The Hitman franchise takes an unexpected dive into board game puzzler territory with Hitman Go, a smart and addictive iOS app.
We love the uber-violent Hitman series, which sees you guiding the baldy agent through all manner of gruesome assassinations, so we were highly intrigued to hear about Hitman Go. This is a very different spin on the stealth/action series, taking a turn-based puzzle approach dressed up as a virtual board game. You may think it sounds all kinds of weird, but it works surprisingly well.
Each chapter of Hitman Go is split into a number of levels which you must complete in turn, with the simple objective of reaching the end point. The levels are basic grids which you navigate one move at a time, and after you make a move, every enemy on the board also gets a turn. Some of them spin on the spot, some of them patrol back and forth – you need to pay close attention to their movements, just like in the original Hitman games, if you’re to survive the level.
Various mechanics from the original titles make it into Hitman Go, including swapping costumes to fool the guards and the agent’s iconic dual pistols (although weapons don’t pop up until the third chapter, so you need to rely on your wits plenty before then). There are various bonus objectives for each level too, such as collecting a briefcase, finishing in a set number of moves, or making it to the end without killing any baddies. That’s some decent replay value, as it’s often not possible to complete all the objectives in just one attempt.
Hitman Go boasts some gorgeous presentation and addictive gameplay that’ll keep you coming back for more sneaky killy action. And with the promise of more chapters to come, it’s well worth its £2.99 asking price on the Apple App Store.
Update (4/5/14): Hitman Go is now available on Android too! Pick it up from the Google Play store at the link below.
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