8. Hitman: Absolution
The last Hitman game I played was Hitman: Contracts. I skipped Blood Money because I never really enjoyed the series as a whole. I attended the developer session for Hitman: Absolution and immediately just wanted to play. There is a great story as a backdrop and the levels are full of options. Graphically, it looks nice and the movement is smooth although the camera is a bit awkward. One of coolest modes in the game is Contracts. Basically, it's a sandbox style mode where you set your own missions and rewards. The better you achieve your kills, the higher your score. It's totally addictive. In my first play through, I tried to be the ultimate assassin. With sniper in tow, I planned my attack from a vantage point. I picked off two guards easily and then strangled another. You are constantly upgrading your equipment and weapons too. You can unlock larger clips, silencers and guns and traps. It rewards careful planning and is a nice break from your typical first person shooter. The only problem I had was the AI. The game played flawless in cover and you are rewarded well for being a shadow assassin but the all action fan might not enjoy using assault rifles and going in all guns blazing as the enemies are tougher than most games. I tried it on hard difficulty and got killed a few times quite easily. Personally, I prefer a more stealthy approach anyway so I can't wait to play come November 20th.