Japanese Jank Garbage 最近的评测

Sometimes playing your childhood games is just not worth it, and this game is a prime example of that.
I did a replay on expert remembering that I finished this at some point as a kid.

There is a lot of innovation and uniqueness here and some good ideas they took further into the series but it's all mixed in a pot of bad design, jank and bugs.

There are a lot of mechanics that just contradict the social/disguise/hitman stealth aspect of the game. Most of it is just the enemy AI being busted beyond belief. Especially in the japan missions the AI seems to be fighting it's own programming to screw you over and enemy FOV cones seem randomly generated. Not to say that everyone is suspicious specifically of you at all times even if you would guaranteed practically fit in there: Ninja that covered his entire body, White guy guard in italy, White guy soldier in Russia.
Anaesthethic being limited in time is bad. Running being illegal is bad, slow, boring and removes experimentation. Weapon accuracy is a joke, even when you have to shoot. Sniper rifles are bad. Tresspassing is not communicated at all, especially since there's little indication before you're being shot at. The "Checking your ID" system in the japan missions should just not have been implemented at all.

Level design also takes a nosedive after "Invitation to a Party" so for more than half of the game you're stuck playing bad missions that seem more like a Goldeneye level than a Hitman one. It's just easier to kill everyone.

The rating system is also broken and nonsensical. It's just a few arbitrary triggers you have to hope to not hit, instead of something that would show that no one noticed you were there.

The only time I've had fun with this game is implementing speedrun techniques to speed trough a level and kill a target with poison or something fun and get silent assassin. Playing in any other way is a frustrating and unrewarding trial and error "puzzle" that ends up with you restarting the mission for too many times due to randomness. The live map mitigates that but too little to be a valid point.

Also missions that go straight into other missions without preplanning is a horrible design choice that is a relic taken from Codename 47. That was an action/stealth game, it didn't matter.

Playing this game stealthily in any way is a chore. Just go on a rampage and try not to die in the process.

The story, however is great and the soundtrack is phenomenal. These two save the experience and make you want to play the next level.

This is one game in the series that needs a complete remake. Contracts is already a remaster of the first game so no need for that. It has crazy potential if it gets refined a lot more.

We are so back with this one

It's just so peak. I just don't understand how could Voidpoint top themselves this hard. Probably the best priced DLC out there as well.

Perfect Remaster of the original games and a great way to play in 2025 and later.

The fact that we also get two new episodes is bomb and greatly appreciated. They are also great despite my dislike of the secret levels. This is 100% worth it.

this is basically taking the worst parts of the game and making them a DLC.

boss rush roll slop.

boss run slop. Basically just a straight line to the end boss, while being perma rushed. No exploring no nothing. The optional boss here is also really bad.

POST VOID

Roll slop.

Looks good, sounds phenomenal, plays awful. Can only ever recommend this for a run through to see what an artist can create in the original Source engine.
Wish there was a middle option, but I'll give it a thumbs up since it's not horrible.