Eidos Shoots to Kill with New Hitman

Eidos and IO Interactive have had great success with Agent 47. The assassin has spawned a bestselling game franchise and a new motion picture from 20^th Century Fox starring Vin Diesel. Adam Lay, assistant producer for Hitman™: Blood Money, talks about what's in store for fans in the latest Xbox® and Xbox 360™ game.

A lot of what players have previously learned about Agent 47 over the course of the first three games (Hitman: Codename 47, Hitman 2: Silent Assassin™, and Hitman: Contracts™) has been from his interaction with other characters. The one thing that's clear is that he's a neutral character, a gray man.

"He's not evil, but he's not necessarily a good guy either," says Lay. "You wouldn't want to be his enemy. Many of the targets Agent 47 has killed in the past haven't necessarily been good, decent people. As a contracted killer, he does kill for money, but this isn't his only motivation. He is not just a blood-thirsty killer; he's far more complicated than that."

In Hitman: Blood Money, Lay says many answers to questions that have been raised in previous games will finally be revealed. The new story delves deeper into the workings of the ICA (Agent 47's employer, known as The Agency) and reveals more of the underlying story that has been referred to throughout the series.

Agent 47 shoots first and asks questions later.

" We have listened to our hardcore fan base and
that's influenced our decisions regarding
mission locations and overall game design "

Although there are a few missions in Europe, the majority of the new game is set in various locales across the U.S. like Las Vegas, New Orleans, and Los Angeles. Many of these locations are considerably larger than in previous Hitman games. Buildings and interiors feature both realistically scaled architecture and accurate design.

A Man on a Mission
IO has expanded the gameplay features for this latest adventure. As Agent 47, the player now has the ability to stage various "accidents" in order to kill targets. This feature opens up more strategic gameplay, as a player can take out one target (or targets) remotely, while concentrating on other targets or objectives first-hand.

"Civilians and enemies can now be used as human shields to help maneuver through gunfights and hostile situations," says Lay. "Close combat has also been addressed. It's now possible to directly react to hostile scenarios without relying on your gun. Agent 47 can disarm guards and enemies with his bare hands."

Blood Moneyalso introduces an economy system to the gameplay. Payment is received after each successful mission. How much the player earns is ultimately dependant on how they approach the mission professionally. Providing the targets are killed, the player gets paid the contracted price for the hit. This cash can be used to reduce the risks of other hits. After each mission, the player has the option of hiring the ICA to remove a dead body from the scene of the crime or to silence a potential witness to the hit. This lets Agent 47 operate under the radar of the media and keeps his visibility low.

"The game engine and scripts that power the game's artificial intelligence have been completely re-written," says Lay. "Non-playable characters react to the environment and the people around them. They will follow blood trails and investigate suspicious items and behaviour. Additionally, a new pathfinder engine provides improved tracking and movement, resulting in realistic NPC behavior and interaction."

Agent 47 has never looked better.

All the Right Moves
Blood Money features more interactive objects and environments than seen in any of the previous games in the series. It's now possible for Agent 47 to vault over walls, climb through roof hatches in elevators, scale ledges, and traverse various escarpments.

Lay says that with this improved mobility, the potential possibilities the player has in their overall approach to each mission and how they actually decide to kill their targets are greatly increased.

Additionally, a new in-game camera system is now available. The player can move the camera independently from the on-screen character. With the camera no longer fixed upon Agent 47's back, the player can pan around the environment while on the move. Lay says this leads to a greater awareness of a player's surroundings as they move and explore the environment.

Xbox 360 brings the assassin's emotions to light.

Tools of the Profession
According to Lay, Agent 47's personal weapons, such as the dual Silverballers and the W2000 sniper rifle, benefit greatly from the new customization feature. There are more than 50 various types of upgrades that can be applied to his weapons. This lets players configure their guns to their own playing style.

"Whether it's a weight-reduced bolt-action sniper rifle with enhanced scope and low-velocity ammo, or an assault rifle equipped with armor-piercing ammo and increased clip capacity, the choice is up to the player," says Lay. "As in previous games, Agent 47 will also be able to use any firearms he happens to encounter in the environment. There are more than 30 additional weapons the player can collect in the game."

In addition to these firearms, players can incorporate everyday objects into their assassinations. Pens, hammers, and the odd piece of garden furniture can all be deadly in an assassin's hand. These types of items can be integrated into the "accidents" that the player stages.

Hitman: Blood Money supports the Xbox Live® Aware feature set, which lets players access friends lists and messages when connected to Xbox Live. Also unique to the Xbox and Xbox 360 versions are online scoreboards, which let players upload level statistics and compare their virtual feats with players around the world.

Article by John Gaudiosi

• Official game Web site.
• Eidos' official Web site.