Hitman Absolution

Apologies for the later than usual review. I've had the game since last Friday but found myself greeted by an unable to install error via Steam. This was due to the fact that even if you purchase a physical copy you cannot install it until the games release date and are only given an option to pre-load it.

The wait is over, its been nearly 7 years but now Hitman: Absolution is here. Codename 47 is back and he's never felt so deadly. I found myself quite surprised as this is definitely the first Hitman game that I've played with such a strong narrative, I won't spoil the story but I'll just say that much as we see in Halo 4, we see a much more human side to the bald headed death dealer. I really enjoyed the story and found myself somewhat surprised by the insane tutorial mission and genuinely gripped but the following levels. The single player campaign took me 13hours to complete.

The gameplay in Hitman Absolution is every bit brutal, refined and deadly just like the doctor ordered. It offers the experienced Hitman player numerous ways to dispose of their target with novices also finding the games mechanics easy to access. This time around the IO have given us multiple opportunities to use a variety of accident kills, whether its a disco ball falling on a target or a giant skeleton you find literally thousands of ways to dispose of your targets littered round levels. And just in case all hell breaks loose there is a full cover system so you don't have to run around shooting people you can pick enemies off from cover. The new additions the addition of instinct meter which allows you too mark and execute targets using a similar system to what we saw in splinter cell conviction, I found that although the premise of this was exciting, I preferred the suitably named Precision Shot addition. If I'm honest I miss the traditional Hitman map and didn't really take to the X-ray vision but this wasn't a deal breaker. The controls are well implemented and the games engine feels cutting edge, you won't find yourself blocked by immovable boxes and I can honestly say that the developers have succeeded in creating a living breathing world filled with believable NPC's and deserving targets.

The Glacier 2 system is awesome, the graphics are brilliant and remind me more of a glossy comic book. You will find yourself viewing the games world as somewhat twisted caricatured alternate reality with the remorseless 47 serving as your vehicle of exploration. Textures are smooth, animations are beautifully organic and lighting is just right. The game is truly an achievement and the solid frame rate will put other stealth em-ups to shame.

So you've finished Hitman what's next? Welcome, Contracts mode. This is the games multiplayer offering and when I say multiplayer I mean you challenge your friend to finish levels with a higher score. In this mode, you can create contracts for your gamer account friend list and challenge them to assassinate targets that you have specified in the way you specify. Contracts is great and I am sure will be a real hit with the modding community and I hope we will some free dlc's over the next months / years. If IO take an approach like Dice with Battlefield 3 then it is unlikely that we will see lots of mods but if modders are given some freedom this could prove to be the games best mode.

Hitman is a stealth game which rewards experimentation over following a strict route the open ended levels and immense scale of the game make this a must play for all gamers. Is Hitman Absolution better than Hitman Blood Money, the answer is yes and no. If you play on normal if definitely much more forgiving but ramp it up to Purist and you'll find yourself playing levels at a cautious pace. I loved every minute of Hitman and intend to replay it once more using much more aggressive tactics. The campaign is massive but it isn't without its faults, the disguise system took a bit of getting used to and the sharp A.I. took me by surprise but I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Hitman as worthwhile purchase.

Score: 8/10

Summary
+ Playing as Codename 47 will make you feel like the Jackal.
+ The open ended approach to sandbox levels and missions.
+ Contracts mode adds almost unlimited replay value.

- Strange Disguise system overhaul.
- You can't skip cutscenes.
- There are some small object interaction bugs.

What can I say but what a rollercoaster before even getting the game...

When I first heard of this being made back in 2011 I was excited beyond belief! I came on here and pre-ordered straight away looking at the 2012 release date hoping that the Mayans were just interrupted by the Spanish and not some doomsday predicting race... (Still hoping that tbh)

I think in March I looked the game up on wiki to have a gander at the cast etc and saw that David Bateson wasn't going to be voice acting 47... and that they had changed a load of game play aspects like adding 'instinct'... to find this upset me greatly, I logged on Amazon and cancelled my pre-order with a tear in my eye.

Around April (I think) friend of mine emailed me a link to the 'run for your life' trailer... this piqued my interest again, plus the fact he told me David was back! So of course I went to the website and read all the stories, a group of beautiful people made a petition to get him back, why I never thought of it I will never know, but bravo! Anyway I pre-ordered it again in great anticipation! (Think I actually wiki'd Mayans at this point)

I found a steam code in an email to the sniper game in august, I think I actually jumped for joy at this point and started playing it to see what it was like and maybe get a feel for the game. The sniper game is brilliant, the graphics incredible and shooting the ninja off a building is fun, I always do it even though you don't need to after the first time. Managed to get 4 bodyguards with a single shot at 1 point too... still chuffed with it to this date.

Anyway to the game!

It's brilliant... just brilliant! The issues that are there, are solved by other things and it's got a much better plot now. The levels are small but plenty, there's not really a save function but you dont really need one due to short levels and you start every level with a really loud gun and only this gun... but then again if your going for a high rank then use the fiberwire or try not to kill anyone... it's just there to give you a fighting chance if you are found out.

The point system really aggrovated me at first, it makes you want to restart a lot when you mess up due to the large amount of stuff you can be maked badly for... After the first few levels I was getting annoyed as you can't explore and not get noticed, so I broke the habit of being cautious and now on my first run kill everyone and have a wander round, see what there is about, complete some of the challenges, plan a route and then do everything in the next go without changing from your suit or killing anyone but the target. It's great fun! Get the frustration out of the way then be cool and calm and feel like a professional. Can't go wrong!

The best thing about this game is that the 'point shooting' doesn't make you invincible like in splinter cell or red dead redemption where this has been done before, only really give you an advantage if no-one has noticed you which I find challenging and fun. (plus you dont have to use it... I know I don't!)

To finish off, I'm loving this game, I'm taking my time with each level and I'm yet to try the contracts part out, but seems like it can be fun. Hope this review helps as it is my longest and most detailed to date. Hopefully it can show you how much I love this game and recommend it to you!

The game itself really isn't all that bad. The story is quite epic and many game mechanics like point shooting are really bringing up some fun. All in all Absolution is a decent action game with many interesting and challenging stealth elements as already known from Splinter Cell and others.
But unfortunately the gameplay structure has lost its key moment: The freedom of exploring complex levels and planning an execution according to ones preferences. This element has always made the Hitman brand so exceptional and thats where Absolution fails its former parts.