Hitman: Blood Money

Hitman: Blood Money, from 2006, is the fourth entry in the Agent 47 series by Danish studio IO Interactive and is still considered by many players and critics to be the peak of the series' classic era, before its reboot the following decade. The game refined the already-established stealth concept to the point that nearly every mission could be completed in dozens of different ways - from a silent strangling to poisoning food to engineering the perfect accident that looks like death by mechanical failure, with the game rewarding these creative, seemingly inconspicuous kills with the highest rating and bonus money.

The newly introduced notoriety system meant Agent 47 built a reputation based on how he carried out each contract - the more brutal and visible his kills, the more easily guards recognized him in future missions, which pushed the player toward precise, near-invisible work. Money earned could be spent between missions on weapon upgrades, bribing witnesses, or altering his appearance, tying individual missions into a more cohesive, elaborate whole than ever before. The range of options available directly in the field also expanded, from hiding bodies to using an unsuspecting civilian as a human shield to subtly manipulating props within the environment.

Levels were designed as open playgrounds full of simultaneously running routines, so simply watching from a distance for a while would reveal several possible solutions on its own. The game also never pushed the player toward a single correct approach, and the same level could be played through completely differently a second time. Critics praised the total freedom of approach to completing objectives, the black humor, the cinematic direction, and the famous opera-house mission, all of which rightfully place Hitman: Blood Money among the best stealth games of its console generation. Many players still consider this entry the unsurpassed high point of the whole series, one that later reboots have struggled to match.