Hitman over Deus Ex? Episode 4 Bangkok Impressions

Although we can all see that Hitman and Deus Ex are two very different experiences, they both share a very common play mechanic – stealth. When playing through both titles in the past week – Deus Ex for review and the latest Hitman episode – I realized that although Deus Ex is packed full of things to do, I would rather play stealth in Hitman.

The fundamental difference between environments in both titles is that Deus Ex is built for multiple options – stealth, run and gun, or a mixture – where as Hitman features more options to complete tasks in stealth mode.

But what both titles try to do is offer multiple routes to accomplish a single goal, and I really have to give Hitman the edge here. While Deus Ex does allow multiple paths, it really does pail in comparison to the options one has when playing Hitman.

The latest Episode of Hitman: Bangkok, is an excellent example of this. Agent 47 will maneuver around a swanky hotel looking to eliminate his target, Jordan Cross. Jordan’s crimes are not what we’ve come to expect in Hitman – he’s not an arms dealer or drug dealer, but rather, a spoiled rich prick who used daddy’s money to evade the law in the (seemingly accidental) death of his girlfriend.

The hotel you move through in Bangkok is exactly what you want for a steal game. There are traps and hidden secrets, disguises to use, and a variety of weapons and gadgets at your disposal. The ability to move around the massive level and deal with the target is – and I cannot say this enough apparently – what sets Hitman apart from other stealth games (Deus Ex for example). Hitman does it better, and has been consistent now through 4 episodes.

We at GamesReviews cannot say enough about Hitman, and the fact that this latest episode has landed so close to Deus Ex release allows us to compare to games that do stealth differently. Both succeed, but when playing these back-to-back, you quickly realize how well the Hitman development team has done this title.