Hitman GO: Our Review

I have never been a big fan of the Hitman games.  These games were some of the first open world games I played and I appreciated the freedom the series offered; this stuff was really innovative to those of us who grew up on sidescrollers.  It wasn’t long, however, until I started to encounter the rules of the game.  Certain actions got you caught, certain outfits aroused suspicion, and sometimes it wasn’t clear why those things were happening.  I left the series behind early on, and so I was skeptical of Hitman GO when I first heard about it.  I was way wrong, though.  If you like the concept and style of Hitman but don’t care for the open-world dynamics of the console titles, this may be the game for you.

Sadly there’s no way to speak to the attractive swimmers. Agent 47 is no James Bond.

Hitman GO has very simple gameplay.  You play as Agent 47 and your goal is always to assassinate a target or sneak through an area.  The world is rendered as a gameboard, with various other characters moving in specific patterns.  You move one space each turn and the others likewise move one space.  If you move into another character on your turn, you take them out.  Likewise, if they move into you (or – in the case of snipers – get a clear shot at you), it’s game over.  There are keys to acquire and the occasion weapon, costume, or item to utilize.  It’s easy to pick up the game’s rhythms and the tension escalates at regular intervals as new characters are introduced.  You begin with patrolling sentries and stationary guards and eventually encounter snipers and angry dogs.  By the end of the game, you’re facing a variety of characters with their own dynamics on large, multiscene (and nicely designed) gameboards.

This is going to take some calculating. But at least my tie matches the decor.

Hitman GO was perfect for me because it clarified the ambiguity I ran into with the console titles.  In Hitman GO, I know exactly how the characters will react and everyone moves in very defined ways.  The environments and sounds are also nicely designed to capture the feel of the game.  Levels don’t take terribly long (minutes to maybe half an hour on more difficult levels) but there are challenges to each board that may bring the interested gamer back for another round.  We’ve already been singing the game’s praises (though we aren’t as big of fans of other GO titles).  In short, the tight gameplay and nice design make this is the perfect title IOS title for the gamer on the go (see what I did there?).

I call this level “Dollhouse of Murder.”

THE GOOD

Graphics and colors are sharp.  Levels are brief but nicely defined; you end each stage feeling smart for thinking your way through some complex situations.

THE BAD

Each stage is fairly short and the whole game can be completed in a few hours.  Still, that’s not a bad length for an IOS title.

OVERALL: BUY IT

The GO titles are a continuing trend but Hitman GO is the original and the best version we’ve played.  This game will live on your IOS for quite a while.