Close Menu
  • Gaming
    • All Gaming
    • Nintendo
    • PlayStation
    • Xbox
    • PC Gaming
    • Card & Tabletop
    • VR
  • Features
    • Editorials
    • Interviews
    • The Anime Pulse
  • Guides
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Anime & Animation
    • Movies and TV
    • Books
    • Manga & Comics
    • Toys
    • Geek
    • Culture
  • Previews
  • Reviews
    • All Reviews
    • Video Game
    • Anime & Animation
    • Movie & TV
    • Comic Book & Manga
    • Tech & Gear
    • Food
    • Book
    • Toys
    • Tabletop and Card Game
  • Podcasts
    • A-01 Podcast
    • Nintendo Entertainment Podcast
    • Spectator Mode Podcast
  • Contact Us
X (Twitter) YouTube RSS Bluesky Discord
X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube Bluesky Discord
The OuterhavenThe Outerhaven
  • Latest
  • Features
  • Guides
  • Previews
  • Reviews
    • Video Game Reviews
    • Anime & Animation Reviews
    • Comic Book & Manga Reviews
    • Films & TV Reviews
    • Tech Reviews
    • Tabletop and Card Game Reviews
    • Toy Reviews
  • Gaming
    • PlayStation
    • Nintendo
    • Xbox
    • PC Gaming
    • Retro Gaming
    • Tabletop
    • Virtual Reality
  • Entertainment
    • Anime & Animation
    • Comic Books & Manga
    • Films & TV
    • Original English Light Novels DB
    • OELN DB
    • Culture
    • Books
    • Toys
  • Tech
  • Podcasts
    • A-01 Podcast
    • Nintendo Entertainment Podcast
    • Spectator Mode Podcast
The OuterhavenThe Outerhaven
Home»News»Bring It Back – Hitman: Blood Money (2006)

Bring It Back – Hitman: Blood Money (2006)

By Jason KwasnickiJanuary 29, 2016

Sony has unlocked Pandora’s Box by releasing some of its PS2 classics on the PS4 in 1080p with full feature support, including trophies. Sure, I could just as easily spend that $15 on a satisfying meal at Chipotle, but whereas Chipotle will only bring me temporary satisfaction, trophies last forever. So, the question now stands, what do we want to see them bring back? The PS2 had an enormous library, so every Friday I will make a case for the games that I think deserve the recognition. Some are beloved classics, others are deeper cuts. This week’s pick is:

Hitman: Blood Money (2006)

While I usually like to give keep things zesty with a healthy dose of variety, this week we are doing another stealth game. It is also another game that is still available on last-gen consoles. On top of that, the game is also available on PC, for those who have the capability. However, like last week, we are talking about a franchise that is in trouble.

I love Hitman. The premise is simple, yet allows for numerous avenues to accomplish your goals: here’s a map, kill the target, don’t get caught. That’s it.

The genius here is that the series truly allows for level design, an often under appreciated element of game development, to shine. On top of that, these games always added a bit of devilishly dark humor on top of it all, giving it a charm that is almost unique in the gaming world. It could have maintained a super-serious facade, but Hitman, Hitman: Blood Money, was always confident enough to remind you that it was a game, despite its subject matter.

large-4-640x350

Of course, I am talking about the Hitman of yesteryear. As many of us are aware, the last entry in the franchise, Absolution, began to sway towards more action oriented gameplay. While it did feature a few well designed maps that you could explore to find all sorts of lethal tools, they were few and far between shootouts and generic hallways. What made Hitman: Blood Money great was being vulnerable and having to use your mind, not the ability to slow time and execute precision head shots. In Absolution, wearing disguises was almost an afterthought. In Blood Money, they were your primary weapon. Even more disturbing are the plans that current publisher Square Enix has for the release of the next entry. The company will be releasing the game piecemeal, one map at a time. While the quality of the content is unknown at this point, none of this bodes well for Agent 47.

So, I think it only fitting that we get a taste of what the series was like in its prime. Of course, many would argue that perhaps Contracts or Silent Assassin was better than Hitman: Blood Money. They all had memorable maps, from “Invitation to a Party” to “Traditions of the Trade” to “The House of Cards”; it all really comes down to what missions were most memorable to you. But I would argue that Blood Money was really the culmination of the series up until that point. It fixed many technical issues, making the game a lot easier to look at, and the controls were a bit smoother. It added some meta features like weapon customization, so we finally could do something with all of the money earned on missions. That money could also be used to bribe witnesses, take care of cleanup, and all sorts of cool things you probably wouldn’t think of unless you were an assassin.

Hitman_Blood_Money_4_zps3082523c
Bringing Agent 47 to America for the first time also allowed the game’s dark humor to hit a little closer to home. Dropping a piano on your target during a Mardi Gras parade was priceless. Finally, Blood Money featured many of the greatest tracks laid down by famed game composer/sound designer Jesper Kyd, and was the last title he worked on in the franchise. It was quite the sendoff for a guy who’s music used to be part of the soul of the saga. 

While, in truth, I would like to see the entire collection from Silent Assassin through Hitman: Blood Money on the PS4, I have chosen the latter to represent this era of a franchise that is heading towards a cliff. Please Sony, make it happen.

     

Bring It Back Eidos Interactive hitman Hitman: Blood Money IO Interactice PC PS2 PS3 Ps4 Xbox Xbox 360
Avatar photo
Jason Kwasnicki
  • Website
  • X (Twitter)

Born and raised in the New York area, currently kicking it in Queens, and keeping an ear to the grindstone in this crazy world of internet media hustling. Having attended the George Washington University with a Degree in History, I'm sometimes inclined to use big words unnecessarily. While I typically play a lot of RPGs, I tend to like any game that is fun. My PSN ID is NY-Miller, so hit me up if you ever want to kill some Wizards on the Moon in Destiny.

Related Posts

Sakurai Reveals Kirby Air Riders Roster, Gameplay Details and Release Date!

Pokemon Legends Z-A Drops New Trailer For Online Battle Mode!

First Pokemon Legends Z-A Preview Videos Drop

Kirby and the Forgotten Land Expansion Gets New Gameplay Video

Chibi-Robo Arriving Soon On Nintendo Switch Online!

Indie World Showcase (August 2025) Recap – Mina The Hollower, Neverway, UFO 50 and More!

Leave a Reply

Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Latest Posts

An Interview With The Team Behind Fate Trigger, The Anime Shooter Battle Royale

August 19, 2025

Nintendo PAX West Demo Roster Revealed!

August 19, 2025

Absolum Locks in October Release Date and Reveals New Playable Character

August 19, 2025

Crunchyroll Unveils “Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice” Anime Adaptation at Gamescom

August 19, 2025

Tales Of Xillia Remastered Coming October 2025

August 19, 2025

Elgato 4K S Review: A Compact 4K Capture Card That Delivers

August 19, 2025

ROG Ally X vs ROG Xbox Ally X: Breaking Down the Key Differences

August 19, 2025
About Us • Our Team • Contact Us • Privacy Policy • Review Policy • Ethics Policy 
Work With Us • Reviews on Open Critic • Reviews on CriticDB
Copyright @2025 The Outerhaven Productions

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.