Health is a important gameplay function and mechanic featured throughout the Hitman series, and most video games in general. Agent 47, NPCs, and in some cases Animals all have health, although the amount can differ significantly. Once this health is gone, death occurs, and the character is dead. When this happens to 47, the mission will fail.
Description[]
Health is a gameplay statistic that informs the player of 47's immediate health. This is represented by a Health Meter in earlier games, often next to the Tension Meter. Damage taken by 47 lowers the amount of health in the meter. Once the health meter falls empty, 47 dies and the mission fails. Whereas NPCs do have an allocated amount of health, this is never displayed as a statistic.
Later games omit the Health Statistic in favor of the more modern damage threshold. When 47 takes damage, the screen starts monochromes red. The more successive damage taken, the more the screen reddens until 47 collapses and dies. [In WoA, the player can be informed of how many hits 47 has received. Does this statistic modify the damage on successive hits? Example: 1 hit taken = next hit does 1% more damage]
NPC Health[]
NPCs have their own allotted health amounts, which depend on NPC Type, Difficulty used, and game in which it is featured. They can also be rendered unconscious, poisoned or distracted, although there are special exceptions. They are also capable of killing each other during general gameplay in the classic games, either through intended action, or friendly fire. This feature was removed in later games. The amount of bodyshots required to kill an NPC highly depends on the weapons used, and the game being played, but headshots almost guarantee an instant kill. Some NPCs can also be wearing body armor, improving their damage tolerance.
Weapons deal different amounts of damage against standard NPCs, with larger caliber handguns and rifles often delivering a killing shot on the first blow. Melee weapons tend to kill or injure NPCs from Codename 47 to Blood Money, although the latter three featured melee items that could non-lethally incapacitate; their effects were often fleeting and the items were relatively rare.
47's Health[]
Whereas 47's Health statistic is similar, 47 in turn cannot be incapacitated (except for special circumstances), and practically all forms of non-lethal attacks against the player deal lethal damage. The amount of damage taken by the player depends on difficulty settings. Certain games feature ways to bolster or replenish health, although such a concept was not properly explored until Blood Money.
From Absolution onwards, the Health statistic is replaced with a damage threshold, exhibiting 47's superhuman tolerance. Here the player doesn't need to worry about topping up health, as it regenerates automatically once damage has ceased. Taking too much damage kills 47 and fails the mission.
General Overview[]
Earlier Games[]
From Codename 47 to Hitman: Blood Money, 47's health is displayed on the bottom left of the screen as a black bar, next to the tension meter. From Absolution onward, health is no longer displayed, instead being replaced by a damage threshold, which regenerates. Damage taken by 47 lowers the amount of health in the meter. Once the health meter falls empty, 47 dies and the mission fails. Whereas NPCs do have an allocated amount of health, this is never displayed as a statistic.
Later Games[]
From Absolution onwards, health is instead measured by a damage threshold, and the player is able to regenerate so long as they are no longer attacked. The more hits that land on the player, the more the screen bloodies. Once the threshold is reached, 47 will collapse and die, failing the mission. Recovering in a quieter area replenishes this threshold, making it considerably easier to survive assignments, although in Absolution, the amount of health that regenerates is reduced with each hit. The control the player has over Agent 47 around life and death hazards is more restricted. The player no longer suffers from fall damage, as they are unable to walk off ledges, or let go whilst hanging. Conversely, the addition of accident spots, such as water near an extension lead, or leaking a gas canister, can present a real risk to the player as these often kill instantly and occasionally without warning. Exposure to non-lethal gases also physically harm 47, despite their nature.
Types of Damage[]
Melee[]
Melee weapons can offer one-hit kills if performed as a stealth attack. This can often lead to brutal animations, that does not necessarily alert those nearby. From Blood Money onward, the player is able to throw melee weapons. In Blood Money, blunt thrown weapons often only injure NPCs, whereas sharp objects will always kill. From Absolution onwards, melee weapons were split into two categories of lethal and non-lethal. Most objects with any sharp points are lethal, whereas most blunt objects deal non-lethal knock out damage. Objects can only be thrown when the crosshair locks onto a NPCs head. Objects that hit NPCs without this lock on simply pass through them, and are registered as distractions.
Most cases where 47 is attacked by melee weapons lead to special game-ending cutscenes, although some missions feature enemies that exclusively use melee weapons.
Firearms[]
The most common form of damage is encountered in the Hitman series are gunshot wounds. Most enemies in the series often carry a variety of weapons, with some variants more powerful than others. A typical rule of thumb suggests Pistols are often the weakest weapons, and rifles being the more powerful, but this also varies. Headshots near guarantee a kill, regardless of firearm used. In Contracts and Blood Money, gunshot wounds can injure NPCs, causing them to fall to the floor and rest on their side, groaning. In Contracts, these NPCs remain alive [what happens to an injured NPC if a guard finds them?]. Injured NPCs left alive in this state will be regarded as Enemies/Innocents Harmed in the post mission stats. In Blood Money, injured NPCs react the same way, but will always bleed out and die within a few seconds. [How is an injured NPC regarded in mission stats?/is there a method to guarantee NPC injuring?]
The amount of damage the player can take highly depends on the game, it's difficulty setting, and weapons used against the player. Most missions debuff the player, and omit map icons when the difficulty is increased. Later difficulty settings also included the use of CCTV cameras, and extra enforcers. Some weapons perform very little damage, such as the .22 Pistol, whereas others can practically kill the player within two shots, Sniper rifles, close range shotguns etc.
Unique to 47[]
From Codename 47 to Blood Money, the player could encounter several unique hazards beyond gunshot wounds. Drastic falls from heights, poison gas, radiation, suicide, special weapons, animal attacks, special cutscenes and melee attacks can all damage the player, with some variably more lethal than others. Fall damage and animal attacks were removed from Absolution onward.
In Codename 47 and some missions of World of Assassination, the player can encounter poison gases, which drains health and damaged the player on contact. In the latter, and unlike NPCs, all non-lethal gaseous poisons (Chloroform, Emetic gases) are lethal to 47.
In Codename 47, Contracts and Absolution, the player can trigger a unique death cutscene in which 47 and presumably many others die in a nuclear explosion. In the latter game, this is caused only by player actions.
In Contracts' mission The Bjarkhov Bomb, the player can be harmed and killed by Nuclear Radiation, which acts as a area denial zone unless 47 wears a specific outfit. Whereas this damage should also affect other NPCs, it does not. A similar effect can happen in HITMAN's World of Tomorrow mission, involving a biohazard presence.
From Codename 47 to Blood Money, the player could willingly or accidentally fall from roofs and elevated areas. This causes substantial health damage that increases exponentially with height. 47 will also shout in pain, which can alert those nearby of his presence. These hazards are omitted in Absolution and World of Assassination, as the player now encounters invisible barriers at these locations.
Recovery[]
In Codename 47 and Silent Assassin, there is no way for the player to recover lost health, making direct contact a very risky strategy. Contracts and Blood Money featured a "Last Chance" mechanic where, before death, gameplay would exponentially slow, during which if the player achieves several headshots they are rewarded with a sliver of health, and avoid death.
Blood Money introduced new items that assist with replenishing health, namely the Painkillers and the Adrenaline Syringe. These could be used at any point, so long as the Health Meter remains above empty.
Armor[]
C47 allows the player to purchase Kevlar Vests, which technically increases their ability to withstand damage. Contracts features an outfit used by SWAT, that automatically provides the player with an armoured boost. Blood Money features several upgrades in the form of Kevlar Vests which provide a percentage protection from damage. The first version is lost upon changing outfits, similar to Contracts' SWAT outfit. The second version carries over to other outfits, providing constant protection.
Gallery[]
