Hitman: Episode 5 – Colorado
Developed by IO Interactive
Published by Square Enix
Available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One
Rated M for Mature
Having followed Hitman from the start, I’ve learned that the community has a conflicting idea of what a “Hitman” game should look like. My favorite episode so far was “Marrakesh,” preferring the tense atmosphere, high stakes, and open map. I didn’t like “Bangkok,” which surprising to me was many people’s favorite map. “At last,” they exclaimed, “the new Hitman gets what made the series great! Long, low stakes missions populated with 90% civilians.” I guess that some people like living their fantasy of murdering guests as a hotel maid. Go figure.
To me, Hitman has always been about killing dudes creatively. From the first game, what drew us all in was the myriad of creative ways we could get away with murder. To date, such a concept has been elaborated on a number of times. Each successive console generation has done its share to bring Agent 47 into the future, some more admirably than others. With the most recent Hitman, the levels are more complex and sandbox than ever. Still, it didn’t feel like was a real, next gen Hitman. That is, until “Colorado.”
The fifth episode of the newest Hitman title sits firmly as one of my favorites of the series. This is what I wanted every episode to be. Large, varied, complex, and with a hell of a lot of ways to murder dudes. Not only that, but it also is unique for being an entirely hostile map. Playing as 47 is harder than ever, a challenge I’m sure fans of the series will really love.
The premise of “Colorado” is deliciously complex, satisfying for fans of the series in a way the previous episodes weren’t. Finally getting into the meat of the plot, your main goal is to hunt down the shadow agent who’s been organizing your hits. Your organizing body, the ISA, isn’t so easily swayed, so in order to justify the operation you have to take out four high value targets. That’s right, four. Not only that, but the entire level is a militia stronghold in the foothills of Colorado. There is no safe space, so you’ll need a rifle and uniform to blend in. And good luck if you are discovered. Even the civilians have shotguns.
When your dress code is “assault rifle mandatory,” you can’t really be surprised when you get assassinated
Even though the premise alone is enough to make it interesting, the actual level is both thematic and varied. Among the various locations of the compound are the perimeter, the command station, the living quarters, the training grounds, the farm, the cooking area, the bomb making tents, and a ton of others. It can be a bit confusing at first where one territory begins and the next begins, but it all makes its own crazy sense when you get the lay of the land.
The four characters are similarly varied. Sean Rose is at the top, taking residence in the heavily fortified house on the hill. He’s a very difficult target, but has a fatal flaw: OCD. Change the clock, move his pencils, or even turning on the faucet will cause him to go into a fit. This stress will cause him to fall back on his old smoking habit, exposing him to either a well placed headshot or garotte. Or, you could also sneak in and replace his phone battery with a bomb, or drown him in the toilet during one of his washing fits. This is Hitman baby, in all its glory.
Oh this house is just BEGGING to have someone murdered in it
The other three targets each have their own unique kills. There’s an “Opportunity” for each of the targets, but just following them around and learning their patterns reveals a plethora of options. This is definitely an episode where the given paths aren’t the only option. This is what I would consider the best use of the Opportunity system. If you follow the path, you get the flashiest kill that will guarantee you get out. However, it’s far from the Silent Assassin approach. This will get you two, maybe three stars out of five at best. If you want to go for the full five, you’ll have to be clever.
Story wise, this is easily the most satisfying of the bunch. We were previously getting snippets into some obtuse conspiracy, but finally we get some insight into what is actually going on. Without spoiling anything, the story gets to a much more personal level. The mysterious assassin from before and Agent 47 have some kind of shared history, and the promise of what’s to come has me begging for the next episode. This is also the first episode that has satisfyingly integrated the story into the gameplay, with a final segment taking place in the bunker where the Shadow Agent was orchestrating your contracts. I understand why it took this long to get here, but I really wish that this kind of story was integrated into every level.
I like having a little context for my brutal slayings.
That’s the takeaway for “Colorado”: I wish every level was like this. After the initial promise of “Paris,” the sprawling map of “Sapienza,” the high stakes of “Marrakesh,” and the piddling fart of “Bangkok,” “Colorado” is genius. Here I am, pointing to it and shouting “YES! YES! More of this!” This is an excellent level of Hitman. Whether this and the next two levels can redeem the whole package are yet to be seen.
-
Episode
Categorized:Reviews
