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He's not going back to Montreal this time.

This-gen, there have been two major players in the stealth genre. Most gamers were initiated into the new line of consoles with Metal Gear Solid 2, featuring Kojima's motley crew running about and making for some Bruckheimer-level action. Sam Fisher snuck through the shadows of the linear trial-and-error gameplay of Splinter Cell. On the fringe sat Agent 47... A hitman with a penchant for perfection and a silent, subdued style.

Hitman: Blood Money brings the series to a head with the help of the titular currency exchange. Hits produce cash, which goes towards helping Agent 47 get through the game. Optimally, you'll look to put as much of that hard-earned money into your weapons as possible. However, if you aren't a strict perfectionist, the press will slowly piece together a description of Agent 47 and make his face more recognizable.

Hitman: Blood Money features a smooth control system with the face buttons used primarily for contextual actions and the clandestine attacking bits mapped to the shoulders. The only part of the scheme that's not really all that intuitive is the throw command, which is done by pressing in the left analogue. It's a small problem in the end, as the contextual face buttons make complex tasks such as independently inserting a gun into a basket and picking up the basket itself simple to perform.

Unsurprisingly, this new Hitman title has strong level design. Large, natural feeling levels and convincing atmosphere give every level a distinct feel. From Mardi Gras to a dingy amusement park to an opera house, the developers have made a handful of convincing locales with all sorts of nasty stuff you can use as a means to an end. How you use the environment to your advantage, though, is entirely up in the air. During the tutorial mission, it's possible to set up an "accident" with a chandelier such as to make it fall on a stronger enemy.

Ideally, Hitman: Blood Money is built for professional speed-runs. Get in, get out, don't get detected or kill anyone uninvolved: you are to become the excellence of execution (sans hot pink tights, natch). Even though the game allows for less-than-ideal finishes to levels, you'll still run through levels a few times to figure out exactly what to do and when to do it. Lower levels of difficulty allows for save-points within missions, which makes for a bit easier time of making a great run through a level, but they are only temporarily stored. In that, Hitman's ability to be a pick up and play game is hindered, but not significantly enough to ruin the experience.

Hitman: Blood Money is an extremely solid title, with small problems here and there. If you're looking for a game where obsessive-compulsive tendencies and people watching is valued over hide and seek gameplay, you really can't go wrong with Blood Money - but just don't expect it to be an easy ride.

1. Level design and atmosphere are top-notch.
2. Rewards for better gameplay are instantly tangible.

1. Mid-level saves are only temporarily stored - what gives?
2. Why do I get a weird satisfaction out of choking a crow?