Blood Money’s one flaw is 47’s portrayal. Hear me out…
People always love to point out how 47 was more evil in the older games but when asked to specify they default to Blood Money. As if C47, SA and Contracts didn’t happen.
The 47 in WoA feels like the 47 in the first three games to me. Or rather that 47 with character development. He actively seeks out Ort Meyer and kills him. He gives these monologues in level openings that give us an insight into his thoughts. These monologues were in 2SA too. They make 47 feel like an actual character and that hint of emotion can be seen.
In 2SA, our dear bald headed assassin went as a far as trying out christianity. That’s how desperate he was to find a purpose and the disgust and anger he felt for his existence. The reason he goes back to killing is literally out of care for Father Victorio. 47 felt very human in this game.
Contracts delve into a much deeper part of his mind, how he sees and remembers the hits he did. Dark, raining, more fucked up than the reality. After 2SA, he seems to have devolved into a killing machine. “There’s a bullet for everyone, at a time, at a place.” Feels like he hit a low point and basically gave up his autonomy for ICA/the job.
For some reason he’s way more of an asshole in BM and that game also has my least fav out-of-character moment in the series when 47 calls Diana “Bitch”. That word somehow doesn’t suit him at all. I’m oretty sure BM47 has the least amount of lines out of the entire series. He kills innocents, kills his pet bird (tho understandable, had to hide himself), and his lines feels robotic than usual. And has developed an unsual amount of greed towards money lol.
Just compare how alive he felt in 2SA to BM.
Now I could think of two reason why he’s portrayed as so:
BM is told by the main antagonist, so he is an unreliable narrator describing an exaggerated crueller myth of 47.
He has devolved further from Contracts. He kills for the sake of money which he doesn’t need. A walking tool. Lowest point.
I think its the 2nd option (and hopefully not just bad writing.)
Despite the hate Absolution gets, I’ll always love it for bringing back the old way more emotional 47 and expanding Diana’s morals as well. He finally gets character development after so long being in limbo. He makes a personal choice yet again to save a girl, just like 2SA. And WoA further beautifully executes the dynamic duo, with Diana acting as his moral anchor and him having way more autonomy now. That’s good character development.
But yeah, on replays, Blood Money’s 47 is very cardboard and comically evil and greedy. Most out of character he’s been unless justified by the two possible reasons.