IO Interactive

Hearing that IO Interactive was working on a 2-player title with a crime theme, my mind jumped to the only logical conclusion—that they were making the co-op Hitman title that all right-thinking people have been demanding for five years now. Upon playing Kane and Lynch, I suddenly remembered that in addition to that franchise, IO also produced Freedom Fighters, the cartoonish squad-based shooter about a plumber thwarting a Russian invasion of America.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Blood, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Strong Language

Game Description: Kane & Lynch: Dead Men follows the violent and chaotic journey of two men—a flawed mercenary and a medicated psychopath and their brutal attitude towards right and wrong. This volatile partnership combined with innovative technologies allow for an unparalleled gaming experience. Kane & Lynch: Dead Men will immerse players into an emotionally intense crime drama with unflinching action. Lo-Interactive's proprietary technology will deliver fluid high definition graphics and lighting, highly destructible environments, massive crowd AI, single, co-op and squad-based combat, a cinematic interface, and non-stop dialog between Kane and Lynch. The title also features innovative two-player co-op and groundbreaking online game play.

I agree with Andrew that Blood Money feels different from past Hitman games, and not always for the better, but I don't agree that it relies less on stealth. Depending on one's perspective, stealth is more important in Blood Money than ever before.

The safety and relative ease with which the player can now experiment robs Blood Money of its predecessors' nail-biting tension and perhaps only in retrospect can we realize how much the unknowability of the simulation made it all the more engrossing.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Blood, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs

A huge fan of Agent 47, I found myself nodding in agreement after reading Scott's evaluation. The first time I laid hands on a Hitman game was a genuinely unforgettable experience. Contracts delivers more of the same, which is not a bad thing.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs

I did a lot of waiting in Hitman: Contracts. I did a lot of walking, too. That's pretty much the whole game—waiting and walking, walking and waiting. Sounds dull when I put it that way, but I'm telling you, never before have these two seemingly banal acts been fraught with so much simmering tension.