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IO Interactive

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34 min
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12:35

Hitman: Codename 47

IO Interactive · 2000

Hitman: Codename 47 is a foundational stealth-action hybrid built on compromise: a forced pivot from MMO to shooter, then reshaped by executive vision into something slower, tenser, and more systemic. It rewards silence with money, punishes civilian deaths with deductions, and forces players to drag bodies to avoid alerts — all while running on a bespoke engine that pioneered ragdoll physics. Its brilliance lies in how it stitches together ideas from Deus Ex and Thief, then bends them around corpse logistics. Its flaw is that it never fully sheds its run-and-gun roots — some levels abandon stealth outright, and movement remains stubbornly unrefined. It is not a polished experience. It is a working blueprint.

10:35

Hitman 3

IO Interactive · 2021

Hitman 3 refines the assassination loop to its sharpest point: observe, disguise, infiltrate, eliminate. It assumes competence. It delivers density. It ends where it began — in the architecture of opportunity.

10:38

Hitman: Blood Money

IO Interactive · 2006

Hitman: Blood Money is a stealth assassination game released in May 2006. It is the fourth title in the Hitman franchise. Developed by IO Interactive and published by Eidos Interactive, it launched on Windows, PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Xbox 360. The player controls Agent 47 in third-person, navigating levels with a map that shows topography, targets, and characters. Armed guards, security checkpoints, and witnesses obstruct progress. The game penalises excessive noise and violence. New mechanics include climbing, body disposal, using NPCs as human shields, improved unarmed combat, and weapon and equipment upgrades — five weapons and some equipment can be upgraded. Missions allow multiple elimination methods, including accidental-looking kills and improvised weaponry, even in the presence of bystanders. Critics praised the game at release, and retrospectives have called it the best in the series.