Hitman: Contracts

About

In "Hitman: Contracts," you assume the role of Agent 47, a ruthless assassin on a series of lethal assignments around the globe. With a wide range of tactics and disguises at your disposal, you must navigate treacherous environments and eliminate your targets in this intense stealth-action game. The enemy AI is formidable, employing squad-based tactics to thwart your efforts, making each contract a true test of your skills.

Genres & Tags

Action

Play Modes

Single-Player

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85%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,784 reviews

story298 positive mentions

stability98 negative mentions

The game features a dark and atmospheric tone, with all missions set at night and often in the rain, enhancing the overall experience.
Gameplay improvements over previous titles include better AI, faster movement for Agent 47, and a more forgiving disguise system, making stealth gameplay more enjoyable.
The soundtrack by Jesper Kyd is exceptional, contributing significantly to the game's eerie and immersive atmosphere.

Many missions are remakes from the first game, which some players feel detracts from the overall experience and makes the game feel shorter.
The game suffers from technical issues on modern systems, including crashes and slow-motion bugs, which can hinder gameplay.
The story is minimal and lacks cohesion, primarily consisting of flashbacks that do not provide a strong narrative arc.

story
1,638 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
79%
3%
The story of *Hitman: Contracts* revolves around Agent 47's flashbacks to his past assassination missions while he lies critically wounded in a hotel room. While the narrative is primarily a collection of these flashbacks, it lacks a cohesive overarching plot, leading to mixed feelings among players regarding its engagement and depth. Despite its simplicity, the dark atmosphere and unique mission settings contribute to a compelling experience, particularly for fans familiar with the series' lore.
- “The plot of Hitman: Contracts revolves around Agent 47's flashbacks to earlier contracts, many of which are re-imaginings of previous missions in the series.”
- “The story is rather simple but intriguing, giving little clues throughout the game, which really builds up to a good final mission (although if you're looking for a life-changing story this is not your game).”
- “The story of Hitman: Contracts centers around Agent 47's memories of past contracts as he lies on the brink of death.”
- “The story is completely nonexistent, since all the missions (except the last one) are flashbacks that play when 47 is being unconscious from his wound, and even after that.”
- “The overarching story is not engaging, in my opinion.”
- “The story itself doesn't tell anything and the missions feel boring to absolve because there is no bigger meaning or mission behind it.”
gameplay
534 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
67%
5%
The gameplay in "Hitman: Contracts" is generally praised for its improvements over previous titles, particularly in stealth mechanics and overall fluidity, making it more accessible and enjoyable for both new and returning players. While some mechanics feel dated and certain levels are remakes from earlier games, the game offers a variety of approaches to missions, allowing for strategic play and replayability. Despite its flaws, many players appreciate the atmospheric design and refined gameplay, considering it a solid entry in the Hitman series.
- “The gameplay is amazing, and the music is some of the best in the series.”
- “The gameplay incorporates and refines elements from previous titles, such as Hitman 2: Silent Assassin, and offers a fun and engaging experience for both casual and modern spectrum players.”
- “Hitman: Contracts continues the series' tradition of delivering immersive stealth gameplay with its dark and atmospheric missions.”
- “The gameplay is somewhat outdated and unforgiving compared to the modern Hitman games.”
- “This game was not only shorter but the gameplay felt worse than the previous games.”
- “The hitman series straddles a fine line between excellent and terrible, but the line moves depending on your tolerance for clunky mechanics and how many times you're willing to reload a save to get things right.”
music
400 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
49%
48%
3%
The music in "Hitman: Contracts," composed by Jesper Kyd, is widely praised as one of the best soundtracks in the series, effectively enhancing the game's dark and atmospheric tone. Reviewers highlight its unique blend of minimalist electronica and orchestral elements, which perfectly complements the game's gritty environments and tense gameplay. Many consider it a standout feature, with some even describing it as the defining aspect of the game's immersive experience.
- “What truly stands out, though, is the game’s atmosphere and music.”
- “The soundtrack is considered the darkest among other Hitman games and is often regarded as one of the best, with industrial elements in each track that make it unique.”
- “Jesper Kyd, the composer of the Hitman: Contracts soundtrack, has created a distinct fusion of minimalist electronica and dark, orchestral and choral grooves, which has been praised for its groundbreaking and cinematic style.”
- “The music is a downgrade though, a big one even, to be honest.”
- “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.”
- “A lot of the game audio is missing; gun sounds and sound effects still seem to be present within the game, however, music, ambient sounds, and so on appear to be removed due to the licensing issue.”
graphics
328 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
67%
8%
The graphics of "Hitman: Contracts" are generally considered dated, reflecting its 2004 release, yet they still manage to create a dark and gritty atmosphere that complements the game's themes. While some players appreciate the improvements over previous titles, others note that the visuals show their age, with occasional graphical glitches and a lack of significant upgrades compared to "Hitman 2." Overall, the game offers a unique aesthetic experience, but it may not satisfy those accustomed to modern graphics standards.
- “The game offers a visually stunning and immersive experience for players, with impressive graphics, detailed textures, and unique level design on each level.”
- “In the graphics, while there is no significant improvement in terms of graphics compared to the previous game, IO Interactive effectively maximized their potential in realizing the edgy and gritty theme of the game using their Glacier engine.”
- “The graphics have gotten a pretty nice visual upgrade and they really fit the dark and gloomy tone of this entry.”
- “The graphics, animations, and mechanics are really dated.”
- “If you're a fan of newer shinier games and want to go back to the source material, anticipating the same gameplay loop with worse graphics, you're in for a disappointment.”
- “The graphics are bad for being 2004; it is unbelievably hard and the stealth barely works.”
atmosphere
318 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
44%
1%
The atmosphere in *Hitman: Contracts* is widely praised as the darkest and most immersive in the series, characterized by gritty, rain-soaked environments and a haunting soundtrack by Jesper Kyd that enhances the game's tense and foreboding tone. Reviewers highlight the effective use of lighting, level design, and sound to create a chilling ambiance that often borders on horror, making each mission feel uniquely oppressive and engaging. Overall, the game's atmosphere is considered a standout feature, elevating the experience and setting it apart from its predecessors.
- “The atmosphere is dark, gritty, it's always raining and the soundtrack for this game is the best in the franchise.”
- “The dark and rainy atmosphere, with the incredible soundtrack, makes it the perfect experience for Agent 47's world.”
- “The game's atmosphere is dark and brooding, perfectly setting the stage for intense assassination missions.”
- “The use of Middle-Eastern instruments in the soundtrack elevates the horrific atmosphere of the game by digging deep into the average player's racial biases and reinforcing them, especially when this game came out when 9/11 was still a very recent tragedy.”
- “It's got a fair share of blemishes still; for instance, some proper voice acting could have made the atmosphere I described above 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.”
- “The atmosphere is so cold and oppressive.”
stability
100 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
2%
98%
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with numerous reports of frequent crashes, freezes, and various glitches that significantly hinder gameplay. Many players express frustration over the game's unpolished state, noting that it often becomes unplayable due to these issues, particularly on modern systems. While some users mention minor bugs that don't greatly impact their experience, the overall consensus is that the game suffers from severe stability problems that detract from its enjoyment.
- “I had some trouble with the character being non-responsive, but I found a fix for it pretty quickly, and now it runs great!”
- “Overall, this game is a buggy mess with the worst AI I've ever seen in any video game.”
- “Buggy as hell, crashes almost every time I try to launch it.”
- “And these are not just glitches or lags or whatever - the game is so broken, it becomes literally unplayable in quite a few aspects, let alone getting 'silent assassin' ranking here will become pure torture for no reason at all.”
replayability
94 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
80%
3%
The game offers significant replayability, with players praising its diverse mission completion methods, unlockable weapons, and engaging gameplay mechanics. Many reviews highlight the unique experiences available in each playthrough, encouraging players to revisit the game multiple times, especially to achieve the "silent assassin" rank. Overall, it is regarded as a highly replayable title within the Hitman series, enhanced by its atmospheric soundtrack and level design.
- “The game also offers good replay value, providing players with a unique experience that encourages them to revisit the game multiple times.”
- “Like all the Hitman games, there is a ton of replay value with this one as well; it also gives you a ton of freedom with the amount of weapons you can unlock and bring into each mission.”
- “The game emphasizes 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 with cool weapons for even more fun.”
- “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 gets kind of short once you learn how to play (which you do on level 2 or level 3 in my case) but there is a lot of replayability involved with different killing techniques in each level.”
- “Despite the story, I recommend this game for the polished gameplay, the more complex level design, and its soundtrack. It is a good game after all, as you can see it's not a long game at all, but it has a little replay value.”
humor
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is a mix of dark and absurd elements, with players finding amusement in exaggerated ragdoll physics, comically bad voice acting, and outrageous execution methods, such as poisoning a target's soup. While some mechanics and storylines are criticized for being hilariously flawed, the overall experience is described as fun and entertaining, with improvements in gameplay mechanics enhancing the comedic aspects. The blend of humor and brutality adds a unique charm, making it a memorable experience for players.
- “Played this game for 2 hours and I gotta say it's really fun and funny and here are the reasons why:”
- “+ 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 levels of acting.”
optimization
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
47%
40%
The optimization of Hitman: Contracts has been widely criticized, with users reporting severe stuttering, lag, and crashes, particularly on Windows 10/11 and NVIDIA GPUs. Many players find the game unplayable due to these performance issues, despite suggestions to limit frame rates having little to no effect. While some users note that it can run well on low-end hardware, the overall consensus is that the game suffers from significant optimization problems that hinder the experience.
- “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.”
- “The game encourages stealth and creativity, as the player can complete their objectives in multiple ways and earn different ratings based on their performance.”
- “This game has serious optimization problems.”
- “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 the game or freezing up 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
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
86%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while some tedious elements have been improved or removed, such as lengthy walking sections and slower knockout methods, many still feel that repeated attempts at certain missions can become monotonous. The inability to witness meticulously planned assassinations play out, unlike in previous titles, further detracts from the enjoyment, making some levels feel particularly tedious and frustrating. Overall, while there are enhancements, the grinding can still lead to a less engaging experience for players.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “After some time, playing out the same assassinations and trying to understand why your cover gets blown becomes tedious. Unlike Blood Money, you can't even see the meticulously planned assassinations play out most of the time, probably due to technical limitations, which unfortunately waters down their effect.”
- “There are some missions that feel absolutely tedious, such as the mansion level and the long run through the third level to blow up that radioactive ship. I will not do that for a very long time.”
emotional
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its ability to create a profound sense of tension and investment, even amidst technical flaws, as players navigate a grim world that evokes strong feelings. The narrative elements, such as the kidnapping of a character's son and the subsequent journey, further enhance the emotional depth, making the experience resonate deeply with players. Overall, the game successfully intertwines its story and gameplay to elicit a powerful emotional response.
- “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.”
- “And so Agent 3.14 is forced out of retirement and together with 47, the two embark on an emotional journey that will take you from Africa to anywhere you can imagine.”
monetization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game appears to be negatively impacted by technical issues, as users report problems with default controls and functionality, such as the inability to assign buttons for aiming down sights (ADS) and weapon swaps. These issues may detract from the overall experience, suggesting that the monetization model could be better integrated with gameplay mechanics.
- “By default, I didn't even have the ads button work out of the tutorial, or weapon swaps.”
- “I actually had to remap the firing button because, by default, it was not the left mouse button, but no matter what, it didn't let me assign the right mouse button to ads.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Character development in the game is minimal, particularly for the protagonist, agent 47, who is characterized by his cold and aloof demeanor. Despite his lack of dialogue and emotional depth, this mystery surrounding him adds an intriguing allure to his character.
- “The mystery surrounding protagonist Agent 47, and his cold, aloof nature, is surprisingly alluring, despite the fact that he historically has very little dialogue, character development, and emotion.”
- “The mystery surrounding protagonist Agent 47, and his cold, aloof nature is surprisingly alluring, in spite of the fact that he historically has very little dialogue, character development, and emotion.”

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8h Median play time

8h Average play time

5-10h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 6 analyzed playthroughs

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