Comparison

Shadow Blade vs Hitman

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Shadow Blade

Embark on an epic action-platformer adventure as a ninja warrior in a world where ancient traditions meet modern conflict. Master fast-paced combat and platforming skills to overcome traps, defeat enemies, and restore balance to a world on the brink of chaos. Experience a compelling story through full-motion comics and challenging levels.

Highlights
  • Epic ninja platforming
  • Vicious ninja combat
  • Over 40 levels
  • 4 boss fights
  • Full motion comics storyline
  • Story campaign and challenge modes
Features
Read full description

Shadow Blade is an action-platformer set in a visually striking world where the ancient teachings of ninjas and samurai clash upon a modern landscape. Sprint through stages littered with traps, slaying enemies along your path without hesitation as Kuro, the blade of shadow! Story Darkness and chaos are once again creeping into the world of man. The covenant made in a time almost forgotten has failed, the three clans now in a violent struggle for dominance. The medallion is almost made whole again and it falls upon Kuro's shoulders to restore balance. All his training has led up to this one moment, where the fate of the world will rest in his blood-stained hands. Key Features Epic NINJA Platforming: Test your skills in fast-paced platforming, mastering the skills of the ninja to breeze through challenging levels. Vicious NINJA Combat: Kill your enemies with extreme prejudice through the mastery of the katana, shurikens and kusarigama! • More than 40 levels • 4 boss fights • Full motion comics story line • Story campaign and challenge modes • Game Center leaderboards and achievements • Share game saves on all devices with iCloud saves Follow us for the latest info and game news! • http://crescentmoongames.com/other-games/ • http://facebook.com/crescentmoongames • http://twitter.com/cm_games

About

Hitman

Step into the shoes of Agent 47, a betrayed assassin on the run. Plan your approach, adapt to your surroundings, and eliminate targets in a world that rewards stealth and strategy. Experience a deep narrative and challenging gameplay with customizable controls.

Highlights
  • Stealth and strategic assassination
  • Elaborate mission environments
  • Customizable touchscreen controls
  • Gamepad and keyboard/mouse support
  • Instinct Mode for target identification
  • Point Shooting for rapid elimination
  • Challenging game modes
Currently charting
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Branded a traitor and hunted by the Agency he once served, Agent 47 returns to iOS in Hitman: Absolution. Stalk your targets through elaborate environments that reward both quick thinking and patient planning. Strike silently from the shadows, or let your silverballers do the talking — whatever your approach, each of Absolution’s 20 missions is a contract killer’s happy hunting ground. Expertly adapted for mobile play, Absolution’s sleek touchscreen controls offer 47’s hallmark precision, with gamepad and keyboard & mouse support included for the full AAA experience on the go. SIGNATURE STYLE Blend into the background, kill silently, and disappear without trace, or go in all guns blazing! Absolution’s missions invite you to experiment, improvise and perfect your technique. COMPLETE CONTROL Customise touch controls until they fit you like a glove, or connect a gamepad or any keyboard & mouse that is compatible with iPadOS. MORE THAN A NUMBER The story of Absolution puts Agent 47’s character under the spotlight, where both his loyalties and his conscience are put to the test. KILLER INSTINCT Use Instinct Mode to identify targets, predict enemy movement, and highlight points of interest. CLEAR YOUR PATH Use Point Shooting to stop time, mark multiple enemies, and eliminate them in a heartbeat. MASTER THE CRAFT Find new ways to take out your marks, complete Challenges, or take the ultimate test in Purist mode, with deadlier enemies and no help to guide you. CONTRACTS MODE Hitman’s unlimited sandbox mode — take on player-designed contracts from other agents around the world, or create and share your own. === We recommend playing Hitman: Absolution on iOS 18 or later. You need 12GB of free space on your device, though we recommend at least double this to avoid initial installation issues. Supported iPhones: • iPhone XR and later • iPhone SE - 2nd Generation (2020) and later Supported iPads: • iPad - 8th Generation (2020) and later • iPad mini - 5th Generation (2019) and later • iPad Air - 3rd Generation (2019) and later • iPad Pro - 3rd Generation (2018) and later • If you require assistance, please contact our support team at support@feralinteractive.com Hitman: Absolution™ © 2000-2026 IO Interactive A/S. IO Interactive, IOI, HITMAN are registered trademarks of IO Interactive A/S. Developed for and published on iOS by Feral Interactive. iOS and the iOS logo are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Feral and the Feral logo are trademarks of Feral Interactive Ltd. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.

Screenshots

Shadow Blade4 screens
Hitman4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Shadow Blade at $4.99 against Hitman's $14.99. Shadow Blade also leads on update cadence (every 11 days vs every 3 weeks) and iOS requirement (6.0 vs 18.0). Hitman's advantage is rating (4.9 vs 3.7) and review sentiment (87% vs 54%). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Shadow Blade costs $4.99 and Hitman $14.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Hitman holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hitman has 742 ratings behind it against 56, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 54% of Shadow Blade's written reviews are positive against 87% of Hitman's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Shadow Blade ships an update every 11 days, Hitman every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on September 28, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Shadow Blade versus Hitman: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShadow BladeHitman
Price$4.99 — better$14.99
Rating3.7 (56 ratings)4.9 (742 ratings) — better
Positive reviews53.6% of reviews86.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings56742 — better
Update frequencyEvery 11 days — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank—#70 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS6.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size1.3 GB2.0 GB
Age rating12+17+
DeveloperCrescent Moon Games LLCFeral Interactive Ltd

Customer experience

Shadow Blade

All ratings56 ratings
Positive58.9%
Neutral12.5%
Negative28.6%
Written reviews125 reviews
Positive53.6%
Neutral12.8%
Negative33.6%

Hitman

All ratings742 ratings
Positive97.2%
Neutral1.2%
Negative1.6%
Written reviews153 reviews
Positive86.9%
Neutral3.3%
Negative9.8%

Bugs and requests

Shadow Blade

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Hitman

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Laggy when trying to crouch, use instinct, or switch weapons
  • Incompatible with older devices

Requested features

2 requests
  • Add more quests to diversify the game
  • Add Chinese language support

In-app purchases

None

Shadow Blade

No in-app purchases

None

Hitman

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Shadow Blade free?
Shadow Blade costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Hitman free?
Hitman costs $14.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Shadow Blade or Hitman?
Hitman is rated higher. Shadow Blade averages 3.7 out of 5 from 56 ratings, while Hitman averages 4.9 from 742 ratings.
Do Shadow Blade or Hitman have ads?
Neither Shadow Blade nor Hitman shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Shadow Blade or Hitman?
Shadow Blade ships an update every 11 days, and Hitman every 3 weeks. Most recently, Shadow Blade was updated on September 28, 2026 and Hitman on September 28, 2026.

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