Hitman: The Complete First Season (Steelbook Edition)

Hitman: The Complete First Season (Steelbook Edition) is the retail special edition of the 2016 stealth action game Hitman, featuring Agent 47, a genetically enhanced assassin. The game spans six main episodes set in diverse global locations including Sapienza, Marrakesh, Bangkok, Colorado, and Hokaido, alongside a prologue and three bonus missions. Players must eliminate high-profile targets through creative infiltration and strategy in open-ended environments, with this Steelbook edition including exclusive bonus content like additional missions, a digital soundtrack, a behind-the-scenes documentary, and DLC packs such as the Blood Money Requiem Pack and The Sarajevo Six contracts.

Hitman: The Complete First Season (Steelbook Edition): Review

Introduction

Agent 47 returns not as a relic of the past, but as a master of modern assassination in Hitman: The Complete First Season (Steelbook Edition). This definitive physical release packages the 2016 episodic revival of IO Interactive’s iconic franchise, a response to the divisive Hitman: Absolution (2012) and a triumphant homage to the series’ golden age, particularly Blood Money (2006). The Steelbook Edition—encased in a pristine, embossed white case featuring Agent 47’s signature barcode—serves as the ultimate collector’s gateway to a world where creativity, strategy, and meticulous planning reign supreme. This review argues that while the package suffers from narrative inconsistencies and technical quirks, its unparalleled sandbox design, depth of systems, and commitment to player agency make it a landmark achievement in stealth gaming and a testament to the power of iterative development.

Development History & Context

IO Interactive, under Square Enix, embarked on a bold experiment by reviving Hitman as an episodic live-service title in 2016. This approach was a direct response to fan feedback following the linear, narrative-driven Absolution. As Creative Director Christian Elverdam stated, the goal was to create a “World of Assassination,” a dynamic playground refined over a 10-month live season through player input. Technologically, the game leveraged the Glacier engine, enhanced with middleware like PhysX for physics, Wwise for audio, and Simplygon for optimization. The episodic structure allowed IO to release content incrementally, patching and expanding levels based on community feedback—a radical departure from traditional AAA development. This model was particularly significant in 2016, a year marked by the rise of digital storefronts and live-service games, positioning Hitman as a pioneer of episodic AAA content. The Steelbook Edition itself, released January 31, 2017, was a calculated move to cater to collectors, bundling all content into a single polished package.

Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

The narrative is sparse and deliberately minimalist, serving primarily as a framing device for the gameplay. Agent 47, clad in his signature suit, works for the International Contracts Agency (ICA) to eliminate high-profile targets across disparate locales. The overarching plot—connecting targets like fashion mogul Viktor Novikov and crime lord Kenji Fujimura—unfolds through mission briefings, in-game chatter, and post-mission cutscenes. However, the storytelling is often criticized as tonally inconsistent and hampered by repetitive voice acting. Thematic depth lies not in plot twists but in the exploration of identity and professionalism. 47’s disguise system forces players to navigate social hierarchies, blurring the line between “real” and “fake” identities. The game’s core theme—power through control—is embodied in every choice: whether to use brute force, environmental manipulation, or psychological cunning. As one reviewer noted, the narrative’s “lacklustre” quality ironically heightens immersion, reducing NPCs to variables in a complex system and emphasizing 47’s detached, analytical perspective.

Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

Hitman’s brilliance lies in its emergent, systemic gameplay. Each mission drops 47 into a vast sandbox, offering near-total freedom in how targets are eliminated. Core systems include:
– Disguise & Infiltration: A refined disguise system allows 47 to blend in seamlessly unless he acts suspiciously (e.g., brandishing weapons) or encounters others in the same profession. This replaces the binary “suspicion” meters of past titles, creating a more fluid stealth experience.
– Opportunities: Guided narratives that reveal creative kill methods (e.g., poisoning a target’s drink or triggering an accident). While invaluable for newcomers, these can be disabled to preserve challenge.
– Challenges & Escalation Contracts: Hundreds of side objectives (e.g., “Kill only with a screwdriver”) and escalating contracts that add new constraints (e.g., “No witnesses”) incentivize replays.
– Elusive Targets: Time-sensitive missions with permadeath, offering high-risk, high-reward gameplay.
– Online Integration: Progress, leaderboards, and community-created Contracts require persistent connectivity—a divisive choice that punished offline play.

The Steelbook Edition adds the Requiem Blood Money Pack, including the iconic white suit and chrome pistol, alongside exclusive missions like “The Icon.” Critically, the Professional difficulty mode restricts saves and removes “easy” tactics, heightening tension. Yet, AI inconsistencies—such as guards overlooking blatant breaches—occasionally undermine immersion, as noted by critics like Video Chums.

World-Building, Art & Sound

Each location is a meticulously crafted microcosm:
– Sapienza (Italy): A sun-drenched coastal town with a sprawling mansion and underground lab, exemplifying the series’ environmental storytelling.
– Hokaido (Japan): A snowbound hospital with a high-tech security wing, forcing players to adapt to stricter disguise rules.
– Colorado (USA): A military training ground (“Freedom Fighters”) that stands out for its tension but is criticized for lacking the creativity of other levels.

Art direction prioritizes realism and detail, with NPCs reflecting their environments—e.g., Parisian gossips versus Bangkok’s security detail. However, some levels feel superficially “exotic,” lacking the thematic weight of Blood Money’s Mardi Gras. Sound design is stellar: Niels Bye Nielsen’s score oscillates between tense synth and ambient dread, while environmental audio—footsteps, distant chatter—enhances immersion. Yet, voice actor reuse is jarring, with NPCs across locales sharing identical dialogues, breaking immersion as noted by GamesRadar.

Reception & Legacy

Hitman was a critical triumph upon release, earning an 85% Metacritic score for its inventive level design and systems. The Steelbook Edition garnered mixed praise: Video Chums awarded it 81%, praising its “awesome graphics” and “varied gameplay” but lambasting “terrible writing” and “confusing menus.” Players rated it 3.6/5, with collectors praising the Steelbook’s quality. Commercially, the episodic model succeeded, with Season One becoming Square Enix’s fastest-selling digital title in 2016. Its legacy is profound: IO iterated on this framework for Hitman 2 (2018), and its emphasis on sandbox design influenced titles like Dishonored 2. The Steelbook itself remains a coveted collector’s item, symbolizing the franchise’s renaissance.

Conclusion

Hitman: The Complete First Season (Steelbook Edition) is a flawed masterpiece—a testament to IO Interactive’s vision and the power of live development. While the narrative falters and online requirements grate, its unparalleled sandbox design, systemic depth, and commitment to player agency redefine the stealth genre. The Steelbook packaging, enriched with bonus content, is the definitive way to experience this revitalized classic. In the annals of video game history, this edition stands not just as a game, but as a landmark in iterative design—a “World of Assassination” where every mission is a blank canvas for creativity. For series veterans and newcomers alike, it remains an essential chapter in Agent 47’s enduring legacy.