If I’ve learned anything from playing video games over the years, it’s that I would make a terrible assassin. Translating being a badass contract killer into gameplay is very difficult and I had bounced off of nearly every Hitman game to date. As such, I didn’t have high hopes when the new Hitman was announced. This is one of those rare instances where I’m not even quite sure what to tell you they did right this time. Something about the formula in this particular entry clicked with me in a way it just hasn’t before lending to one of the best stealth games out there.
Getting a stealth game right is like whipping up a batch of waffles. If you get just one thing wrong, it can send the whole thing off balance. Hitman nailed what it was going for in just about every respect. The episodic format, which even had me skeptical, also ended up doling out the content at just the right pace to keep it feeling satisfying and fresh throughout the season. They’ve done a great job of supporting it as well with the elusive targets and seasonal maps adding some cool extra content. Hitman also does a great job of being silly when it needs to be, which lead to many hilarious and random moments throughout the year. I don’t need to stuff you into a box to convince you that Hitman belongs as number five in my top ten games of 2016.
