Hitman is a popular and controversial game franchise, which follows the adventures of Agent 47 whose greatest attributes are his abilities at stealth and his no compromise attitude to killing. The original was festooned with great graphics, but the underlying idea of the game is easily distilled down.

Hitman Go is a new game for the iOS, which follows the same character. Rather than try and reproduce a cut down version of the game Square Enix have gone straight to the heart of the game by creating something which concentrates on the two main elements: stealth and killing.

The first thing you notice is just how good the game looks. The game is presented on a surface which looks to be about the size of an isometric chess board. On your board you have figurine versions of the Hitman, various thugs and your target. There is also some cover, which can be used to your advantage. The board can be moved, a little, but it’s not really an issue as you have a clear site of the whole playing area.

The idea is that, using a turn based system, you move your Hitman through the various bad guys to get to your target. If you fail the game just puts you back to the beginning. At its heart this is a puzzle game. Get your move wrong and the bad guys will knock you off the board, so you have to be aware of not only where they are, but in which direction they are looking. As you move through the game the puzzles become more complex, but the underlying idea does not change.

In an effort to help you your list of aids, both distractions and disguises, increase opening up many permutations when trying to get to your target.

As the game progresses it throws up more challenges, whether it is limiting the amount of moves you can make or insisting that you do it without killing any of the goons or civilians. Sometimes both restrictions apply and sometimes you will find yourself having to pick up an item along the way.

The game throws you straight in, but then the game's ideas are pretty easy to pick up and the initial screens are very forgiving, even providing hints if required. Characters are initially static on the board, but progress far enough and they start to patrol around the board adding another layer of difficulty to the game.

There is an in game payment option where you can unlock levels or purchase hints, but these are by no means required if you’re willing to spend time on the game.

Get into it and it becomes quite addictive. A nice little game, well made and entertaining.

8

Charles Packer