Hitman GO is not the game fans of the series might expect. Rather than take the form of a standard third-person action game, Hitman GO plays out like a strategic board game.

You begin by selecting a contract. Each of these mission play out on their own uniquely styled board. The settings range from a country club setting to more industrial locations, each with their own tile sets and enemy types.

The goal is to guide Agent 47’s through the grid-based play area to his target without being spotted. Even though the turn-based format is a radical departure for the franchise, the basic principle of assessing the environment and planning your next hit feels fun and familiar, just like other Hitman games.

Swiping your finger in the desired direction will move your assassin along one of the set paths. Play will then pause, and any security guards on the board will make their moves. Each type of guard has its own behaviour, such as jogging back and forth along a set path, or turning 180 degree each turn.

In keeping with the series, you can try to avoid contact with guards completely, distract them by throwing one of the single use items scattered around the map, or just kill them outright by sneaking up on them from the rear or side. Even with all of these options, you will still find yourself constantly cornered and needing to restart stages, adding a little trial and error to the forward thinking gameplay.

The small environments only have a few solutions, which initially feels a little restrictive. Agent 47 is also forced to automatically forced to use any item he encounters immediately, be it a sniper rifle or a rock. While these contraints could limit the fun, they actually force you to consider every move, turning you into a more efficient killer, resulting in tactical triumphs and thrilling takedowns.

While at first glance Hitman GO looks like a departure for the series, its methodical gameplay is a perfect homage to the franchise’s ethos. The small boards may add a few constraints, its rules are established, Hitman GO reveals itself as a fantastic blend of turn-based strategy and puzzle gamplay that is hard to put down.