YOU CANT PLAY THIS PC VERSION WITH A GAMEPAD LIKE YOU CAN XBOX OR PS2 VERSION! WHAT A RIPP!


id rather play Manhunt, its a widescreen monitor compatible and has gamepad support like most games do, even tomb raider for pc has gamepad support. this release is a big mistake not having that option. I played the xbox version of this game, and i really like the game, but for pc its not fun for me to have to sit and click and type keys to move around even though the graphics look better than xbox, id rather just play the xbox version of it...

Building upon a tried and true foundation, IO Interactive releases the 3rd (though might more rightfully be called 2 1/2) Installment of the Hitman series. Admittedly not nearly as interesting or inspired as the superb Silent Assassin, Contracts is none the less a worthy addition to the francise.

The decision to mix old missions with new ones can be taken as a mixed blessing. On the bright side it gives veteran Hitmen a chance to play the missions with a more modern take. The general presentation of Hitman has much improved since the original, and while I've not gotten to any of the throwback missions yet; they are supposed to be at least somewhat "remixed" from the originals. Furthermore, the idead also serves as sort of a "greatest hits" (no pun) for newcomers.

Visually, the game is only slightly upgraded from its predicessor, mostly to take advantage of more modern graphics card abilities. Personally I think this is great since the engine itself still looks and performs quite nicely.

Sound effects and musical score are both very nice though I woe to the exclusion of the subtle "twang" emitted when you tighten up the fibre wire in preparation for a takedown. Jesper Kyd's score shines as always, adding appropriate mood and drama where each is necessary.

The overall gameplay, while steadilly refined since its original incarnation, is still largely the same. While this isn't necessarilly bad, it does lend even more familiarity to a game that already treads along the lines of "been there, done that."

All in all Hitman 2 1/2 is still a solid game despite somewhat uninspired execution. (the puns the puns!) If nothing else it definitely serves to wet one's appetite for the upcomming 4th installment.

I had a great time playing this game. great graphics, sound, blood and bullet holes. It is a real bloody game. It has 12 missions and was a bit short for me. I will still replay this game a bit later.

I played Hitman 2 first and then backtracked to Contracts. I enjoyed the cinematography and the storyline as well as the game play. Some reviewers note some flaws, but I didn't examine the game with a fine-toothed comb; as long as games are made by humans, there are gonna be flaws. It seems you can't go wrong with the Hitman titles. It will provide hours of entertainment. Enjoy!

Hitman: Contracts is another solid addition to the very entertaining Hitman series. It maintains the tension, open-endedness, great graphics, and convincing atmosphere of Hitman 2 and adds a few improvements. Overall, Contracts is not as good as Hitman 2, which is one of my favorite games of all time. Contracts offers only 12 missions, has inferior music, has some minor technical issues, and a few other problems. The game is not completely open-ended, since you do have set objectives and cannot progress to the next mission without completing them. However, you do have some options regarding how you approach a mission. It's really a game that's worth playing at least twice just to take advantage of the alternative ways of completing the various missions. For anyone who is a fan of the Hitman series or likes stealth games, I recommend Contracts (but try to get it at a discounted price). However, it is best to play it after playing Hitman 2, which is the real star in this fine game series.

Gameplay: Much the same as Hitman 2. The controls (mouse and keyboard) are easy to learn, and you can play the game from 1st- or 3rd-person perspectives. The game encourages stealth and conflict avoidance and rewards you for clean kills and limiting "collateral damage." However, you can approach a mission any way you'd like: you can go in with guns blazing, use a mix of stealth and aggressive tactics, or go for the coveted rating of "silent assassin." The sneak ability is improved over Hitman 2, allowing you to move faster while in stealth mode. Also, some of the levels are rather large, and you'll have to replay them in order to just get a feel for them and to determine possible strategies. Contracts is darker than the previous games, both in regard to weather (it's always raining or snowing) and the subject matter. Curiously, some of the earlier missions are harder than later ones. I found that the SWAT missions were the most intense, and the Hong Kong missions were the easiest to achieve the "silent assassin" rating on. On expert (medium) difficulty, the game lasted about 27 hours for me, as compared to Hitman 2 which lasted over 40. You could probably finish it in less than half that time if you didn't care about your rating and went in shooting everything (which does not always work).

The game does have its flaws. My biggest problem was the fact that you couldn't bring weapons that you found in one mission (or earned through getting the "silent assassin" rating) into new missions. This was a BIG oversight on the part of the developers, and one of the reasons that Contracts is clearly inferior to Hitman 2. On the bright side, your weapons are nicely displayed in a greatly expanded training area, and you can choose to use whichever ones you'd like if you replay completed missions. Also, you can conceal a sniper rifle in a carrying case in some of the missions. Still, one of the most impressive things about Hitman 2 was the freedom to choose your instruments of death and not have to just accept the ones that the game gives you. Another problem is the AI of characters. On a few occasions, my cover was blown for no apparent reason. At other times, I could sneak by guards who appeared to be looking right at me. Overall, Contracts just didn't seem as polished a product as Hitman 2. In places, the game ran slower on my machine, even though it more than surpassed most of the recommended specs. (I think this was mostly due to some of the lighting and weather [snow] effects.) Also, the game crashed to desktop 5 times during my 27 hours of gameplay, for no apparent reason.

Graphics: The game looks quite good. All of the scenary was convincing and immersive, and the weapons looked and behaved as you would expect. Agent 47 walks as cool as ever, and his sneaking looks better too. However, I hope that Hitman 4 does a better job with the way he runs, which still looks...uncool. Cut-scenes are all nicely done and tie the various missions together. Character models are well illustrated, and weather effects create a gloomy mood. Lighting effects are great, but will slow down game performance in a few places.

Sound: Convincing for the most part. Voice acting is good and has the appropriate accents. Ambient sounds are done well, as are the sounds of weapons. The largely techno soundtrack by Jesper Kyd is not nearly as good as his excellent orchestral work for Hitman 2, but it will do. Overall, there are no notable sound issues in this game.