"When their debut game, Hitman: Codename 47, was released in November 2000, it was a janky hybrid of rudimentary stealth, third-person shooting, and the problem-solving mechanics of traditional adventure games. Its wild amalgamation of ideas didn't totally succeed, but it found its audience thanks to its slick presentation of underworld espionage. Over the next 25 years, IO took its ambitious idea for a definitive assassination sandbox from niche PC oddity to one of the best video game trilogies of all time."
"The Hitman series has always had one character at its center: the cold and calculating Agent 47, voiced by David Bateson. It's through this quiet yet charismatic clone that players have peered into IO's unique world of espionage. But while 47 has become an icon thanks to his impeccable style and the barcode on his neck, he's remarkably subdued compared to the heroes we're used to seeing in games. That's by design. "The strength of the world of assassination lies in the empty vessel, because that means there's room for the player to put themselves into the role of Agent 47 and make him do what you want him to," Mikkelsen says. "He has no opinion of what you do for good or bad.""
Hitman launched in November 2000 as a rough hybrid of stealth, third-person shooting, and adventure-style problem solving that nevertheless attracted an audience through slick underworld espionage presentation. Over 25 years, IO Interactive refined the series into a celebrated assassination sandbox and a lauded video game trilogy. The franchise centers on Agent 47, a subdued, genetically engineered assassin whose purposeful neutrality allows player projection. The series evolved through technical trials, divisive experimentation, and a consistent vision that balanced world-building, stylistic presentation, and emergent player-driven gameplay.
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