HITMAN – Episode 4: Bangkok Review

Thai-ed up?

Hitman is back for the next monthly instalment. Is Bangkok a holiday to remember for Agent 47?

Story:
This month, IO goes out of their way to really justify your murdering, making both of your hits sound like real douchebags. It’s also a bit of a lighter story, as the agency appears to have been hired to take out a lawyer and shitty rock musician in a classic revenge tale, as a result of their daughter having been pushed to their death by said top-knot sporting idiot.

Gameplay:

My main complaint with the Bangkok level is that it’s all over too quickly. You can find your first target within a few seconds, and the other’s never that far away. Within 45 minutes I was in and out, killing both targets in some great accidental kills.

Of course, as ever, there’s plenty of replay value, but the first hit is always the most memorable. Thankfully the opportunities, including having Agent 47 dress up as pest control, blow up a dodgy Tuk-Tuk or even steal the identity of a session drummer, are right up with the best the season has had to offer, along with some brilliantly silly writing.

Using the opportunities can make the level quite easy, but for those going for the suited, silent assassin approach will find Bangkok loaded with security guards. It’s a good way of ramping up the difficulty for differing scenarios and playstyles – I certainly think it’s the way forwards, and keeps the challenge up for those who really want to get to level 20 mastery, but keeping things accessible for those who just buy a level here or there.

Presentation:

Bangkok looks superb, with an amazing, glorious red sky and hazy mist enveloping the city beyond. However, most of your time will be spent inside a luxury hotel. Whilst there’s plenty of variety between the suites, bars, rooftops and staff areas, I feel like the level is missing a trick by keeping Agent 47 indoors so much. And again, the voice acting is mostly too generic for my liking, taking a little away from the otherwise excellent luxury holiday atmosphere.

Conclusion:

Agent 47’s latest escapade is a brilliant mix of serious and funny content, with some great opportunities for the hit. But the level doesn’t always make best use of the brilliant background or art style, and can be completed quite quickly, making it feel a little bit less special perhaps than some of the other levels to date. But for players already in deep, the addition of a new map, new escalations and contracts will no doubt be more than enough to keep them interested for another month.