Hitman: Codename 47 is a stealth video game developed by IO Interactive and published by Eidos Interactive exclusively for Microsoft Windows in November 2000. It is the first entry in the Hitman series. The player controls Agent 47, a genetically enhanced human clone who is rigorously trained in methods of murder. Upon escaping from his testing facility, 47 is hired by the International Contract Agency (ICA), a global contract killing organization. His missions take him to locations in Asia, Europe, and South America to assassinate wealthy and decadent criminals, at first seeming to share no connections with each other (beyond passing mentions to the service of each in the French Foreign Legion), but who are soon revealed to have all played a role in a larger conspiracy. The gameplay revolves around finding ways to stealthily reach and eliminate each target; to this end, players can make use of various tools, including disguises and suppressed weaponry. However, some levels are more action-focused and do not feature stealth as a possibility, instead playing like a traditional third-person shooter.
Codename 47 received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the unique approach to stealth gameplay, considered revolutionary at the time, but criticised its difficulty, controls, and technical issues. It sold over 500,000 units by 2009. As such, the team opted for a run-and-gun action game, as it took less time to develop compared to an MMO, drawing inspiration from John Woo films, such as Hard Boiled and The Killer. This physics system caught the eyes of British publisher Eidos Interactive, and especially staff member Jonas Eneroth, who thought that the system could greatly benefit Codename 47s gameplay. Eneroth became executive producer on the project.
| CNG = 6/10
| CGSP = 2/5
| CGW = 2.5/5
| Edge = 5/10
| EPD = 9.5/10
| EuroG = 8/10
| GI = 6.75/10
| GameRev = B
| GSpot = 5.2/10
| GSpy = 80%
| IGN = 7.5/10
| NGen = 3/5
| PCGUS = 75%
| XPlay = 4/5
Hitman: Codename 47 received "mixed or average reviews" according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. Michael Lafferty of GameZone gave it seven out of ten, saying that "The violence is a little excessive."
The game received a "Silver" sales award from the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA), indicating sales of at least 100,000 units in the UK. In April 2009, Square Enix revealed that Hitman had surpassed half a million sales globally.