4. Hitman: Absolution (2013)

Hitman: Absolution Debut Trailer [North America]

Developer: IO Interactive

Genre: Action-adventure, stealth

Theme: Professional assassin, conspiracy

Legendary Agent 47 comes back in this 2013 installment. Tasked with killing his former ICA (International Contracts Agency) handler, Diana Burnwood, he will uncover a conspiracy that will take him to exotic locations while protecting a girl from killer nuns in latex outfits.

I’m not kidding. No wonder he wants absolution.

Without much room to impact the story with different actions or exploring big areas, it can be said that it has a slightly more linear approach to missions. After all, you have to go from point A to point B, and there’s not much room for going anywhere else. But it’s still close to the Hitman games you love and replay. This time around, you must use your Instincts (a literal power-up that lets you highlight important stuff) to navigate and kill your targets. You can do so with a bullet to the head or staging an accident, hiding corpses or avoiding detection whatsoever. Your choice.

Is it getting too packed? Oh right, you’re dead. Never mind.

And if you get bored with that, you can always enter the Contracts portion of the game, where you can design and play different user-made missions. A never-ending sneaky blood bath.

Hitman: Absolution Gameplay #1 Introducing: Agent 47 [US]

5. HITMAN (2016)

HITMAN - Episode Three: Marrakesh Launch Trailer (May 31st)

Developer: IO Interactive

Genre: Stealth, action-adventure

Themes: Professional assassin, conspiracy

Before you even knew he had gone away, Agent 47 returns in this episodic game with a desire to travel, see the sights and shape the world through assassination. A hopeless romantic, I’d say.

That’s why all the red, obviously.

This installment, titled only Hitman, has been launching episodes all through 2016, with an upcoming one on January 2017. Each entry takes us to different and exotic locations around the globe. With a simplified Instincts mechanic, no more linear (i.e., no more limited exploration) and huge levels, this game tries to take everything that worked in Blood Money and mix it with Absolution ideas, giving it an overall different (and arguably better) feel than its predecessor.

Even with a helicopter besides him, not even his tie looks out of control.

With sandbox levels where to plan and kill in creative and unexpected ways, you’ll be quite happy that Agent 47 still looks good in that Italian suit of his, for you’ll be controlling him for quite a while.

HITMAN - World Premiere 'Showstopper' Playthrough