Agent 47 burst into the video game scene in November 2000 with the release of Hitman: Codename 47. Developed by IO Interactive and published by Eidos Interactive, the original game showcased a new type of action hero in the form of the genetically enhanced clone of Agent 47.
In the series, players follow assassin Agent 47. Throughout the games, he travels across the world carrying out missions whilst trying to uncover the mysteries of his origins. There are over eight installments within the main franchise with each one delivering something new to players.
This year marks the 22nd anniversary since the original release and the series has since spawned multiple video games, two movie adaptations, and even a comic book series. The series continues to stay strong decades since the original was released, emphasizing just how successful the Hitman series is.
To celebrate the incredible legacy of this classic video game series, we’re going to look back at the humble beginnings of Hitman and how the series became the giant that it is today. Watch out James Bond, as there’s a new agent in town!
The original series
Whilst Hitman: Codename 47 kicked off the series, the game can be considered quite outdated by modern standards. Nevertheless, it set the groundwork for the series using several mechanics such as disguises, the concealed sniper rifle, and the stealth aspect of the game.
By the second game, Hitman 2: Silent Assassin, the developers had found their footing. Hitman 2: Silent Assassin polished everything that the players loved about the original and offered a true sandbox experience allowing players to creatively drive the missions. Players now had multiple ways of assassinating targets from slyly poisoning drinks to sneakily sniping from a distance.
The rest of the original trilogy including Hitman: Contracts, Hitman: Blood Money, and Hitman: Absolution followed the framework set by the previous two games. Each of these games contained even more sandbox options for players as well as trying to keep the series fresh such as new gameplay features called Instinct and Contracts.
World of Assassination Trilogy
By 2016, the creators of Hitman decided to reboot the entire sequel with a brand-new video game trilogy. Hitman (2016) was originally released episodically which worked surprisingly well given the huge scale of each of the levels and the variety of killing methods on offer.
However, the episodic element from Hitman (2016) was not bought across for Hitman 2 (2018). The developers, IO Interactive, ditched the episodic levels in favor of a full game at the start of the release. All the levels were more refined than in the previous game with every mission taking hours for the players to actually explore everything in the level.
The final game in the World of Assassination Trilogy, Hitman 3, was released in 2021 and ended up as the best Hitman game in the series. Hitman 3 set a new standard for stealth and highlighted six of the strongest and most intriguing maps within the series. Ultimately, Hitman 3 acted as the perfect conclusion to the World of Assassination Trilogy and set a high standard for future Hitman games.
Hitman in other media
Whilst Hitman started life within video games, the series has transcended the medium into multiple other genres. There have been two different film adaptations with Hitman (2007) and Hitman: Agent 47 (2015). Whilst these films weren’t box office bombs, they were both sadly critical failures and failed to release any sequels.
In addition to the core video games, there have been two spin-offs with Hitman Go and Hitman: Sniper. Both of these games differ from the traditional format with the first one being a puzzle video game and the second being a first-person shooter.
The Hitman series even expanded into the iGaming scene with the Hitman slot. This online slot is inspired by the original trilogy and features a variety of murder weapons used in Hitman: Contracts.
Hitman also found life in literature with Hitman: Enemy Within written by William C. Dietz and Hitman: Damnation written by Raymond Benson. Both were received fairly positively with the second book receiving 4.5 out of 5 on Amazon. This even led to a comic book mini-series called Agent 47: Birth of the Hitman which depicts agent 47’s life before the events of the World of Assassination trilogy.
The future of Hitman
There’s no denying that Hitman is one of the most inventive and impressive stealth video games. Since its inception in 2006, the series has continued to expand and evolve. The writer of the John Wick films has even mentioned working on a TV show adaptation of the popular series which is another thing for fans of the video game to get excited over.
It seems that whilst the future of Hitman may seem a little uncertain with the conclusion of the latest trilogy, it’s not the end for everyone’s favorite assassin. Instead, it seems as if Agent 47 is simply going to take a break for a little while, whilst IO Interactive works on the upcoming James Bond video game. When Agent 47 does return to our screens, we’re certain he’s going to be bigger than ever before!
