and her fate. Other ads were "Classically Executed",[10] featuring a cellist with a slit throat, "Coldly Executed",[11] showing a man in a freezer, and "Shockingly Executed",[12] depicting a woman in a bath who has been electrocuted by a toaster.
Reception
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Hitman: Blood Money received generally positive reviews. Aggregating review websites GameRankings and Metacritic gave the Xbox 360 version 82.98% and 82/100,[13][18] the PlayStation 2 version 82.51% and 83/100,[14][17] the PC version 82.38% and 82/100[15][19] and the Xbox version 81.76% and 81/100.[16][20]
Many critics felt the game was an improvement over the previous Hitman titles, with Official PlayStation Magazine UK calling it "without question the best Hitman yet". Other critics shared this sentiment, despite feeling that the basic gameplay elements were similar, if not unchanged from the previous installments, with GameSpot stating that "the underlying stealth action is mostly unchanged" while "a diverse sequence of imaginative scenarios gives Blood Money its own fair share of violent thrills."[22] GameSpy praised the expanded scope and options in each level, such as making kills appear as accidents, that "the game features enough choices and entertaining kills to have you playing some missions more than once, striving for that exclusive Silent Assassin rating."[23]
The soundtrack was also considered one of the game's strong points, with IGN noted the "impressive orchestral compositions",[25] while GameTrailers felt it "drives your emotions throughout each evolving mission"[24] and was nominated for Best Original Music in GameSpot's Best and Worst Awards 2006.
While new features and additions to the series were praised, some critics felt the Notoriety system was "underutilized"[23] and "half-baked"[22] while others pointed issues from the previous Hitman games still being present, notably with the AI. GameTrailers found that "some enemies behave erratically in specific situations taking you out of the experience".[24] TeamXbox said they couldn't "really see any more alertness or cleverness on the part of the CPU than in Hitman: Contracts".[27]
Hitman: Blood Money sold 1.5 million copies by July 17, 2006.[28] As of 2011, the game had sold more than 2.1 million copies.[29]
References
- 1 2 3 "ShackNews.com". ShackNews.com. Retrieved 2014-03-20.
- 1 2 "ShackNews.com". ShackNews.com. Retrieved 2014-03-20.
- ↑ Bunker 37 Archived October 5, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.
- 1 2 3 "ComputerAndVideoGames.com". ComputerAndVideoGames.com. 2006-09-12. Retrieved 2014-03-20.
- ↑ "IGN: ''Hitman: Blood Money'' Original Soundtrack Review". Uk.music.ign.com. 2006-06-01. Retrieved 2014-03-20.
- ↑ "''Hitman Blood Money'': Jesper Kyd: Music". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2014-03-20.
- ↑ IGN.com presents The Best of 2006 - Hitman: Blood Money Archived May 2, 2012, at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ Video Game Features, PC Game Features Archived October 12, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ "Beautifully Executed"
- ↑ "Classically Executed" Archived November 12, 2012, at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ "Coldly Executed" Archived November 12, 2012, at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ "Shockingly Executed" Archived July 18, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.
- 1 2 "Hitman: Blood Money for Xbox 360". GameRankings. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
- 1 2 "Hitman: Blood Money PlayStation 2". GameRankings. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
- 1 2 "Hitman: Blood Money for PC". GameRankings. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
- 1 2 "Hitman: Blood Money for Xbox". GameRankings. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
- 1 2 "Hitman: Blood Money for PlayStation 2 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
- 1 2 "Hitman: Blood Money for Xbox 360 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
- 1 2 "Hitman: Blood Money for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
- 1 2 "Hitman: Blood Money for Xbox Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
- ↑ Leach, Gracie (3 October 2010). "Hitman: Blood Money - Overview". allgame. Retrieved 21 February 2012.
- 1 2 3 Greg Kasavin (31 May 2006). "Hitman: Blood Money Review (PS2)". Gamespot. Retrieved 3 April 2008.
- 1 2 3 Will Tuttle (31 May 2006). "Hitman: Blood Money Review (PS2) - Agent 47 is back and more dangerous than ever, spilling blood in every corner of the globe.". GameSpy. Retrieved 3 April 2008.
- 1 2 3 "Hitman: Blood Money Review (Xbox)". Game Trailers. 30 May 2006. Retrieved 3 April 2008.
- 1 2 Douglass C. Perry (30 May 2006). "Hitman: Blood Money Review (PS2) - IO Interactive's presentation is better than ever, but has the core game changed at all?". IGN. Retrieved 3 April 2008.
- ↑ "PC Review: Hitman: Blood Money Review". ComputerAndVideoGames.com. 1 June 2006. Retrieved 21 February 2012.
- 1 2 Dale Nardozzi - "Legba" (31 May 2006). "Hitman: Blood Money Review (Xbox 360)". TeamXbox. Retrieved 3 April 2008.
- ↑ Thorsen, Tor (17 July 2006). "Tomb Raider, Blood Money go multiplatinum". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 31 October 2013. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
- ↑ "New 'Hitman: Absolution' Game Uses 'Avatar' Performance Capture Technology, Hollywood Talent". The Hollywood Reporter. 5 November 2011. Retrieved 21 February 2012.
External links
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