Basics

How to Play - Game Overview
Io Interactive's Hitman: Contracts is the third installment in the Hitman series. Agent 47 will go through twelve objective-based missions (most of them are recollections of missions he has undertaken in the past, as the story goes). By using stealth and guile, he can slip past guards and make quick, clean kills on his targets. But if things get out of control, he can always whip out his guns and do things the messy way. There are many ways to finish a mission, but only with proper planning and timing can it be done silently.

Status Indicators

Life Meter (solid black bar)
Agent 47's health. Every time he gets shot, falls from a high place, or takes some other form of damage, he loses some life. This meter turns red when his health is at 25% or less. If this meter hits zero, he enters a near-death state where everything starts to gray out and darken for a few moments, after which he collapses. If he can perform four head shots during this state, he will regain a little life. Note that some things, such as moving vehicles, explosions, and dropping from extreme heights, will kill Agent 47 outright.

Suspicion Meter (fluctuating bar)
How suspicious nearby characters are of Agent 47. When this meter is black and not moving very much, nobody thinks anything is wrong with him. When this meter is red and moving wildly, people are starting to become wary of him. At this point, they may see past his disguise (if he is using any) and either start attacking him or call for guards. Agent 47 can keep others from suspecting him by not looking out of place or acting unusually, given the context. For example, he can disguise himself as a police officer in order to walk into a security room without being noticed, and he should not point guns in front of someone's face or dash past guards.

Weapon and Ammo Indicators (weapon silhouette and number of rounds left)
The weapon currently equipped, and the ammo for it, if applicable. When Agent 47 pulls out a gun, the number shown indicates the total amount of ammunition he has for it. The stack of cartridge silhouettes indicates how many rounds are left within the clip.

Difficulty Settings
There are three difficulty settings:

Normal
The standard difficulty setting. Agent 47 always starts off a mission with a silenced Silverballer pistol. The map shows the location of everybody, including guards and civilians. 7 saves are allowed per mission (excluding the end-of-mission save). Every bonus in the game can be unlocked on the normal difficulty setting, so players new to this game might as well stick with this setting.

Expert
A tougher difficulty setting. Enemies are more accurate and are more likely to see past Agent 47's disguises. The map does not distinguish between guards, cops, and civilians. 2 saves are allowed per mission (excluding the end-of-mission save).

Professional
The toughest difficulty setting. Enemies are very accurate and are much more likely to see past Agent 47's disguises. The map does not show guards, cops, and civilians (but it still shows Agent 47, VIPs, and targets). No saves are allowed within a mission.

Stealth Tips

• Be sure to check the map to see where guards and civilians are located (unless you're playing on the professional difficulty setting). Things will get messy if Agent 47 is caught stepping into restricted areas or is seen picking a lock by someone walking around nearby.
• Agent 47 should explore the environment as much as possible before going after the target(s). That way, he can find alternate routes, places to hide at, or even special items that can make his job easier. On the downside, taking time to do such exploration might allow targets and other significant characters to move deeper into restricted areas, making them tougher to reach. If that happens, don't be afraid to restart the mission.
• When Agent 47 is sneaking (whenever you're holding the Sneak Button), he will make absolutely no sound at all, even when he is walking or opening doors. Sneaking is extremely useful when he needs to approach the rear of a person so he can use the fiber wire or a syringe, but it can also help him move past guards who are looking away.
• Spying through the keyhole of a door will let Agent 47 know if anyone is standing directly at the other side. This tactic becomes more important on the professional difficulty setting, where guards, cops, and civilians aren't shown on the map at all.
• Although silence is Agent 47's best friend, loud sounds have their uses, too. Extremely noisy places can easily drown out the sound of his gunfire, even if he isn't using a silenced weapon.
• Not being seen at all is almost always better than being seen while disguised, so look for routes that are least patrolled by guards. Sometimes, Agent 47 can take side corridors or even jump across balconies to avoid guards altogether.

Disguise Tips

• Using the proper disguise will let Agent 47 easily deceive enemies into thinking that he is one of them. Of course, his behavior should match the type of person he is impersonating if he hopes to fool them. Running around with an assault rifle while dressed in civilian clothing is not a good idea.
• The best way to move past a guard is to walk by as far away as possible. If Agent 47 runs past, or if he walks by too closely, the guard will be more likely to recognize him. Wearing a disguise that includes a mask also helps.
• Depending on his disguise (or lack of one), Agent 47 may or may not be able to talk with certain characters. He may gain valuable information or even items by speaking with others. More importantly, he can sometimes even trigger special events to occur by going to the right place with the right disguise. For example, by entering the kitchen while disguised as a cook in Mission 11, Agent 47 will cause his target to appear in the restaurant instead of the mansion, making the target easier to reach.
• Weapons that are small enough, such as knives, handguns, and uzis, can be concealed. Others, like rifles, machine guns, and swords, cannot be hidden at all. Take this into account when changing disguises. If Agent 47 is switching from a guard's uniform to civilian clothing, he'll have to dump any assault rifle he's been carrying if he doesn't want to look suspicious.
• Before passing through a metal detector or a security point where a guard will perform a frisk, Agent 47 should get rid of any guns and knives he is carrying. However, one way to hide a gun from a frisk is to conceal it within another object. For instance, if Agent 47 is dressed as a construction worker, he can put a pistol inside a toolbox, and it won't be discovered. Also notice how the fiber wire and the syringes are fully concealable and can never be detected.
• Try to take clothes that are already lying around before knocking out someone else to obtain them. That way, Agent 47 can save up his syringes for later use.
• Agent 47 cannot take the clothing of most targets or, in certain areas, the clothing of some guards. He also cannot put on a dress and a wig and impersonate a woman (although it will be really cool if he can...).

Weapon and Combat Tips

• Shooting, stabbing, and strangling aren't the only ways to assassinate targets. Sometimes, poisoning food and drink, detonating remote bombs, and using other creative methods can be better choices, especially if Agent 47 is forced to drop his guns and knives in order to pass a security point.
• To take out victims stealthily with a hand-to-hand weapon (even if it's a knife), sneak up and attack them from the rear. Note how the fiber wire and the syringes can only be used in this manner. Unlike almost all the other hand-to-hand weapons, they cannot be used to attack people directly from the front.
• A syringe only renders its victim unconscious for several minutes. When the victim wakes up, he will alert the nearest guard. If Agent 47 has taken the victim's clothes, he should start looking for a new disguise to avoid having his cover blown.
• Use silenced weapons whenever possible to avoid alerting guards nearby.
• When using a sniper rifle, Agent 47 can better stabilize his aim by crouching.
• Some types of ammunition, like magnum rounds, are powerful enough to penetrate non-reinforced doors.
• If Agent 47 winds up having to deal with a bunch of guards who are chasing after him, he can take advantage of his surroundings to improve his odds of surviving. If he has a gun with ample amounts of ammo, he can stay to the side of one door and then pick off the guards as they pour through. If the guards have lost sight of him, he can try hiding in a closet or a pit until things cool off.
• Head shots equal instant death. When shooting targets, try to aim for the brains.
• If Agent 47's life meter hits zero, he enters a near-death state where everything starts to gray out and darken for a few moments, after which he collapses. If he can perform four head shots during this state, he will regain a little life.

Silent Assassin Tips
Attaining the Silent Assassin rating for a mission will award Agent 47 with an extra weapon that he can use when he replays an old mission. To get this highest rating, he must earn a full stealth score and a zero aggression score at the end of the mission. Here are the conditions he has to fulfill in order to do this:

• Kill only the targets specifically listed for assassination by the mission objectives. (The targets are represented on the map as pulsating red markers.)
• When killing a target, it must be done stealthily. If a hand-to-hand weapon, like the fiber wire or a knife, is used, it has to be silently used from the back, unless the target is asleep or dazed. If a gun is used, it needs to be a silenced pistol, and the target has to be shot once in the head. (Only one shot is allowed per target.) Special items, like poison, may also be used, as long as they do not violate the other conditions.
• Do not kill anyone else, including guards, cops, and civilians. However, syringes may be used to knock a person out if he is getting in the way.
• Do not receive more than two alert messages (the ones with the red warning icons). Examples of alert messages are, "Warning: Guards have found an unconscious person," and "Warning: Guards have found a dead body." Note that some areas will automatically give out an alert message (like a warning about high radiation levels). These messages also count, so avoid those areas if possible.
• Do not receive any close encounters. This means not having the cover blown and not having guards attack, not even once.

The difficulty setting and the number of saves do not affect the rating. For an easier time, play on the normal difficulty setting. That way, Agent 47 will begin with a silenced pistol (the silenced Silverballer) in every mission, and more saves will be allowed.

The main challenge in attaining the Silent Assassin rating is reaching the targets without alerting or killing any guards or civilians in the way. Agent 47 has only a single syringe for almost every mission, meaning he must pick which person to use it on extremely carefully. Furthermore, the victim of the syringe will wake up after several minutes and then run off to alert the guards, so Agent 47 should not use it until he is sure he can finish the mission before the victim wakes up or before he receives more than two alert messages. Try looking for free clothes lying around first; this way, the syringe can be saved up for later, plus Agent 47 won't have to deal with an unconscious person who will wake up eventually.

Miscellaneous Tips

• Every bonus in the game can be unlocked on the normal difficulty setting, so players new to this game might as well stick with this setting. Besides, Agent 47 will start with a silenced pistol (the silenced Silverballer) on every mission, like what any reasonably smart assassin would do.
• Use the limited number of saves carefully (unless you're playing on the professional setting, where no saves are allowed within a mission). Saving after getting past a particularly tricky scene is usually a good idea. 

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