So far, Hitman has been an enjoyable experience. We’ve yet to receive a bad episode yet, but some have certainly been better than others; Sapienza, for example, is amongst the very best levels in the Hitman series, whereas Marrakesh was a slight disappointment. Episode 4: Bangkok is reminiscent of a classic level from Hitman Blood Money. Set in a Thai hotel, Agent 47 is set the task of assassinating two targets; musician Jordan Cross and attorney Ken Morgan. The mission takes place in the confined quarters of the colourful Himmapan hotel, so everything is squeezed into a small area. Don’t be fooled, though; there’s plenty to do here, even if it doesn’t seem like it.

Truth be told, I was excited when I heard the mission was set in a hotel; some of the best Hitman levels are set in hotels. When you first arrive at the Himmpan, it’s a richly-coloured paradise filled with palm trees and wandering guests. From the outside, the hotel seems huge, but it’s really not as big as it seems. A lot of it is taken up by the high-ceilinged foyer, and there’s really not as many rooms as you’d expect, considering how many guests there are (I counted 3 rooms not taken up by the sound crew/targets). It’s disappointing, but it doesn’t detract too much from the experience as a whole. It’s just a shame that they didn’t do more with what they had. Don’t get me wrong, though, as Episode 4 is absolutely a step up from its disappointing predecessor. It just doesn’t seem to fulfil its promise.

The mission itself is much more difficult than previous episodes, with several of the challenges taking more than their fair share of hours to complete, particularly the one for dropping a single bunch of coconuts on the heads of both targets simultaneously. The challenge isn’t unwelcome, but it gets to a point where challenging becomes dull. Completing the challenges, however, is incredibly satisfying, with one challenge in particular resulting in an amazing moment for Agent 47. There’s nothing quite like spending half an hour setting up for a kill and it working out perfectly, and Episode 3: Bangkok is filled with fun setups followed by satisfying conclusions.

As the episodic release schedule has progressed, the bugs have become less and less prevalent. Disconnects now happen very rarely, if at all, and the only bug I encountered was an apparently superhuman guard who saw me subdue another guard through a stone wall. This has been an issue since the first episode, and it’s a shame that it still happens. As good as Hitman is, it’ll never be as good as it could be as long as there’s the risk of a bug ruining your perfectly-planned hit. Speaking of hits, they could do with a refresh. At this stage, some of the methods at your disposal are a little bit overplayed. I never thought I’d say this, but I’m tired of drowning people in toilets. At first, it was quirky, but now it’s just the status quo.

Being in Bangkok, you’d expect accents that fit the locale, but you’d be wrong. Just like previous episodes, almost every character s voiced by an American or a Brit, taking away from the immersive experience of the game. I know it’s a criticism I’ve voiced in my other reviews, but that’s because so much of Hitman is in the AI characters. Blood Money, with its excellent voice work, had characters that truly fit in with their surrounding levels. It released in 2006, two console generations ago, so why is that level of immersion seemingly impossible to achieve 10 years on? It’s a shame because, even though it’s a relatively small detail, it has a surprisingly detrimental effect on how alive each level feels.

Overall, Hitman Episode 4: Bangkok is a good addition to the episodic series, and is certainly better than Marrakesh, but it doesn’t live up to its potential. Considering how excellent Sapienza was, it’s a shame that the last two episodes haven’t stood up quite as well. At this stage, you’d expect the episodes to be getting better. However, it would be unfair to call Episode 4 a step backward, it’s more of a stumble if anything. Let’s just hope it steadies itself and comes back even better next time round.

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