Hitman: Absolution

 PlayStation 3
User Score
7.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 530 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 352 out of 530
  2. Mixed: 113 out of 530
  3. Negative: 65 out of 530
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  1. ArkonBlade
    Dec 29, 2012
    7
    I've played every Hitman game since Hitman 2 and i love the series. Absolution trys to do some new things but takes away two key features that i think fans of the series just must have in the game. One is no more choosing your wepon load outs from your safe house. That was always a cool feature of just looking through your vast selection of wepons and deciding what you wanted to take onI've played every Hitman game since Hitman 2 and i love the series. Absolution trys to do some new things but takes away two key features that i think fans of the series just must have in the game. One is no more choosing your wepon load outs from your safe house. That was always a cool feature of just looking through your vast selection of wepons and deciding what you wanted to take on your next mission. Two would be the mission maps are much smaller. Prevous Hitman games had you just dropped off in a level which was pretty big and said this is your taget hear is some info now go find him and kill him on how you see fit .Now Absolution takes more of a story based play through which the story is not bad and the game over all is still kind of fun but part of that old Hitman feel was kinda lost. Graphically Absolution looks great and is also voice acted very well too. I did enjoy the game and it is worth playing but i think most fans will find the older Hitman games like Blood Money far more fun. Infact i find myself can't waiting to Play the Hitman HD collection just so i can play Blood Money again over wanting to play Absolution.… Expand
  2. TheQuietGamer
    Oct 19, 2013
    7
    My first time playing a Hitman game. It's slower paced than what I'm typically used to playing, but overall I enjoyed this action/stealth game. I found the game to be a little frustrating at times and not just because of my lack of experience with this type of game. Poor gameplay decisions make this game a little more tedious than it needs to be at times.

    Why does the game even bother    My first time playing a Hitman game. It's slower paced than what I'm typically used to playing, but overall I enjoyed this action/stealth game. I found the game to be a little frustrating at times and not just because of my lack of experience with this type of game. Poor gameplay decisions make this game a little more tedious than it needs to be at times.

    Why does the game even bother with disguises if your enemies can see through them instantly? The only way to keep from getting caught while wearing them is to use your "Instinct" meter, so when that runs out you're screwed. And why are you penalized for killing enemies who get between you and your target? I can understand why the game penalizes you for getting caught, but when you kill the guard who caught you losing points sucks. It's stuff like this that brings the game down. But when everything is going right there's nothing else like "Absolution".

    Moving through an area undetected and taking out your target before the enemies even know you're there is a completely rewarding and enthralling experience that more than makes up for this games flaws. These moments are made better by the numerous ways to complete these assassinations. Every level has several ways to take out your target, and how you do it is up to you. This gives you a reason to stick with the game after you have beaten it, as does the "Contracts" mode will please players who like to get competitive with their skills.

    Hitman: Absolution is a fun but flawed game. It's a lot of fun to play even if it can become a trial-and-error experience at times. If you're into games that require quick thinking and creativity then this might be for you. Overall I enjoyed the game despite its flaws. At times it almost felt like a PS2 game, and it took me back to a time when creativity and an imaginative setting were enough to make a game memorable and enjoyable.    … Expand
  3. GrumpyReviewer
    Jan 3, 2013
    7
    I never played any of the other Hitman games, so I have no base to compare to. That being said, I really had high expectations with Absolution. I thought it would have a kind of "Assassins Creed feel" to it, but this is not the case. Killing, of course, is the main objective of the game's chapters though they don't play as smoothly as I expected. I mean, they made a very rich universe,I never played any of the other Hitman games, so I have no base to compare to. That being said, I really had high expectations with Absolution. I thought it would have a kind of "Assassins Creed feel" to it, but this is not the case. Killing, of course, is the main objective of the game's chapters though they don't play as smoothly as I expected. I mean, they made a very rich universe, filled with opportunities that have the sole purpose of driving us to creative skills. But (at least for me) this never happens. I don't know, maybe I am not playing it well, but nothing works as planed for me. I am always caught and all the missions usually end in an "Uncharted-esque" way. And I am not rushing. I take my time, studying the environment, the targets, their behaviour etc etc; I try to blend, to disguise etc etc but it just never works. I am not saying I want an easy game, I just wanted the scenarios to be a more coherent stage of events, that's all. This game is gorgeous, plays beautifully and we do get a LOT of options and ideas of "how to kill", I just never get an actual chance to do that. Also, it just makes no sense to be PUNISHED for killing in a game in which you are supposed to kill...… Expand
  4. mrnice
    Apr 7, 2017
    7
    Excellent attention to detail in the levels and presentation. The campaign involves a high number of unfair difficulty spikes and sequences, but the game is a very serious and intricate product overall. The online component reuses levels and lets players set up alternative goals for each other. Trophy hunters beware: some hard trophies can glitch and ruin your 'hunt'. Almost gets an 8/10Excellent attention to detail in the levels and presentation. The campaign involves a high number of unfair difficulty spikes and sequences, but the game is a very serious and intricate product overall. The online component reuses levels and lets players set up alternative goals for each other. Trophy hunters beware: some hard trophies can glitch and ruin your 'hunt'. Almost gets an 8/10 for level presentation and variety.… Expand
  5. RUST
    Nov 26, 2012
    7
    Absolution is too much of a step away from the normal Hitman approach to appease a self titled fanatic of the series like myself. Silly ideas that in reality wouldn't work, averting your face to avoid attention for example, and stripped back and more restricted environments kicks number of options the player can choose from down to slim pickings. Excellent plot, numerous faults but allAbsolution is too much of a step away from the normal Hitman approach to appease a self titled fanatic of the series like myself. Silly ideas that in reality wouldn't work, averting your face to avoid attention for example, and stripped back and more restricted environments kicks number of options the player can choose from down to slim pickings. Excellent plot, numerous faults but all round there is enough to appease new fans and give the veterans a bit of a workout.… Expand
  6. Drummerboy
    Feb 1, 2013
    7
    I really liked SOME of the missions. However I was a bit disappointed with how absurdly many guards there were in like ALL locations ALL the time. I would have appreciated some calm missions where more focus was put on actually planning the hit instead of trying to avoid guards. Most locations are gorgeous, and I guess the replay value is OK. I'll give it a 7 for now.
  7. asiangamer023
    Nov 22, 2012
    7
    I give this game a 7

    Cons 1.The game disguise system is good,but flawed - Too sensitive,makes disguise ALMOST useless,disguise clothes works perfect in some area,and works in a very non realistic and weirdway in some mission (example: i killed the judge,wore his clothes,go back out,nobody recognize me in the court) 2.Linear stages,sandbox mission are not really big either,some    I give this game a 7

    Cons
    1.The game disguise system is good,but flawed - Too sensitive,makes disguise ALMOST useless,disguise clothes works perfect in some area,and works in a very non realistic and weirdway in some mission (example: i killed the judge,wore his clothes,go back out,nobody recognize me in the court)
    2.Linear stages,sandbox mission are not really big either,some "mission" are really small,it feels like a hallway,and some mission requires you to run from point a to point b
    3.Some bugs and glitches - this does not factored in my rating of this game
    4.No weapon loadout for story mode - fail
    5.You are able to bring 1 weapon for contracts mode only -this is the only mode with weapon loadout
    6.NPC dialogue interaction is scripted and not dynamic,it activates when you enter an area or spot,which easily predict those npc movement,making the game not realistic and challenging enough
    7.the AWFUL checkpoint system - it freakin resets the npc position everytime you restart!!!!!!!!
    Pros
    1.great graphics, plants looks really nice especially
    2.cutscenes are good,you actually feels for 47,and also makes the game lifely 3.contract mode is an awesome mode 4.dialogues are interesting and makes the game lively
    5.better ai than blood money imo,altlthough not by much but its still better than nth
    6.mission variety is quite noticible, and overall game is quite lengthy    … Expand
  8. Silent_Frank
    Jan 20, 2013
    7
    It was nice to see a old friend return, i'm a big fan of the Hitman series, so after playing blood money I thought, "You know what, lets go and get a old friend." So I switched off my Playstation 2, and bought the game at 50 bucks. Jumping into the game, I instantly recognized the graphics, the game looks good. The crowds are detailed, the lighting is great and when you hit someone with aIt was nice to see a old friend return, i'm a big fan of the Hitman series, so after playing blood money I thought, "You know what, lets go and get a old friend." So I switched off my Playstation 2, and bought the game at 50 bucks. Jumping into the game, I instantly recognized the graphics, the game looks good. The crowds are detailed, the lighting is great and when you hit someone with a glass, you see the glass explode into the head, and the tiny cuts and the big wounds and blood spattered across their face. Many people complain about how 47 now has feelings, and the story is more personal than others. Well they haven't played Hitman 2: Silent Assassin, as that game revolved around saving a priest you care about. So gameplay, gameplay is how you want. Stealthy, rambo (Though if you do rambo, then please stop, its a stealth game -_-) Stealth is more rewarding when you send down a target, making it look like a accident and walking away in your awesome new threads. The game is also broken down. Levels are broke up into sections, and instinct mode is here. Instinct is like wall hack, it can be turned off in the options like I did. I'm giving this a 8/10, for fun gameplay and reminding us we dont need full machine gun awesome robot murder destruction, for a fun game.… Expand
  9. chrisjones914
    Apr 24, 2013
    7
    Hitman Absolution is great in the beginning... but the later missions don't capture the feel and excitement of Hitman at all! However this is still a good fun game and the multiplayer is definitely something new, interesting and cool!
  10. Gr8humanilation
    May 5, 2013
    7
    This is good game no doubt about that. This is great assassin/stealth game. What i liked about this game was sneaking so if you are an fps fan this is probably not for you. I also liked the many ways of killing and fooling the enemy. Though sometimes i felt like "how stupid you are!". Story is okay. Not great. Too linear to be great and that's what i hated about in this game. CutscenesThis is good game no doubt about that. This is great assassin/stealth game. What i liked about this game was sneaking so if you are an fps fan this is probably not for you. I also liked the many ways of killing and fooling the enemy. Though sometimes i felt like "how stupid you are!". Story is okay. Not great. Too linear to be great and that's what i hated about in this game. Cutscenes were done very nicely. Graphics were very good too.
    In the end this is good game for people who are patient and likes to go on slowly so this is probably not for cod fans or bf3 fans.    … Expand
  11. gavey02
    Aug 26, 2013
    7
    If your new to the himan series and you start on this game you will love it if your a long time fan..you wont like this game. most of the hitman elements are gone like for example: in the old hitmans it would be almost impossible to gun down everything in your way, in absoultion you can gun everything with no plan at all and still get alot of points. it does have good graphics and aIf your new to the himan series and you start on this game you will love it if your a long time fan..you wont like this game. most of the hitman elements are gone like for example: in the old hitmans it would be almost impossible to gun down everything in your way, in absoultion you can gun everything with no plan at all and still get alot of points. it does have good graphics and a deceant story and nice shooting but this is not a game for longtime fans. 6.7… Expand
  12. MovieGuys
    Sep 17, 2013
    7
    The story mode is okay, but it's the contracts option that saves this game. The story is a little convoluted and unrealistic, to be honest. I didn't find it that interesting to play, and it took me a long time to figure out what to do in some cases. So as I said before, contracts save this game. They make each chapter in the story have infinite possibilities to kill people, and you can doThe story mode is okay, but it's the contracts option that saves this game. The story is a little convoluted and unrealistic, to be honest. I didn't find it that interesting to play, and it took me a long time to figure out what to do in some cases. So as I said before, contracts save this game. They make each chapter in the story have infinite possibilities to kill people, and you can do whatever you please, basically. I would buy this game, but play the contracts first to get a feel for the game and the environments, then, if you must, play the story.… Expand
  13. Thorshammer7
    Sep 25, 2013
    7
    This game was pretty good. I liked how there were so many ways too kill your target. Best Hitman of the series for sure. I strongly recommend it to anyone.
  14. yolandivisser
    Dec 17, 2012
    6
    Overall it's really great but I felt as if they used some of the easiest gimmicks of the genre and didn't really use them as much as they could. Also, I guess I expected more action and better plot.
  15. kirkkh
    Nov 25, 2012
    6
    Do believe the bad reviews. It's not awful, just really aggravating. You'll spend a HUGE amount of the game hiding from cops (rather than actually killing people, --looong backstory). Which wouldn't be all that bad, except the stealth is a super quirky and always boils down to a ton of trial and error (rather than thinking your way out). The actual kill-x-guy-missions are a blast, butDo believe the bad reviews. It's not awful, just really aggravating. You'll spend a HUGE amount of the game hiding from cops (rather than actually killing people, --looong backstory). Which wouldn't be all that bad, except the stealth is a super quirky and always boils down to a ton of trial and error (rather than thinking your way out). The actual kill-x-guy-missions are a blast, but there isn't a lot of them. :(… Expand
  16. BearzYo
    Dec 23, 2012
    6
    The detection system sucks, you re enemies have ultimate mutant megavision. I strangled a guy in the toilet, no one around, but everyone in the vicinity instantly knew exactly where I was the second he died. It's as if you don't complete things the way the game intends it brands you with a YOU ARE DOING IT WRONG and makes it impossibly hard to finish.

    The previous Hitman games kinda    The detection system sucks, you re enemies have ultimate mutant megavision. I strangled a guy in the toilet, no one around, but everyone in the vicinity instantly knew exactly where I was the second he died. It's as if you don't complete things the way the game intends it brands you with a YOU ARE DOING IT WRONG and makes it impossibly hard to finish.

    The previous Hitman games kinda gave you a sense of "You are the hitman, take him out as you please"    … Expand
  17. UnbiasedOutlook
    Dec 29, 2012
    6
    Hitman: Absolution isn't a game changer. It won't inspire game mechanics for years to come. It won't be copied in the way that the likes of Call of Duty and Grand Theft Auto have come to be. It isn't a revolutionary game - but as an evolution of the franchise and Agent 47's story, it
  18. knive87
    Jan 21, 2013
    6
    ill be honest i did enjoy the game a bit. . until i remembered how awesome BM was.. imagine GTA series, that game was enjoyed by almost everyone due its freedom. You can basically do anything you want! wooh! what happens if GTA became this 3rd person shooter with some driving mechanics with very pretty but linear levels. i know fans will rage as this has be done a few hundreds of times nowill be honest i did enjoy the game a bit. . until i remembered how awesome BM was.. imagine GTA series, that game was enjoyed by almost everyone due its freedom. You can basically do anything you want! wooh! what happens if GTA became this 3rd person shooter with some driving mechanics with very pretty but linear levels. i know fans will rage as this has be done a few hundreds of times now in this gen.
    Hitman has turned into a stealth game.. a fricking stealth game with some assassinations. not an assassin simulator with stealth mechanics (which i fricking love)
    In this game you'll be mostly going around beautiful environments (tho smaller than whats seen in BM contracts and SA) and dodging a bunch of walking obstacles all while trying to cosplay. (they specifically told us in E3 that you can "hide in plain sight".. this is a lie. if you played this game you know dang well you cant do that here while attempting to play the game properly.. you know with disguises?)
    attempting to sneak by these walking obstacles while wearing the same outfit as them will result in bullet-to-face-gitis for 47 or punch-to-the-face-o-roids fo the poor guard/policeman/grunt/whatever who has this keen sense of.. 6th sense that can instantly tell you're not really one of "them" even with a mask/helmet, but a pissed off assassin attempting to.. uh. sneak past so.. uh. he can do stuff.. while i know 47 is on the run so this game doesnt really have the "contracts" we usually play around in for the agency but WTF the game is called hitman.. not sneakman.. they could have at least gave us 70% of the 9hrs (i replayed levels that i enjoyed the most.. the ones where you kill people) the game gives us as assassinations.. instead we sneak around the levels and dodge people with the terrible disguise system.
    Contracts was quite enjoyable for the first 2 hours.. then it got boring.
    overall.. 6/10
    idk i just like some parts and the game can be fun tho its not bloodmoney.. sigh. what could have been in the right hands.    … Expand
  19. AnihilatorGamer
    Aug 25, 2013
    6
    Never been a fan of the Hitman games, but Hitman: Absolution changed my mind. Theres a few things that I don't like about it. Firstly, the Hitman: Absolution Sniper Challenge, I don't like the fact that its only one level, so gets boring after the first few goes, Secondly, some of the missions are quiet 'Samey'. Stakeout a place, watch, try not to get seen, don't kill Civ's, kill theNever been a fan of the Hitman games, but Hitman: Absolution changed my mind. Theres a few things that I don't like about it. Firstly, the Hitman: Absolution Sniper Challenge, I don't like the fact that its only one level, so gets boring after the first few goes, Secondly, some of the missions are quiet 'Samey'. Stakeout a place, watch, try not to get seen, don't kill Civ's, kill the target and escape. I do enjoy the story and the challenges people have made, very hard. Visually, I think its awesome, stunning graphics, awesome rag-doll effect of the enemies dying when shot. So with that being said, I give this game a 6/10

    -AG-    … Expand
  20. mattlarkin
    Jan 6, 2014
    6
    I briefly tried some of the PS2 era Hitman games but didn't much care for them. When Absolution was announced, I figured I'd give it a shot. And while I wasn't really bored or frustrated like in the past, neither did I find the experience captivating. In the end, I stopped after around three missions because it just didn't compel me to move forward.

    Graphics The game is good looking    I briefly tried some of the PS2 era Hitman games but didn't much care for them. When Absolution was announced, I figured I'd give it a shot. And while I wasn't really bored or frustrated like in the past, neither did I find the experience captivating. In the end, I stopped after around three missions because it just didn't compel me to move forward.

    Graphics
    The game is good looking with some nice movies. No complaints there.

    Story
    Agent 47 is sent to take out his former handler who has betrayed the agency. After doing so, he begins to feel regret because the woman was helping a young girl escape his fate. It was kind of nebulous, and maybe I would have gotten more out of it had I continued. But I honestly had a hard time caring about the hero.

    Gameplay
    There was a lot of sneaking around, offing guys, and so forth as you'd expect. And while I had no technical complaints with the experience, I also found no particular enjoyment from it. It felt a little like sneaking around in Uncharted or Deus Ex, except not nearly as satisfying.

    The verdict--it was okay. I had other games I'd rather spend my time with.    … Expand
  21. HaseebAhmed
    Apr 15, 2014
    6
    So enlighten me how this Hitman game is the best game ever? This is just a passable game it can't be classified as the Hitman because all the other previous iterations where we played into the open world this game predetermines where the player is going to play and try trace its foot-steps by forcing the gamer to leave the Hitman we all grown to love with.
  22. SAVAGEHENRY
    Jan 10, 2013
    5
    Very much depressed about this, I was expecting much more that I received for my duggets. I have played all of the hitman series. Let's say that games really have come a long way, and I understand that the old ways are still very valid. What I will not say though, is that this game is very good. It is sub par in many areas that it really should be, but all in all still fun. Visually it isVery much depressed about this, I was expecting much more that I received for my duggets. I have played all of the hitman series. Let's say that games really have come a long way, and I understand that the old ways are still very valid. What I will not say though, is that this game is very good. It is sub par in many areas that it really should be, but all in all still fun. Visually it is stunning at times, really lack luster in others. Grievances that have been stated about AI and killing when hidden with all enemies knowing are right on. Why in the year 2012, do we still deal with silly crap game design. Thank you to the people who poured themselves into the game, please read what people say here, and make changes for the better for future 47 enjoyment.… Expand
  23. riferrari
    Dec 4, 2012
    5
    Pros: 1) its a stealth game, they are rare nowadays 2) the campaign have cool parts such as the terminus hotel and the attack of the saints 3) the contacts mode might give some hours of gameplay too.
    Cons: 1) the disguise system is terrible, cops shouldn't even suspect whether you are a cop or not when you are dressed as one 2) the contracts mode could have been 1000 times better if you    Pros: 1) its a stealth game, they are rare nowadays 2) the campaign have cool parts such as the terminus hotel and the attack of the saints 3) the contacts mode might give some hours of gameplay too.
    Cons: 1) the disguise system is terrible, cops shouldn't even suspect whether you are a cop or not when you are dressed as one 2) the contracts mode could have been 1000 times better if you were able to choose a loadout before going to assassinate your target and if there were more maps than the linear ones of campaing 3) the NPCs aways do the exact same thing when you replay a level, their AI should have been unpredictable 4) the story sucks and have no creativity, I skipped 90% of the cutscenes after the first ones, tell me if I missed something 5) this game was mostly designed for an average gamer, not for the smart audience. This is my opinion, Hitman Absolution is absolutely not worth buying.    … Expand
  24. IronMit
    Nov 23, 2012
    5
    wow just wow.
    universally loved and critically acclaimed Blood money evolved into awesome sandbox set pieces in which for you to use your skills, tools, stealth, disguises, environment and adapting to make your kill/s and/or accidents.
    Absolution on the other hand has multiple sub-levels where you go from A to B..holding your hand 'you must take this lift'. 'you must get caught here and    wow just wow.
    universally loved and critically acclaimed Blood money evolved into awesome sandbox set pieces in which for you to use your skills, tools, stealth, disguises, environment and adapting to make your kill/s and/or accidents.
    Absolution on the other hand has multiple sub-levels where you go from A to B..holding your hand 'you must take this lift'. 'you must get caught here and experience this scripted cutscene'. Most of the sub-levels are linear and when you finally get to kill someone the level is some simple 4 room area, with minimal creativity and overly obvious ways to kill- so it's not even rewarding.

    Sometimes between loading screens my clothes and weapons got reset? what is that all about?

    To cover up this small sub-level mostly linear piece of rubbish they made a ridiculous instinct system which you need to make you disguise work. Which could work. But it runs out in seconds and won't replenish unless you do something the game wants. So you walk past one guard but come across another 10 minutes later and then you apparently don't have enough power to tilt your head away. Furthermore, your disguise can be broken from 20 meters away from the back of your head, in poor lighting and/or in a crowd in about 3 seconds. You can't get immersed in this because it just doesn't make sense. This is done to make this small game longer.

    The story is atrocious. silly kayne and lynch over the top idiot characters that jump up and down and shout 'yeehahh!'& talk about their genitals because that passes as clever dark humour nowadays.

    The irony of a hitman being accused of a murder he did not commit was lost on most people.

    The graphics, the detail, the lighting, the 'lots of people' mechanics of the glacier engine look amazing. But they had to make the levels smaller to accommodate and it shows.

    The AI is great and reacts to you. It could be the best AI I have experienced but the tweaking of the instinct system ruined it.

    I did like the many random tools you can use as weapons, hammers, screw drivers, vases etc

    Why is there a constant radar on the screen. I am not going to bash FPS players. I dabble in them too. We can adapt to no radar, especially when you have an optional see everyone through walls system. You can't even turn the radar off. I had to put a piece of paper on the bottom left of my TV to cover it to try to help with my immersion. Quick time events?! Now I do not like Assassins Creed (though I can appreciate why it is appealing to others) but my brother does. I was making fun of a few QTE features in the latest instalment just weeks ago...then this happens.
    You play a genetically engineered assassin, you can survive being shot..but a policeman can beat you up? MGS has a simple grab button, sneak or infront. I don't like win buttons but it makes sense..if a super soldier can grab them before they call out then that should be it. Not punch, block reversal, kick, judo move.

    You can somehow hide a sniper rifle, assault rifle or spas inside your suit??!?!!?

    I don't care about points. How much stuff do we need on the screen, an annoying live points counter I can't even turn off.

    This game is an insult to blood money
    IO interactive are not the developer they used to be, Hitman is now a template for them to pursue their kayne and lynch fantasies
    I will give it a 5 as if it was not a hitman game, one might be able to appreciate the graphics and the clever AI that respond to everything ''omg I found a pool of blood!''    … Expand
  25. rckstrdave
    Feb 10, 2013
    5
    I am a Hitman purist. I have played all the previous titles many times over. They are fantastic games, flawed for sure, but for the patient, thoughtful, creative, VIOLENT gamer, there is no better series out there. Hitman: Absolution manages to fix a big handful of those flaws, such as the addition of melee combat, a brilliant scoring system, and a user generated contract mode that willI am a Hitman purist. I have played all the previous titles many times over. They are fantastic games, flawed for sure, but for the patient, thoughtful, creative, VIOLENT gamer, there is no better series out there. Hitman: Absolution manages to fix a big handful of those flaws, such as the addition of melee combat, a brilliant scoring system, and a user generated contract mode that will seem pointless for casual players and thrilling for purists such as myself. Unfortunately, IO Games got more wrong than right this time around. In fact, they seem to have lost touch with what made Hitman so great in the first place. What was that fine quality we loved in the previous titles? Well crafted, non linear levels that offered lots of routes to eliminating your target(s); a feeling of total supreme power over the environment, which could come crashing down with one false move; freedom to choose your equipment and approach before ever setting foot in the world; and a story that is subtle yet immersive, interesting but totally unnecessary and easy to skip over if you choose. This is where IO has failed. While there are a spare handful of levels that live up to the series' legacy, much of the game is just hiding for the sake of hiding, with no targets to eliminate and levels that feel more like a long hallway than a sandbox. A long, detailed approach to your target is one thing, but once you've been playing for a couple hours and realized you've just been hiding from the police, the game begins to feel like a chore. The feeling of power is gone. The joy of exploring your environment is replaced by the desire to finish the bad levels to see if IO included any good ones. There are some 20 levels in the game, with perhaps 1/3 of them being enjoyable, 1/3 forgettable, and 1/3 tedious. Gone is the option to choose your own equipment, and the alternate "Contracts" mode allows you to choose from a very spare list of guns, and then only ONE. IO's biggest, saddest, most head shaking/face-palming move in Absolution is the story. Instead of focusing on making really excellent levels and gameplay, IO seems to have focused on making Absolution play like a movie, in the vein of Max Payne 3 (which didn't suit that title, either) or Grand Theft Auto 4 (which only worked in that title because the gameplay has never been a strong suit for the series). Complete with opening credits, B-list voice actors, long and frequent cut scenes, unlikeable and unconvincing characters, and a ridiculous and pointless plot, Hitman strives for Hollywood greatness at the expense of its gaming roots, and fails again. So many great details are missing, such as the safehouse/garden shed, which is now just a menu. Or the sniper case. Or the map. Or doors that can be closed. Keyholes. In many cases, just having a target! I'm glad IO just released the HD Hitman Collection, as I have been yearning for it on PS3 for years. It should keep me entertained long after I get bored with Absolution, probably in another week or two, and before the probably very LONG wait for Hitman 6. I hope IO learns from their mistakes on this title and goes back to what made the series great in the first place.… Expand
  26. MeatyPlasmaBaws
    Feb 22, 2013
    5
    Well were do i start.., Hitman, a series with an epic pedigree, games that just seemed to have got better with every incarnation, until now. This evolution of the series should 've been it finest hour but unfortunately didn't turn out to be the case.

    Lets break it down: Graphics:- For the series, the best so far by miles, very affective lighting, solid character models really quite    Well were do i start.., Hitman, a series with an epic pedigree, games that just seemed to have got better with every incarnation, until now. This evolution of the series should 've been it finest hour but unfortunately didn't turn out to be the case.

    Lets break it down:

    Graphics:-
    For the series, the best so far by miles, very affective lighting, solid character models really quite good physics and generally a pleasant place to spend time.

    Sound:-
    From the streets of Chinatown to the bodies riddled clubs/bars, even the (and i use the word lightly) "open" spaces echo and hum quite nicely with ambient noises. The Plot:-
    Is to say the least, very thin on the ground, i mean it feels like they decided to try a reboot rather than a new incarnation of what was a well established and quite popular franchise.

    The game play:-
    "Cough"..., I'm not saying it's all bad, as a matter of fact some of the sequences/locations do give you that old hitman feeling, a little exploration, a little observation then "whack/pop/bang/boom" or what ever your preferred (noise) means of assassination is but generally, most of the, take your time and plan the perfect "silent assassin" kill, leave the level undetected and even read about it in the paper. Seems to have been left in the mortuary at the end of "Blood Money". It sadly seems to have gone like most games of recent years, as in appeal to a wider audience "ala" Resident Evil, Dead Space Mass Effect, to name a few aiming, for a slice of the Call of Duty pie. The game's multiplayer component isn't bad, i get the impression this was developed for the previous vision in the older games, large open areas to play and explore, decide who your victim(s) is/are going to be, figure out the best or just most satisfying way to eradicate them. However this is a bit of a missed opportunity souly due to the limited playing area in each of the small sections of checkpoint based level design.

    Like most recent update a missed opportunity to hammer home a the fact that this is a series that should be here for many iterationsto come.    … Expand
  27. RLuke103
    Sep 24, 2013
    5
    Watered down rubbish, a disposable game made for our culture of COD style instant gratification. Gone is planning, tactics, timing and subtlety. In is guns blazing, quick time events and stupidity. Anyone who played Blood Money like me should remember a golden age of thinking stealth games, BM, MGS 3, Chaos Theory, these types of games are mostly dead. Remember in BM when you would stalkWatered down rubbish, a disposable game made for our culture of COD style instant gratification. Gone is planning, tactics, timing and subtlety. In is guns blazing, quick time events and stupidity. Anyone who played Blood Money like me should remember a golden age of thinking stealth games, BM, MGS 3, Chaos Theory, these types of games are mostly dead. Remember in BM when you would stalk your target and spend considerable time running through different scenarios on how to kill your victim? Gone. Remember when you would spend considerable time murdering various people for their outfit which would lead to different ways to kill your victim? Gone. Gone is the patients of a proper Hitman, now it's all about explosions and Stephen Hawking-esque A.I. that can see through every disguise you where making that oh so important and iconic element of the Hitman series redundant.

    Much like most developers/pulishers Enix has catered for the casual, pick up and drop gamer that makes the COD franchise so much money. Oh and the much reported save data deletion problem hit me, one level before game completion. Awesome.    … Expand
  28. Deusex
    Jun 14, 2014
    5
    This is the first Hitman game that i've played.
    Pros:
    - Graphics- No one can deny the great use of the Glacier 2 engine. Environments are amazing. characters looks great. - animations- it looks great, facial animations are great too. - level Design- lots of different opportunities, to approach in different ways. good tutorial cons: - Bad gameplay. Agent 47 is no way near as agile    This is the first Hitman game that i've played.
    Pros:
    - Graphics- No one can deny the great use of the Glacier 2 engine. Environments are amazing. characters looks great.
    - animations- it looks great, facial animations are great too.
    - level Design- lots of different opportunities, to approach in different ways. good tutorial

    cons:
    - Bad gameplay. Agent 47 is no way near as agile as Sam Fisher, and would help a lot in its gameplay.
    - Bad boring story that never interested me from the get go.
    - feels to linear.
    - you lose your silver ballers early in the game, and limits ur option to do silent head-shots or point shooting.    … Expand
  29. Thrashtera888
    Nov 25, 2012
    10
    Fantastic game that allows to finish/kill your target in many different ways, in this sense it is similar to deus ex human revolution. It has a very cool point systems that awards for completing a task a certain way and there many awesome challenges you can complete during your missions. This game is not linear because it allows you to be creative with your kills. The trolls that left badFantastic game that allows to finish/kill your target in many different ways, in this sense it is similar to deus ex human revolution. It has a very cool point systems that awards for completing a task a certain way and there many awesome challenges you can complete during your missions. This game is not linear because it allows you to be creative with your kills. The trolls that left bad reviews are the ones that have not played the game… Collapse

Awards & Rankings

29
#29 Best PS3 Game of 2012
15
#15 Most Discussed PS3 Game of 2012
21
#21 Most Shared PS3 Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
83

Generally favorable reviews - based on 30 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 25 out of 30
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 30
  3. Negative: 1 out of 30
  1. Worth Playing
    Jan 24, 2013
    85
    Hitman: Absolution proves to be another notable entry in the series. It may house a ho-hum plot, and you'll hate just about every character you come across, but the open nature of the approach is good enough that you'll overlook those blemishes.
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  2. D+PAD Magazine
    Dec 16, 2012
    70
    When playing to its strengths, Hitman: Absolution is a genuinely great game. Overall, though, it feels slightly disappointing, simply because it doesn't spend enough time playing to those strengths.
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  3. Eurogamer Spain
    Dec 6, 2012
    70
    It's easy to recommend Hitman Absolution, a game that provides chills and emotion although lacks the charisma and polish that you expect from this kind of production.
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