Hitman: Blood Money (Xbox 360)

.co.uk Review ------------- In a nutshell: Agent 47 is back in the game that finally does full justice to the Hitman concept, with huge improvements to the graphics, controls and, most importantly, the number of ways for you to plan your hits – from wading in s blazing to making it all look like a simple accident. The lowdown: Although the Hitman games were always a great idea they never quite worked the way you expected, with an awkward control system and camera and far less freedom than it at first seemed. This latest sequel solves almost all these problems, starting with a standard third person camera over which you have full control. Although you can ask for hints on how to carry out a hit you’ve so many options the game’s almost like a macabre graphic adventure - do you use the remote detonated bomb on the chandelier winch in the ballroom or plug the secretary’s Coke with poison and hide in the cupboard? The new notoriety system seems a bit pointless but otherwise this gets almost everything right. Most exciting moment: The game features tons of new additions like grabbing human shields, a quick draw for your and the ability to hide bodies. The most fun though is the simple sounding push option, which allows you to sneak up behind someone and send them flying off a balcony by "accident". Since you ask: Blood Money includes various references to previous Hitman games, the most prominent being the Paris mission in an Opera house, which acts as a prequel to Hitman: Contracts. The bottom line: The best Hitman game yet, that makes a real effort to fix the flaws of the previous games. Harrison Dent Manufacturer's Description -------------------------- Hitman is back and this time he's paid in cold, hard cash. The Blood Money he earns affects his passage through the game and the weapons at this disposal, resulting in a unique gameplay experience for each players. Powered by a new version of lo's stunning Glacier engine, Hitman: Blood Money will deliver the most brutal and realistic sumulation of life as the world's deadliest assassin.

• Blood Money system - The cleaner the hit, the more money you receive -- spend it on equipment, weapon upgrades, information and bribing witnesses to reduce your notoriety.
• Improved AI makes the game more challenging -- guards will follow blood trails, investigate suspicious items and behaviour.
• Agent 47 has a number of new moves and can now climb, hide, scale ledges and automatically pass low obstacles.
• Customizable weapons - Modify for sound, rate of fire, damage, reload speed, accuracy and zoom.
• New gameplay techniques - Distract enemies, make your kills look like accidents, dispose of bodies in various ways, use human shields & decoy weapons.