Chris Sanderson reviews Hitman Episode 4: Bangkok…
Hey Guys, Kris Wall is having some technical difficulties on his end this week so I have been tasked with covering the new Episode of Hitman. Having only played Hitman: Absolution previously, I got the opportunity to play through all of the previous episodes leading directly into Bangkok for this title and it’s been quite the ride for me.
Hitman is a series that’s always stood out for me as something I would love; unfortunately 2011’s Hitman: Absolution wasn’t well received among fans and apparently didn’t really have the Hitman formula, but with the return of Agent 47 in 2016, the series has gone back to its roots by giving you many different ways to tackle a mission. One thing I have found playing the new game is that with each new episode the levels seem to get bigger and at times more difficult as well as more beautiful, and Bangkok is no exception.
Set in the fictional Himmapan Hotel on the Chao Phraya River in Thailand, 47 is tasked with taking out two targets, Jordan Cross, front man of the band “The Class”, and his family lawyer Ken Morgan. They have been tied to the death of a former girlfriend of Crosses the year prior, with Morgan helping to cover up the fact that it was Jordan who killed her by throwing her from his penthouse in New York. Both targets are staying at the hotel to finish up on the band’s album which leaves them vulnerable to 47 who has arrived to carry out the kill order.
This episode starts you off at the front of the Chapo Phraya River and it is simply stunning. I found myself just wondering about at the front of the hotel taking it all in, a testament to how dedicated IO Interactive is at making the game the best Hitman experience so far. This hotel is huge and as usual has multiple paths to take you in and get access to the areas where your targets are. I however took the easy route, the front door, where I was greeted by the concierge at the front desk; I gave my name and was given a key where I was then escorted to my room by a lovely gentleman who probably deserved a tip. But then as a world class assassin, it just isn’t my style. This gave me a chance to get a glimpse of my surroundings, guards posted everywhere, staff access doors left right and centre. I was going to need a disguise, so after going and admiring more of the view from my room, I called on the front desk to tell them the bed hadn’t be made correctly and to send someone at once. I don’t want to spoil exactly how I did the mission, but as per previous episodes there are numerous opportunities for 47 to take advantage of, dressing as a chef, hotel butler or even recording crew there are so many ways to interact with and kill your targets. Diana got a little sassy during one of the opportunities and informed 47 how he loves “to grovel”. 47 will keep that written in a ledger somewhere where he’ll get his revenge one day, I’m sure.
As my colleague Kris has pointed out in previous reviews, the sheer amount of interaction to come up with elaborate ways and plan your assassination is just staggering. I’ve found that opportunities are ways the game will help you kill someone if you want, but turn those off and you can plan some really intricate ways – maybe you don’t want to go stealthy and silent and instead plant an ICA sniper rifle in your bedroom and take out your target from a distance? Maybe you want to plant a proximity mine on the path way your target will take and have them blown to pieces while you’re down the bar sipping on a cocktail? The choice is yours.
When I first heard about Hitman coming out as an episodic game I wasn’t too interested as I wanted to sit down to a full game, and although there are two more episodes left of the series, I think now was a great time to get the game. With enough content to play through some sinister plot happening behind the scenes, as well as a host of Contracts from gamers and the dev time as well as Elusive Contracts every few weeks, the game has plenty to do to keep you engrossed. Having played Bangkok I can’t wait for the next episode, and with the high replay-ability of the game my time will be taken up between now and then with player made contracts and elusive targets. Unfortunately, the version I have is on PC and therefore I didn’t get to play any of the Sarajevo Six contracts exclusive to PlayStation 4, so I won’t be able to comment on that content. Hopefully IO Interactive will release those at a later date when PlayStation fans get their final contract as the trailers have me hooked on wanting to become the best assassin I can be.
Pros:
+ Beautiful scenery.
+ Untold number of ways to assassinate your targets.
+ Many challenges and contracts to complete.
+ High level of replay-ability.
+ Continues the Hitman formulae perfectly.
Cons:
– No checkpoints.
Rating: 9/10
Chris Sanderson
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https://youtu.be/b7Ozs5mj5ao?list=PL18yMRIfoszEaHYNDTy5C-cH9Oa2gN5ng
