Someone is picking off assassins from Agent 47's own agency, the ICA, which suggests a larger and more powerful organization has joined the game. Sensing he could be next, 47 heads for America and takes contracts as a professional killer. You approach each hit in third person, choosing how to reach and remove your target.
The game is organized around quiet work: quieter, more precise kills earn more money, which you can spend on paying off witnesses and police to lower the heat, buying specialist equipment and information, and modifying weapons for noise, recoil, firing speed and accuracy. Single-player Hitman suits stealth fans who enjoy planning an approach.