Your arsenal includes the standard pistols and semi-automatics but also extends to the usual assassin tools: fiber wire, poison syringes, and good old close-range knives. You can even upgrade weapons to make them quieter, more efficient killing machines.

Each mission is extremely open-ended and can be carried out in hundreds of different ways. Because the environments are so detailed and the program so intricate, at any given time you have a handful of possible actions that will further the game. However, each mission follows a basic pattern you'll quickly pick up on:

*Learn the location of your target.
*Find important people, then knock them out/kill them to steal their clothes.
*Masquerade as your new persona to gain access to more secure parts of the level.
*Carry out your kill as quietly as possible.

There are so many ways to carry out your mission that you might feel a bit lost. It isn't always clear how the computer will react to your actions. Sometimes it's a bit unpredictable. Exploring the possibilities is a trial-and-error task, but it's exciting to see the outcome. Should you climb the gutters and drop in through the roof or slip in through the back gate? Maybe you should sneak up behind the janitor and take his uniform, then just waltz in through the front door? You'll have to try it and find out.

Trickery, patience, and slinking in the shadows are your true weapons, and a new notoriety system rewards authentic gameplay. Each level concludes with a summary of your mission and corresponding bonuses/deductions. You'll be rewarded for carrying out a hit without being seen by civilians, but if you're spotted too many times your notoriety level rises. Next mission you'll have to be especially careful of passers-by, as some may recognize you thanks to your brand new reputation.

Leaving bodies laying around corridors also affects your notoriety level. Patrolling guardsmen will stumble across your fallen foes and immediately sound the alarms. If you're sloppy you'll pay, so keep things as silent and tidy as possible.

Hitman goes a step beyond improving graphics from a technical standpoint and adds artistic flair to its settings. The color palettes used throughout the game are subdued, lending a feeling of reserved silence to each mission. Perfect for, say, sneaking around like an assassin. It's these subtle touches that let the game become part of your own world, and Hitman Blood Money does an amazing job of it.

As you step into a new mission and a new environment, you feel like you're walking into a completely different world. The silent assassin must become aware of his surroundings and knows he must leave as small a footprint as possible. You'll train your eyes to spot moving shadows and passageways and corners you can duck into. Trees wave in the wind, garbage men empty trash bins, citizens carry out their daily business, and you must find ways to exploit all of them. Silently.

An excellent example of artistic design is the first panoramic screenshot above, the outdoor scene with the Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired building. The graphical details are quite impressive, but the designers also show their eye for composition. The building has a cool stone-gray color that makes it look solid and removed. The fog in the background is brought forward by the white sheen on the cherry trees, making it appear distant yet so close it could creep through your nose. All of this is set against the engulfing deep greens of the forest which make you feel as if you're miles away from humanity.

With the attention to realism also came an unprecedented detail in stage layout. Environments aren't flat and linear, they're complete worlds you can spend hours exploring. You'll even come across designer furniture scattered throughout the buildings. A great example is the opera house, a sprawling building packed with dark corners to hide in and dimly lit hallways to sneak down. Climb to the catwalks or descend to the basement to see what you can discover.

The music completes the media package and adds to the drama of the game. While you're sneaking through the shadows a dull orchestra hums in the background. But once you move in for the kill an abrupt crescendo sends your heart pounding in your chest.

While Hitman does offer a number of improvements over previous games in the series, veterans won't find many new things to get them excited. That's not necessarily a bad thing, as the tactical espionage formula doesn't need to be re-invented (though it is beginning to show its age). The notoriety system breathes new life into the game, and the missions, although slightly formulaic, are brand new.

A much needed improvement has finally been implemented: the clunky in-game menu system is gone, replaced with context-sensitive buttons. When you're standing near a potential target, different options will fade-in next to key icons at the top of the screen. You can open or close doors, peer through keyholes and do any number of other things with the same few buttons right at your fingertips.

Hitman Blood Money is tactical espionage at its best, with intricate and sprawling environments you can get lost in and realistic computer-controlled characters that act and react just as in real life. The graphics are simply stunning and have an impressive attention to detail. Hitman Blood Money creates a complete package of atmospheric gameplay and dramatic moments to snatch you out of the real world and place you right in the middle of the game.

Credits:
Official game site: http://www.hitmanbloodmoney.com/
Developers site: http://www.ioi.dk/
Publisher site: http://www.eidos.com/

Special thanks:
Andrea Stefanoni for stitching and photoshopping

Johnny Vaccaro
Editor In Chief