Hitman: Absolution

[Wilian]

Played it few hours, didn't enjoy much. It's not total crap I expected (And what PCGamer reinforced) but it's not Hitman game either.

Hitman game is where you have a big playground filled with possibilities and tons of randomization. Here the enemy NPCs walking in somewhat predictable pattern one attempt after another is not randomization. The story should be left on the backround of it between the missions, giving the player free reign over everything within the actual gameplay. While SOME missions do that in this new game, even those tend to be on medium sized areas at the best and then when you're not playing those few missions it's all about linear storytelling bullshit. And should shove those friggin' QTEs to hell finally.

Should've just named it Stealth Action Game number 999 so people would've not been disappointed by it expecting an actual Hitman game.

[Samyaaza]

I feel this video should be included:

Haha awesome video

I'm long time Hitman series fan, definitely looking forward to this one.

[Deleted]

I played about 3 hours before I had to go to work. Almost none of my friends are playing it so I've got no one to compare contract scores which makes me a little sad, that part looks fun. Initial impressions are that it's a visually stunning game on a great engine, ridiculously smooth and detailed, great cinematics.... it does seem kinda linear though, definitely not a sandbox assassination game by any stretch... story is interesting enough to keep me going but then there are a lot of good story games out there. So like many so far it seems like it's losing something from the "hitman" name by very much limiting your choices/options in a mission... but going to have to play a lot more missions before I feel I can comment on that, I'm told some of the later missions are a lot more fun than the earlier ones.

I did have fun getting silent assassin in the china town mission but I felt they could have done a lot more with the steam achievements. They all look pretty simple to get that you'll unlock whilst playing the game.. I like achievements that encourage me to do something different / harder than I would usually play a game, not just generic ones that unlock as you go.

[WarpedAcorn]

From what I have seen, specifically other people playing it, I have to agree that Absolution is an excellent AAA stealth-action game. However, its also missing the key elements that made Hitman popular. As I watched the levels being played I thought to myself, "I can not see myself replaying these levels at all ever". I played the first mission to assassinate the Don in Hitman: Contracts for days. I replayed the White House in Hitman: Blood Money as well as the FBI Informant level in the suburb levels a crap-ton. It was fun to come up with new ways to carry out the mission. Fans of the Hitman series are not fans because of the rich engrossing story or supurb voice acting, they are fans because of a sandbox style gameplay, large levels, and having a toolkit to create beautiful bloody murder.

[SirRobin]

Oh HA is definitely a console-port now. Nor am I thrilled with how "cinematic" has become developer code for "linear" over the last few years. Still, it looks gorgeous and performance has been good on my couple year old pc. I don't find the story "bad" either. When your main character is a "clone," him getting wrapped up with saving another clone is hardly a leap for me. Though the wear necklace or be weak/sick bit seemed pointless. Didn't even mind the "checkpoints," though it was another obvious "I'm a console game" flag. Beyond the silly "look down" mechanic, the assassinations flow more smoothly for me. Not to mention that the whole hide in the armor when you take out layla bit was really cool.

HA's sandbox levels are good and I love the variety of killing options in various places. Love listening to the conversations people have throughout the game too. Prostate Cancer guy is definitely meme worthy. Its pretty cool getting the score averages too at the start of levels. Gives me something to compete against even without straight multiplayer. I can also understand why HA is more "linear" than previous games. It sort of makes sense considering the "story." Yet I still would have preferred the game have less "cinematic" and more sandbox. At least Diana not being dead could mean the xpacs or sequals could return to the contracts formula of previous games.

Meh... Its a shame to see Hitman be assimilated by the stealth-cover clones, but at least the game itself is still fun.

[Deleted]

I really like the previous Hitman games, but I'm skeptical about this one.
I just don't trust Square Enix to make good games. They ruined Dungeon Siege III and I didn't like the new Deus Ex either.

This game looks quite a bit different from previous Hitman games. This can either be a good or a bad thing, but I have the feeling in this case it's bad. However, I really hope I'm wrong.

[Deleted]

By the way, if anyone playing this wants to add me to steam feel free, my username is Athravan and my avatar is the same on here - one of the steam achievements requires you to complete a contract created by a friend, so unless you have at least one friend playing this you can't get all the achievements (which only matters if you're an achievement whore like me!).... but I'm also curious as to how bad my scores will be compared to other people

[Deleted]

The story should be left on the backround of it between the missions, giving the player free reign over everything within the actual gameplay. While SOME missions do that in this new game, even those tend to be on medium sized areas at the best and then when you're not playing those few missions it's all about linear storytelling bullshit. And should shove those friggin' QTEs to hell finally.

Should've just named it Stealth Action Game number 999 so people would've not been disappointed by it expecting an actual Hitman game.

As I suspected, this game will likely be garbage. Well, if you expect a Hitman game that is. Square Enix really knows how to screw up good games.

[SirRobin]

This game looks quite a bit different from previous Hitman games. This can either be a good or a bad thing, but I have the feeling in this case it's bad. However, I really hope I'm wrong.

My opinion of course, but I think its very different. They even have quicktime events in HA. Never been a fan of those, by the by. There are only a couple of levels that I would call "sandbox." The rest are all pretty linear and short. So if wandering around zones was a big part of the previous games for you then this one probably won't be as much fun.

Now there is a lot more "story" in this game, both the main and atmospheric, so its a trade off basically.

---------- Post added 2012-11-20 at 11:42 AM ----------

As I suspected, this game will likely be garbage. Well, if you expect a Hitman game that is. Square Enix really knows how to screw up good games.

Well that depends on what you feel a Hitman game is. If its "sandbox" then, yeah, not a "big" part of HA. If its "stealth" then its just as big a part as always. Perhaps even more so with cover and that "instinct" silliness. Accident kills? Still big. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they'll return to the more sandbox style missions with any xpacs or sequels since both Diana and 47 seem to be back with the agency at the end of the game. Seriously, why bother having 47 deface his tattoo if he goes right back to the agency at the end of the game? Story wise it opens some interesting possibilities too since there are now two clone unnatural born assassins walking about.

Oh and the map and its exclamation points seem to have been completely replaced by instinct and its bulls-eyes.

I'll post my steam id when I get home but I probably won't do anything with contracts until this weekend.

---------- Post added 2012-11-20 at 09:41 PM ----------

My SteamID is SirRobin too. Forgot that, lol. I could be getting much better scores if everyone wasn't such assholes in this game. Before I even get to the target I'm itching to take out just about everyone.

[Lord Bale]

I think what the game lacks in freedom it makes up for in gameplay. The Glacier2 engine runs great, the game is fluid and the controls work (on PC atleast), and the entire game is just beautiful (aside from the horrid cutscenes). Developers gave us many ways to go about completing a level instead of almost total sandbox as Blood Money did. I honestly don't think it's worth complaining about because the amount of methods available to use in completing the levels is great. The same concept is derived from both games: X amount of ways to kill a target or complete an objective. Absolution just included doors and checkpoints to create a more cinematic effect, which I believe they somewhat succeeded at. It's a turn off, however, how checkpoints fail to save any previous kills, bodies hidden, other events etc.. I was disguised in a business man's suit going into a lobby elevator. Arriving at my destination, where did the suit go? I feel these aspects of the game were lazily developed.

I'm honestly not sure what they were thinking when writing the story. Absolution presents itself as a pristine, professional, Hitman-esque experience. The first mission is a great example of what many people would expect the game to be. But as the story progresses, you find yourself in area's that just don't fit in with what you're looking for. Protecting a girl, escaping from the police, the amount of cliché is almost unbearable. Hitman has always been it's own unique game and experience, which is seriously lacking in Absolution. Parted with forgettable, ugly characters the plot of Absolution is a major turn off.

Contracts mode is nothing more than taking out different targets in the missions you already completing with added challenges. Though the idea IO represented was great, the mode just doesn't add as much replayability as people are looking for.

Aside from all of the negatives that come, alot of positives remain. Like I said, what it lacks in freedom it makes up for in gameplay. It's always satisfying taking down your target the way you, yourself constructed. It's awesome watching 47 walk around with Silverballers in-hand. The game succeeds at immersing you and making you feel like 47. I believe that if maybe a little more thought had went into the plot, setting and characters, Hitman: Absolution would be a near perfect game. But it can never feel close to that, following a story like that the entire session. Maybe you would actually feel like a Hitman

TL;DR: Absolution is a very well polished, fun experience that is certainly worth the play. But don't let it's exterior fool you for what the story really offers.

[Deleted]

Downloading through steam now. Takes fricking aaaaaages since the DL constantly stops and re-begins again. Urgh. First time ever I have this.

[Deleted]

Downloading through steam now. Takes fricking aaaaaages since the DL constantly stops and re-begins again. Urgh. First time ever I have this.

The autumn sale started 2 hours ago, the servers are probably taking a hammering.

[Deleted]

The autumn sale started 2 hours ago, the servers are probably taking a hammering.

Yeah after more then 2 hours it's only at 43%, so I'm just going to continue in the morning and hope it's up in like 10 minutes or so. Hope my PC can handle it without lagging to hard.

[starkey]

Yeah bit of a let down this one, im still a fanboy of hitman 2 specially the mission st petersberg revisited.

[SirRobin]

Yeah bit of a let down this one, im still a fanboy of hitman 2 specially the mission st petersberg revisited.

Hell yeah, that was an awesome mission. Ugh, maybe I'll pick up AC3 this weekend.

---------- Post added 2012-11-21 at 05:32 PM ----------

HA is running a 77 average at metacritic right now and I think that is pretty accurate. Its an okay game, but no where near a great one. Hopefully they'll learn from this and bring back more of what made the past titles great.

[Lord Bale]

http://www.pcgamer.com/2012/11/22/hi...ame=0&ns_fee=0

Hitman the new Call of Duty? Atleast we can see another one is coming..

[Wilian]

Well, that direction was expected after the "broadening the playerbase" of this one.

[SirRobin]

http://www.pcgamer.com/2012/11/22/hi...ame=0&ns_fee=0

Hitman the new Call of Duty? Atleast we can see another one is coming..

Considering how bad some of the Call of Duty games and Alien movies were? I'm not sure if that's the analogy they want to use. Well, hopefully, the next one will be less cinema, and more game. Oh well, its just another console game now anyways.

[harhis23]

Call of Duty games are great and it's no surprise they dominate in their own category. Hitman: Absolution, however, is yet another great game that also deserves good ratings. I'm not sure if it's even right to compare Hitman with Call of Duty.

Having been able to play every Hitman games, I could say Absolution is the best so far. IO Interactive has been so consistent with every aspect of the game especially with all those movies. But I guess that's what made Hitman a unique and exciting game.

Now, recent news (http://www.gamearena.com.au/news/read.php/5117318) suggest that Square Enix Montreal will be the one to develop the next Hitman title. I don't doubt Square Enix's capabilities in developing really good games but the question is, will they be able to follow the tradition IO Interactive started with this game? Or, are we gonna see a different Hitman?

[Deleted]

I think most of these reviewers are playing it on easiest settings.

The game is still difficult on hard settings to ghost and doesnt feel too streamlined, just better polished being late 7th gen game vs Blood Moneys rough edges being early 7th gen.

Its not been ruined as bad as what the last Splinter Cell had been tho it does feel i little bit more console-fied compared to BM.