Originally Posted by
Rynjin
That's not really an entirely different style, but TBF that would be the impression you would get if you tried to start with Agent 47 (the original game).
IMO, Agent 47 and Silent Assassin (I'm really glad the first two games had subtitles, so the new Hitman and Hitman 2 aren't AS confusing to talk about as similar reboots) are...not good games. Contracts is the first I'd say is even a passably fun game.
The series hit its original peak with Blood Money though, which builds off what Contracts did, moving it toward a much more methodical, environmental/observation driven assassination style. In the first two games you could quite viably run through the levels (many of which are QUITE linear) just run and gunning; that's how I beat them when I did my big binge of the series up through Blood Money about 7-8 years ago, because the stealth mechanics in Agent 47 and Silent Assassin are straight trash.
If you like new Hitman, I'd say give Blood Money and maaaaaybe Contracts a shot, along with of course new Hitman 2. Absolution is...kind of an odd duck, in that it's a story driven hybrid experience between Agent 47 and Silent Assassin's fairly linear gameplay and Contracts and Blood Money's more mission based "just kill the guy however you want" gameplay. Blood Money SORT of had a plot in the last couple of missions, but Absolution takes that setup and runs with it to some ****ing bizarre places. It's worth experiencing though, IMO.