Hitman: Episode 5 - Colorado Review (PS4)

It's safe to say that Hitman has been excellent so far, but despite the variety of locations, every mission has been similar in that they've all been set in largely public places. The latest level – set in a militia-held apricot farm in rural Colorado – takes the game in a different direction, focusing more on stealth than previous outings.

The opening part of Colorado is an excellent scene-setter. This time, Agent 47 is tasked with taking out four targets: bomb-maker and radical terrorist Sean Rose, former assassin and the militia's training instructor Maya Parvati, former Mossad agent and interrogation specialist Ezra Berg, and former anti-terror analyst Penelope Graves.

Four targets may sound like a bit much, but it's actually an excellent choice as the method of killing each target is vastly different thanks to their colourful characteristics. Assassinating Rose in particular is a fun jaunt, as his OCD and fear of bacteria can be triggered in order to make him vulnerable to attack. Taking down Parvati is entertaining too, as it involves a training game that she's devised going a tiny bit wrong. There's also a slurry pit and an exploding smartwatch to take advantage of, so there's no shortage of creative kills.

What's most interesting about Colorado, though, is that it's a lot more focused on stealth and disguises – it's a lot easier to snipe in this map than in previous missions. There are no safe zones – trespassing right from the off, and hopping from cover-to-cover in the hope of finding a uniform in order to blend in. Indeed, you'll need different outfits (including a scarecrow) to access different areas of the camp, which is fun and adds a puzzle aspect.

However, this does mean that the only real NPCs you'll see in Colorado are guards, which – while adding to the tension of the level and never giving you a moment's peace – also makes the map less interesting than past instalments. This mass presence of armed men does make it a more challenging mission, too, but that adds to the fun again.

In terms of content, there are six opportunities, six new weapons – including a TAC-4 S/A Assault Rifle – a new Tactical Gear suit, and 70 new challenges to complete. You can now also set Kill Conditions when creating Contracts, and search through them using tags in order to find the contracts you want.