IO interactive
Hitman: codename 47

The first title of the series came out 15 years ago on PC and amazed those who played it due to its truly innovative and even ruthless gameplay.

The protagonist is the 47th clone of a professor who attempts to create the perfect assassin.

And in the first few minutes of the game, we are trained to kill, become lethal, then become part of a secret agency, the ICA, and prove ourselves to be infallible, act as silently as possible, never make any noise, hide in the shadows, disguise ourselves, or, if stealth isn't your thing, you can let everything go south and shoot anyone who stands in your way.

The problem is that if you want to play action with Hitman, you've chosen the wrong game, or rather, the wrong chapter.

In fact, while from the second chapter onward the action component becomes acceptable, in the first incredibly difficult episode, shooting on sight equals instant death. The game, after all, was designed to be played quietly, with patience and a lot of coolness.

Killing a guard doesn't significantly improve your safety: the game's AI is ruthless and unpredictable making the game truly frustrating and anxiety-inducing, and at any moment a guard could discover you and screw everything up.

But the beauty of Hitman lies in the multiple ways to take out the target: strangling with a piano wire (the iconic weapon of the saga), sniping with a rifle, or trying an accidental death, making it all seem like an accident. This is, in fact, the game's driving force.

This experiment of genres (stealth, puzzle game) and its difficulty have made it a game with a niche success. A small (yet also great) masterpiece of video games, a little gem that shines solitary like its mix of genres. A must-try!