All Hitman games ranked

Hitman is a stealth game franchise that started back in the early 2000s. The first game in the series was released in 2000 by developer IO Interactive and was initially received with mixed criticism. However, the IO plowed through with a more warmly received sequel and paved the way for the series to iconic status.

Since its inception, it has now been more than two decades, and the Hitman series is currently running strong. Fans have enjoyed stepping into the shoes of the cold, calculating assassin known only as Agent 47 and have taken up many assignments to eliminate targets from around the world across all eight games released so far. The ultimate goal was to attain the most coveted mission ratings at the end of each level: Silent Assassin.

The Hitman series has had its ups and downs over the course of its release and contains a few gems, as well as a few black sheep. In this article, these games are ranked, from worst to best, based on their quality of gameplay, faithfulness to the series’ style and esthetic, along with their overall experience, including the narrative and story.

Note: This article reflects the writer's opinion.

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Ranking Hitman games, from worst to best

6) Hitman: Absolution (2012)

Absolution was the fifth game in IO's franchise (Image via IO Interactive)

Ah yes, the bane of the series, from a time when IO Interactive decided to carry it in a slightly different direction. Taking a more linear route involving an unfolding narrative, the game did away with the open-ended levels that the series was known for. As such, many fans were quite disappointed with Hitman: Absolution when it was released.

The game lost much of what fans enjoyed in the series, such as the replayability of the levels and the freedom to approach targets in a variety of ways, as well as explorable open maps. Unlocking new gear and starting up an old level, which had once been an iconic staple of these games, was no longer present.

The story was basic and felt disconnected from the series's larger picture and overall nature, and the action-adventure approach to gameplay was widely panned. The game was ultimately written out of the canon as of 2019, which was probably a relief for many players.

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5) Hitman: Codename 47 (2000)

Codename 47 started off this iconic series (Image via IO Interactive)

The only reason the first game in the series is second from the bottom is because of how the later games constantly improved upon the original. Hitman: Codename 47 was the start of Agent 47’s journey, which showed how he was a clone, one of many created from the combined genome of a number of classified individuals.

Joining the International Contract Agency, 47 puts his natural born talent to good use, as his handler Diana Burnwood assigns him contracts, and he eliminates the necessary targets. Stealth was a primary feature in this game, allowing 47 to knock out or eliminate NPCs and take their outfits as disguises to navigate a level better.

Players could use firearms, melee weapons, or other elaborate staged accidents to eliminate a target, relying on the player’s ingenuity and preference. The game set the theme for this series as a whole, soon becoming a cornerstone of the franchise.

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4) Hitman: Contracts (2004)

Contracts served as a soft reboot for 47's backstory (Image via IO Interactive)

This was the third game in the series and was released on April 20, 2004, for PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Microsoft Windows. The game in the series started a plot element that would arc over to the next entry in the series and was the first time an overarching narrative was spread over more than one game.

Most of the game occurs through flashbacks, as Agent 47 recovers from a near-fatal injury in his hotel room in France. While there are new levels, many scenarios that players can play through are missions from the first game, remastered and with enhanced graphics.

Contracts also takes a low ranking on this list mostly because it relied on reworking the story of the first game and serving as a sort of reboot, one which many saw as an unnecessary step. It still featured some interesting new levels and revisited some iconic locations from the first game but was rendered in superior quality and was quite enjoyable.

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3) Hitman: Blood Money (2006)

Blood Money introduced a few new elements to the series (Image via IO Interactive)

Carrying onwards from the third game, Hitman: Blood Money saw Agent 47 and Diana take on the forces of The Franchise, a rival to the ICA, which began targeting ICA agents, forcing Diana Burnwood to shut down the agency. Agent 47 takes on special assignments from Diana to thwart The Franchise’s plans, working off the grid and mostly solo.

This game saw many changes to the gameplay and inventory system, giving the series a fresh new feel. The player’s rating at the end of each level reflected how 47’s myth unfolded in the news and was witnessed by key figures in the story. The gameplay was also polished and introduced a new distraction mechanic, whereby NPCs would react to sounds in the environment and investigate them.

The story was one of the best ones in the series so far and did so without detracting from 47’s character and his legend. Blood Money was neatly wrapped in threads from the third game, leaving the finish open-ended for the series to carry on from.

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2) Hitman 2: Silent Assassin (2002)

This second game in the series humanized Agent 47 (Image via IO Interactive)

While Silent Assassin is possibly older than most previous titles, it gets a higher spot on this list due to its quite original story, which was a surprising turn after the events of the first game. Agent 47 is retired and serves as a gardener at a Sicilian church at the beginning of the game.

However, as his past catches up to him, after seeing the Reverend of the Church kidnapped, 47 must again take up arms to try to save him. With help from the ICA, 47 heads out to various missions across the globe to gather info regarding the Reverend.

The game saw a whopping 22 playable levels, the highest for any game in the series. Players could head to a shed on the church grounds, which hid all of 47’s equipment, from where they could prepare before a mission.

With the story tying itself to 47’s origins, and a spectacular finale, the game defined the morality of the cold-blooded killer and endeared him to a larger audience.

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1) Hitman: World of Assassination Trilogy (2016-2021)

World of Assassination trilogy is the most recent entry into this franchise (Image via IO Interactive)

Finally, IO Interactive’s crowning achievement was the World of Assassination trilogy, which started with the release of the first game in 2016, simply titled Hitman. This trilogy features some of the most interesting stories and excellently crafted gameplay in the series.

The narrative focused on a shadow client, who provided various mysterious contracts to the ICA, carried out by Agent 47 and Diana Burnwood, his handler. However, an even larger plot surrounds them, linked to the project that birthed 47, as well as a secret clandestine group known as Providence.

Throughout these games, players traveled to various exotic and dynamic locations around the globe as Agent 47 and completed contracts by eliminating various targets. Open-ended levels are fully realized in this trilogy, with players having the most freedom they’ve ever had in a Hitman game.

This trilogy of games pulled from all past entries in the series, keeping some of their best elements (even from Absolution). Each level is uniquely designed and can be endlessly replayed in various scenarios. Hitman III is an ongoing game with the second year of content underway.