Hitman: Contracts is a third-person stealth game. Players take the role of "47", a hitman who is unlucky enough to get shot, and falls to the floor dying. The whole game takes place in "flashbacks", where 47 is reminiscing about past missions, some of which were previously seen in Hitman: Codename 47, the first game from the Hitman series.
The gameplay in Hitman: Contracts is similar to previous installments. Your goal is to complete several missions that involve assassinating targets all over the world. You can sneak around in disguise to avoid suspicious guards, or you can open fire on everyone you see. When you complete a mission, you receive a rating - from "Mass Murderer" up to the coveted "Silent Assassin". If you manage to complete a mission with a "Silent Assassin" rating, you receive a reward: a special weapon, and you can try playing a previously completed mission using one of these special weapons.
Hitman: Contracts was released on Xbox on April 30th, 2004. This action & adventure game is the sequel to Hitman: Codename 47, and it builds upon the same gameplay mechanics that made its predecessor successful.