Hitman: Contracts

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Hitman: Contracts is a single player action game with a violence theme. It was developed by Io-Interactive A/S and was released on January 21, 2014. It received positive reviews from players.

Enter the world of a HITMAN - a world of crime, sin and greed. Delve into the mind of Agent 47 and encounter his greatest adversaries, completing the work that made him so brutally efficient and shaped him as an assassin. Eliminate your targets by any means necessary. There are no rules... only the contract, signed in blood. Key Features: Travel the globe eliminating international terrori…

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Single-Player

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85%Audience ScoreBased on 1,678 reviews

story177 positive mentions

stability55 negative mentions

Dark, moody, and atmospheric presentation with a unique, unsettling tone that distinguishes it from other Hitman titles.
Improved stealth mechanics and AI over previous games, allowing faster sneaking and running without immediate detection.
Features remade and expanded missions from the first game Codename 47, along with original levels, providing interesting level design and replayability.
Jesper Kyd's soundtrack is highly praised and complements the game's ominous mood perfectly.
Gameplay allows multiple ways to complete objectives, encouraging experimentation and strategic planning.
Better controls and fluid animations compared to the first two entries in the series.

The game is relatively short, with many missions being remakes of earlier levels, which some players found repetitive.
AI can be inconsistent and unpredictable, sometimes spotting the player without clear reasons or reacting unrealistically.
Technical issues: the PC version often requires patches, FPS cap, and configuration tweaks to run properly on modern systems, with bugs like freezes on death and slow-motion glitches.
The story is minimal and fragmented, mostly consisting of flashbacks with little cohesion or narrative payoff.
Gameplay and visuals feel dated compared to modern standards, including clunky controls and user interface issues at higher resolutions.
Some missions are frustrating or forced in design, limiting player freedom and causing trial-and-error gameplay.

story
1,022 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
80%
3%
Hitman: Contracts features a dark, moody atmosphere with missions framed as Agent 47’s hallucinations while wounded, blending new assignments with remastered, reimagined levels from the original game. Although the story is minimal, fragmented, and serves mostly as a backdrop to the gameplay, it effectively deepens the series’ lore and sets a grim tone that complements the inventive mission design. Fans appreciate the intense, immersive vibe and creative level layouts, though some find the narrative lacking cohesion and the reused missions less compelling.
- “Hitman: Contracts is presented within a frame narrative, as the outside story is of Agent 47 recuperating in a squalid Paris hotel room after a botched job (later referenced as a playable mission in Blood Money), fading in and out of lucidity, and the inside stories are a series of flashbacks he experiences of previous missions - contracts that made him who he is.”
- “All missions are set in the dead of night, and the few unique missions in Contracts are some of the grimmest in the whole franchise: between lecherous British aristocrats kidnapping young men to hunt them for sport, and a morbidly obese 'Meat King' hosting a bizarre fetish party in a slaughterhouse, Contracts dials up the skeeziness and makes its targets more monstrous than ever.”
- “The game takes place between two missions in Hitman: Blood Money (the sequel to Contracts). The story in Hitman: Contracts revolves around a wounded Agent 47 who eventually collapses out of shock in his apartment and begins having hallucinatory flashbacks from his earlier missions. These flashbacks act as a way to fill in the gaps in the story after the first game’s, Hitman: Codename 47, aftermath.”
- “I can't however praise the story in this one, the pace is terrible, the story is basically non-existent, the Diana sections before every mention are not there, videos as well, you have to press "b" to get a briefing and you are usually lost, aside from being forced to act in a linear line in certain missions and kill or drug certain people.”
- “Another problem with the game is that more than half of the missions are remakes of the missions from the first game and most of them are now worse... some vital elements were changed or removed, or some new redundancies added.”
- “It means in terms of relevant plot there's only really a few minutes of content, which ended up feeling more like a teaser for Blood Money than its own story.”
gameplay
340 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
68%
4%
Hitman: Contracts builds on and refines the stealth gameplay of its predecessors, particularly improving stealth mechanics, enemy AI, disguise reliability, and player movement, making the experience smoother, less punishing, and more enjoyable. While the gameplay retains some dated and clunky elements typical of early 2000s stealth games, it offers multiple approaches to missions, polished mechanics, and atmospheric level design that emphasize strategic planning and creativity. Overall, it is regarded as a solid, immersive, and satisfying stealth experience, though not as fluid or feature-rich as later entries like Blood Money.
- “Contracts inherits the best things of Hitman 2: Silent Assassin (stats, menus, the map, stealth mechanics, diversity of routes of solution, etc.), and improves them with quite a few quality-of-life changes.”
- “We can see improvements in graphics and models; stealth mechanics are more fair and consistent (running is not a sin anymore, disguises are more reliable and alerts don't spread as much); movement is faster making sneak mode way more viable; the anesthetic is changed for the better; aiming and moving the camera is way less janky, as well as ragdoll behavior; the map and weapons menus are better.”
- “The grittiest in the series, Contracts retains the aesthetic and feel of its predecessors whilst making some vastly needed improvements to the game mechanics, such as the stealth mechanics and the ballistics (which feel very satisfying for a game that is not really about getting into gunfights).”
- “This is really outdated and gameplay-wise terrible in 2025.”
- “Some baffling design decisions, overly strict methods of completion and a bit of jank go a long way to butchering the gameplay experience.”
- “The hitman series straddles a fine line between excellent and terrible, but the line moves depending on your tolerance for clunky mechanics and depending on how many times you're willing to reload a save to get things right.”
music
247 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
49%
50%
1%
The music in Hitman: Contracts, composed by Jesper Kyd, is widely praised for its dark, atmospheric, and haunting style that perfectly complements the game’s moody, rainy, and suspenseful environments. Many consider it the best or one of the best soundtracks in the Hitman series, noted for its blend of eerie electronica, ambient, and orchestral elements that enhance the tense and immersive experience. Despite some minor audio and licensing issues reported, the soundtrack remains a standout feature that significantly elevates the game's tone and atmosphere.
- “Jesper Kyd's soundtrack deserves particular praise for its ability to capture both the isolation and ritualistic focus of 47’s profession.”
- “The dark, rainy nights, during which many missions take place, are intensified by the masterful soundtrack by Jesper Kyd (Assassin's Creed, Splinter Cell, Borderlands 2), which is the best soundtrack he's made in my opinion.”
- “The soundtrack is fantastic, one of the best I've heard in a Hitman game; the soundtrack itself sets the mood for most of the missions. Jesper Kyd really put a lot of effort into making this dark atmospheric soundtrack, making the player feel as if they're not meant to be there, surrounded by hostiles.”
- “The music is downgrade though, a big one even tbh.”
- “You might want to mess around with the audio defaults too as voices are so muted compared to the music I couldn't hear a thing.”
- “Sometimes the BGM does not suit at all with the mission theme, for example in the 10th mission 'The Seafood Massacre' that took place in Hong Kong, if you hear the complete BGM especially the flute part, it sounds like Middle Eastern music.”
atmosphere
227 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
49%
50%
1%
Hitman: Contracts is widely praised for its dark, gritty, and oppressive atmosphere, often described as the most atmospheric and unsettling entry in the series. The game's moody visuals, nighttime settings with rain or snow, and Jesper Kyd's haunting electronic soundtrack combine to create a tense, immersive experience that stands out even years after its release. This noir-inspired, horror-tinged ambiance deeply enhances the gameplay and narrative, making atmosphere its defining and most celebrated feature.
- “Hitman: Contracts is without a doubt the darkest and most atmospheric Hitman game to date.”
- “Hitman Contracts, released in 2004 by IO Interactive, is arguably the most atmospheric, unsettling, and artistically cohesive entry in the early Hitman lineup.”
- “The atmosphere, the environment, the characters, and the soundtrack composed by Jesper Kyd—everything is just so dark.”
- “Atmosphere changed for the worse.”
- “Great ideas and atmosphere executed poorly.”
- “It's got a fair share of blemishes still; for instance, some proper voice acting could have made the atmosphere more triumphant and convincing – but alas, all characters, including Hitman himself, speak in such a stale, unnatural way that even comparing them to robots would be a generous compliment.”
graphics
181 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
69%
7%
The graphics of Hitman: Contracts represent a noticeable improvement over its predecessors, featuring darker, moodier, and more atmospheric visuals that effectively complement its gritty tone. While the engine and textures show their age by modern standards, the enhanced lighting, detailed environments, and reimagined classic missions make the game visually appealing for its time. Despite some dated elements and occasional bugs, the graphics hold up well and contribute significantly to the game's immersive and unique aesthetic.
- “The graphics are a bit dated but it's still a fun game to play.”
- “Even though the textures may look dated, the lighting, set design and overall art style is honestly timeless.”
- “The game offers a visually stunning and immersive experience for players, with impressive graphics, detailed textures, and unique level design on each level.”
- “It's old, janky, the graphics haven't aged well and it's kind of pathetically horny at times, but the gold vein that is the hitman experience is still present.”
- “This time no automatic graphics enhancements, you have to manually enable antialiasing in Nvidia Inspector, as well as antialiasing fix and the proper compatibility hex code, otherwise the game looks somehow poorer than first at low resolution.”
- “The graphics just get even better and now look quite good in my opinion. But the game is worth playing, graphics are a bit better than the silent assassin game but most of the gameplay mechanics are same as silent assassin.”
stability
57 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
4%
96%
The game suffers from numerous stability issues on modern systems, including frequent bugs, freezes (especially on death), and graphical glitches that often require external patches or manual fixes to run properly. AI behavior is erratic and buggy, causing frustrating gameplay moments, and crashes or unresponsive controls further hamper the experience. Overall, the game feels unpolished and unstable without significant troubleshooting or mod support.
- “To get it to run on modern PCs you have to do a little digging online, but once I got it working, it runs great.”
- “Had some trouble with the character being non-responsive, but found a fix pretty quickly. It runs great!”
- “The game is buggy as all hell; the story is some weird Christopher Nolan nonsense that doesn't really work for me; the game somehow looks worse than its predecessor; the last few missions are just recycled from the first game.”
- “The game doesn't work properly and freezes from time to time, which makes it not even interesting to continue even though the game is certainly great.”
- “I experienced glitches all over the place including a mission I couldn't finish because after I picked up an item the game just slowed to a freeze no matter how many times I tried or how many different ways.”
replayability
54 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
79%
6%
Hitman: Contracts is widely praised for its strong replayability, driven by multiple ways to complete missions, complex level designs, and rewards like unlocking new weapons for achieving silent assassin ranks. While some note it may lack freshness after the first playthrough, the game's varied mission approaches and challenge modes provide lasting appeal for both new and veteran players. Overall, it offers robust replay value that encourages repeated playthroughs and experimentation.
- “Like every Hitman game, Contracts is built around replayability.”
- “The game emphasises its replayability factor with even more ways to complete your missions than the last game, as well as rewarding players who achieve the Silent Assassin rank (non-lethal approach, no alerts) with cool weapons for even more fun.”
- “After completing the game's 12 levels, you can go back and try to earn the 'Silent Assassin' rank, which will net you a new weapon for each level completed with the rank, which definitely increases the replayability if you want a lot out of the game.”
- “I would say play this game only if it's your first time, so you can at least experience the great vibes and gore that were there, but afterwards there's really no need for replayability; its value does not exist and its improvements are not worth the replay time.”
- “Regarding replayability, it should be noted that you do not get to choose your loadout until you beat the game, which can result in linear gameplay with a much greater emphasis on puzzle-solving and vulnerability, supported by a stricter disguise system compared to other games in the series.”
- “It has a small amount of replayability in terms of collecting guns throughout the level, but I do wish that the New Game+ was more polished and allowed for score improvement.”
humor
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
95%
5%
The humor in the game is characterized by a mix of grim, raw, and often grotesque elements that fans appreciate for their dark comedy and originality, though some find it less accessible or polished compared to later installments. The exaggerated ragdoll physics and quirky dialogue contribute to a unique, sometimes unintentionally funny experience, while certain encounters and execution methods add an intentionally humorous layer. Overall, the humor is a blend of dark, absurd, and campy moments that some players find endearing and others see as uneven or dated.
- “Levels such as “The Meat King’s Party” and “Traditions of the Trade” encapsulate the game’s grim humor, presenting grotesque backdrops where decadence and depravity mingle.”
- “+Funny executions (you actually have to put laxatives in a dude's soup then kill him on the toilet, as you need to use his uniform to peacefully reach your other target. You also have the option of killing another target by suffocating them with a pillow).”
- “The guns have greatly improved as well as the voice acting, as the very first game was hilariously outdated, such as the infamous line "I need to use the bathroom," which is on par with Tommy Wiseau of The Room levels of acting.”
- “Not funny to play, not even close to Blood Money.”
optimization
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
43%
38%
Optimization for this game is highly inconsistent, with many users reporting severe stuttering, poor performance on modern GPUs, and issues specifically on Windows 10/11 that can make the game nearly unplayable. While some praise its efficiency on low-end hardware, these positive experiences are overshadowed by widespread reports of lag, crashes, and ineffective performance tweaks. Overall, the game's optimization is problematic and detracts from the experience for many players.
- “You’re graded on performance, encouraging.”
- “As for performance, hundreds of frames per second are guaranteed even if you run it on a blood pressure monitor.”
- “This game also has excellent optimization so you can run it on low-end hardware.”
- “It's unplayable garbage and is not optimized for PC.”
- “The game is broken; its poor optimization for Windows 10/11 makes it unplayable due to lag, making it impossible to do anything and sometimes crashing or freezing until you close it.”
- “Hitman: Contracts, or at least this particular iteration, has failed to endure the test of time, exhibiting a significant prevalence of stuttering issues.”
grinding
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
78%
Grinding in the game is often described as tedious and repetitive, with some missions feeling particularly drawn-out and boring. Improvements over previous titles, such as better level design and faster knockout methods, help reduce monotony, but frequent retries and the inability to view planned assassinations can diminish engagement. Overall, grinding remains a challenging and sometimes frustrating aspect that may discourage prolonged play.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “I have no resentment from trying over and over again to beat a level but after some time, playing out the same assassinations, trying to understand why your cover gets blown gets tedious; unlike Blood Money, you can't even see the assassinations you meticulously planned playing out most of the time, which waters down their effect.”
- “There are some missions which feel absolutely tedious, such as the mansion level and the long run through the third level to blow up the radioactive ship; I will not do those for a very long time.”
emotional
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a raw sense of isolation and somber tone that deeply affects players, despite some technical flaws. It evokes a complex blend of brutality and style, delivering a powerful yet nuanced emotional experience reminiscent of touching cinematic and narrative moments found in related Hitman media.
- “While it didn’t carry the same emotional weight or narrative punch as Silent Assassin, Contracts brought something else to the table — style, brutality, and a raw sense of isolation.”
- “However, despite being shackled by all these technical imperfections, Contracts still exerts tremendous emotional pressure and gets under your skin with almost zero effort – and soon, restarting from an earlier save because a guard randomly thought you were trespassing without even seeing you becomes a reasonable price to pay to experience this sombre, dismal world.”
- “His son, Alexander IV, gets kidnapped in an emotional yet beautifully shot opening sequence.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization is criticized for feeling like a cash grab, with technical issues such as non-functional ads and weapon swap buttons detracting from the experience. Poor default controls and limited customization further frustrate players, suggesting a lack of polish and care in the game's design.
- “If your game can't run on a PC, and you can't port a working option, stop releasing these pathetic cash grabs.”
- “By default, the ads button didn't work throughout the tutorial, nor did weapon swaps.”
- “I had to remap the firing button because by default it was not left mouse button, but no matter what I did, it didn't let me assign right mouse button to aim down sights.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The character development of agent 47 is minimal, with limited dialogue and emotion, yet his enigmatic and cold nature remains intriguingly compelling to players.