FAQ written by Mike PenanceMelee / Close Combat Weapons
Melee weapons aren't just limited to what you can bring with you, there
are very many spur-of-the-moment objects lying around, like Kitchen Knives and
Hammers. And just so you know, folks, you cannot collect the melee weapons
like you could in Hitman 2: Silent Assassin.
Baseball Bat
Where: Death of a Showman, A New Life
'Bat'-Man Returns. The Good, the 'Bat,' and the Ugly. 'Bat' to the
Future. Okay, I'm done now. It's a Baseball Bat, be creative, be spontaneous,
be Babe Ruth if it takes your fancy. It's not what you'd call a technical
marvel, you just swing it and people fall over.
Cane Sword
Where: A Dance with the Devil
Look at that sword, or is it a cane? Well, it's actually a little bit of
both. The Cane Sword starts out automatically holstered (pushing the
button will just drop it). A quick flick of the
button will deliver a
vicious set of slashes. It's quick and painful, and is guaranteed to create
quite a bit of mess and noise.
The coolest thing about the Cane Sword is it's stealth attack - a rapier-styled
thrust through the back. Sadly, this weapon really is quite pants due to the
fact that it has absolutely no stealth value whatsoever, thanks to the fact
that the sheathe is missing. Only Vaana can carry it around unhindered.
Fiber Wire
Where: Default
The Fiber Wire is a Silent Assassin's weapon of choice - no mess, no fuss,
and always available. Press
to tighten the Wire and enter sneak mode.
Releasing
behind the chosen victim will kill them instantly. It's awkward
but necessary to master, as it's silent and doesn't add to your violence (well,
within reason - 28 kills down the line and the game won't see it that way).
A nifty new feature is that you can pull people though inspection hatches, thus
killing and hiding them in one movement (it's cool, even if there are, like,
three occasions when it won't ruin a Silent Assassin rank).
Fire Extinguisher
Where: Death of a Showman,
A Vintage Year,
Death on the Mississippi
The Fire Extinguisher can make an impromptu bludgeon if need be. A blow
from behind will always do the job in one hit. From the front and depending on
how good a shot they receive, they may need a couple of blows.
Hammer
Where: Death of a Showman,
A Vintage Year,
Curtains Down,
Requiem
I'll leave you to ponder the uses of a Hammer (clue: they involve hitting
people across the back of the head). Amusingly enough, you can throw the
Hammer for a fatal long distance attack.
Hedge Cutter
Where: A New Life,
Requiem
Hedge Cutters, we've all got them (well, presuming you have a hedge) and
we all know that they're as sharp as hell. Apart from being able to clip
hedges with them (not like I've seen him clip hedges with them), 47 can deliver
a violent double-stab attack from behind. From the front, however, 47 delivers
an oh-so feeble little jab.
Kitchen Knife
Where: Death of a Showman,
A Vintage Year,
A New Life,
The Murder of Crows,
You Better Watch Out,
Death on the Mississippi,
Amendment XXV,
Requiem
Strangely, this could actually be classed as one of the most well-rounded
weapons in the game. You have a moderately powerful front attack, a stealth
attack, and you can throw it for a projectile attack (it can be retrieved from
a target, but in a fire-fight that's never a good thing to attempt). This is
purely one of those 'find on a mission but can't bring home' kind of items, so
use it while you can and don't get too fond of it because it's destined to get
stuck in someone's head.
Meat Cleaver
Where: A Dance with the Devil
The Meat Cleaver, as the name suggests, cleaves meat - that also happens
to include any bone that gets in the way. Being the humanitarian that he is,
Agent 47 will gladly hit people in the back of the head with it in what can
only be described as the most gruesome sight of the game. What else? You can
throw it just like a Kitchen Knife (albeit in a much cooler way) and its
frontal attack seems to be marginally stronger (although it's still a bit crap
when compared to the likes of the Hammer or the Shovel).
Screwdriver
Where: Curtains Down,
Requiem
I once almost put a Screwdriver through my hand, not a very nice
experience I can tell you. Of course, nobody told this to Mr. 47 - let's just
say that you shouldn't let him do your DIY. It's very cool, it's very messy,
and it's... very 47. As an added bonus, it can be thrown in a similar manner
to the Kitchen Knife. Is there such a thing as projectile DIY?
Shovel
Where: Death on the Mississippi,
Till Death Do Us Part,
Requiem
The Shovel is a purely limited use weapon. Well, what I mean is that you
can whack people over the head all day, but if you don't stay dressed as an
Engineer and keep it holstered, you'll cause all kinds of ructions should you
leave the engine room (it's even harder to get away with on other missions).
A well-aimed swing from the front will send the target flying. From behind,
however, you'll deliver a succession of blows to the head, finishing them
instantly (and making quite a dent in your new Shovel).
Stiletto
Where: A Dance with the Devil,
Requiem
A Stiletto is a long-bladed knife that's primarily designed for stabbing
as opposed to mindless slashing (of which some of us have become accustomed).
If you use this like you're supposed to, you'll probably not notice much
difference between this and the Kitchen Knife (except maybe a marginal increase
in power). Throw it and stab things, you know, the usual.
Stun Gun
Where: Flatline
The Stun Gun is so brilliant that I honestly thought that they'd let you
keep it (with a bit of jiggery-pokery, you could grab one in the original
Hitman, it just didn't work properly). You can't keep it and it only ever
appears in one mission. Holding down
will charge the Stun Gun, releasing
it will make people fall over. One zap from the front will incapacitate
anyone. The stealth attack may look pretty, but it wastes quite a bit of time
for the same result, so stick with the standard attack.
Syringe (Poison)
Where: Death of a Showman, Default
The Poison Syringe will be your ally in the fight against evil (in a
sense). It's quick, silent and deadly, but totally non-violent. You can lace
food, producing the possibility of eliminating multiple targets - just remember
that when doing so, you can't always dictate when and where your target will
eat it. They may collapse almost immediately or they may well get far enough
for you to safely hide them.
If you poison someone and then throw them over a balcony rail, it will still
class as a poisoning rather than appearing like an accident. Two jabs and
that's your lot, but unlike the Sedative variant, you will find that you'll
feel the need to use it less (due to the lack of viability). Incidentally, if
you end up having to incapacitate someone in more of a physical sense, you can
still finish them while they're prone (another one of those new features that I
always rave about).
Syringe (Sedative)
Where: Default
If you need to acquire a new uniform or remove a Civilian from the picture
in a safe and more importantly anonymous way, the Syringe is always the best
way forward. I find that it's quite handy for faking accidents, too. A quick
shot in the neck, and then up and over the nearest balcony rail.
You can also dope food and drink (like with the Poison Syringe), but I prefer
to do things personally (the opportunity for the former will rarely present
itself anyhow). You only get two uses from the Syringe, and using them
sparingly is often vital to your success.
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