Hitman: Blood Money

2006's Hitman: Blood Money is the fourth installment in the stealth action series about hitman Agent 47, released simultaneously on PlayStation 2, Xbox, and PC. The game offers expansive, open-ended levels where the player plans and carries out assassinations with an emphasis on freedom of approach - from silent kills with no witnesses, through inventive "accidents" made to look like chance, to an outright shootout if the plan falls apart.

The PlayStation 2 version shares the same content and level structure as its contemporaries, but on older hardware it suffers a noticeably weaker technical presentation: lower resolution, simpler textures, less detailed crowd models, and more limited draw distance in the larger outdoor levels compared to the Xbox version. Loading times and overall technical polish were noticeably weaker on PS2, even though the gameplay, weapon count, disguises, and the rating system based on discretion of execution remained entirely identical to the stronger platforms.

Even so, the PS2 edition remains a fully-featured way to play the game - it includes every level, the entire weapon arsenal, and the complete assassination rating system based on stealth and how believable the staged accident is. For players who didn't yet own an Xbox or a capable PC at the time, it was the only available console route to enjoying Blood Money, albeit at the cost of a noticeably weaker graphical presentation and slower loading between the game's large missions.

The controls match the standard DualShock layout and are identical to how fans had played the Hitman series on the same console in previous installments - the choice between a stealthy approach, disguising oneself as nearby characters, and direct confrontation remains up to the player, just as on the other versions. Despite the weaker technology, the PS2 edition remains an important reminder that Blood Money was the last entry in the series released on a sixth-generation console before Hitman moved exclusively to newer hardware with its next installment.

Why play it: For fans of the stealth series who want to experience the last Hitman entry released on a sixth-generation console - the choice between a stealthy approach, disguises, and direct confrontation works the same on PS2 as everywhere else.