Hitman: Absolution

1. swedishbaker

   Nov 20, 2012

   10

   This is hitman. There are so many paths to assassinate your target and if you were to step back and look, you would see all the hard work thatThis is hitman. There are so many paths to assassinate your target and if you were to step back and look, you would see all the hard work that has gone into designing the levels. Hitman's only downside is the disguise system, police officers should not know everyone in the whole police force and because of this it gets a 9.5. I love hitman and if you decide to play this stealthily, you will find it quite a challenge and most games today lack challenges.… Expand

   • 25 of 47 users found this helpful
2. Afsan

   Mar 12, 2013

   9

   Silent, gritty, dark and funny. IO Interactive have hit the nail on the head, with this great stealth/shooter, although the formula hasSilent, gritty, dark and funny. IO Interactive have hit the nail on the head, with this great stealth/shooter, although the formula has changed in some way which may alienate some fans, but those who have been there from the beginning like us and many alike, will know this was the best direction for the series to go. With the same stealth mechanics from blood money with a few missing this is still 'One of the best!' stealth games we will see in this lifetime with great attention to detail. Agent 47 is back with a vengeance… Expand

   • 0 of 1 users found this helpful
4. hitmonk

   Apr 25, 2013

   9

   I might've been one of you who dislikes this game. I'm a big fan of the old series and still think they're a great concept that needs betterI might've been one of you who dislikes this game. I'm a big fan of the old series and still think they're a great concept that needs better execution. I was slightly disappointed with the action-oriented, linear route Absolution takes. But I can't dislike this game. I luvs it. It's not Blood Money 2 and once you get around that, it's a great game that tries to do a lot and does most of it right.
   
   The graphics are pretty, especially for console standards this is quite a looker. If you're bored of brown/grey shooters, Absolution presents you with a refreshing array of environments, both indoors and outdoors taking you from a gothic interpretation of a modern American city to a quaint desert oil town. It's all wonderfully cliched, pulpy and over the top and nicely done. Most of all the story never really gets in the way. Cutscenes don't overstay their welcome and the script never reaches for dramatic heights it can't reach. The level of design and detail in the environment makes it feel like you are visiting proper places and not just levels in a game. There's a lot of ambience altough this sometimes translates into a pretty heavy handed bloom-implementation that makes it seem like 47's skull actually gives off light. In other areas it's used to quite beautiful effect.
   
   Controls also see an upgrade and feel tight and responsive. You're always in control of Hitman's actions and reactions and it all works right. It can even be played as a very competent and entertaining third person shooter if you want, altough you'll miss most of the fun.
   
   It looks great, plays great and it's not a run-of-the-mill commando-shooter. In fact, the game is at it's best when you don't shoot anyone. It becomes a giant moving puzzler. This is finally a proper stealth game, where you can ghost your way through all the levels (often in multiple ways!). There are always multiple approaches and the environments are littered with deadly tools and potential death traps. All you need to do is go in and get creative.
   
   People lament that the old brainyness of Hitman is gone, and that's true in a way. But that was also the old games' point of frustration. If your plan went wrong, all you could do was start again. Absolution achieves something quite remarkable in throwing that old template away. This is the first stealth game I've played where no matter what goes wrong, you can keep playing. Once enemies are aware of you, the cat and mouse that ensues is a lot of fun and there are a million and one ways to lure, subdue and kill your enemies.
   
   The game rewards and actively encourages experimentation and multiple plays with a smart unlockable system. So really, once you get past the fact it's not Blood Money 2, it's a great game. The story attempts to be a Rodriguez style grindhouse affair and doesn't really succeed, but who cares... it entertained me more than the grumpy faced, let's save the universe wannabe grimy and intelligent pulp most games have. It's all trash, Hitman at least admits it. In this world, everybody is a perv..so a hitsquad of latex clad nuns makes perfect sense. The story never gets in the way, it just serves the purpose of taking you from location to location, and Absolution offers great variety here to the point that when you do get to the inevitable industrial area/mine shaft/factory environment all other games have, it's almost a welcome distraction... almost.
   
   It's not perfect. It's cheesy in places, the characters are hard to like. It's also not the game hardcore Hitman fans expect and even I would still love to see a hardcore open-level stealth game like Contract return to consoles. But IO also isn't the biggest studio and they need to turn a profit, so some concession would have to be made. I'd say they made them very elegantly and if you take all the fan-sentiment out of the picture, they delivered a highly enjoyable, smart, colourful and beautiful game. The polished exterior hides a great stealth 'em up that not only accommodates a staggering variety of playstyles, but lets you switch between them on the move.
   
   If you're passing up on this one because some old fans are angry it's not the game they wanted, you may be missing out. In terms of just the amount of fun I've had, this is my best game of 2012… Expand

   • 3 of 6 users found this helpful
5. JackC

   Dec 22, 2012

   7

   It's not a bad game (a good game I would argue) but it does not feel like a real Hitman game as many people have pointed out. It reminds meIt's not a bad game (a good game I would argue) but it does not feel like a real Hitman game as many people have pointed out. It reminds me more of one of the early Splinter Cell games as you slip pass searching guards. The hits have been made far too easy in my opinion, most missions you can follow the target around until they stop somewhere that no one else is looking then you just fibre wire them and stick them in a conveniently place container. If your a long time fan you will get some enjoyment, just don't go expecting too much.
   
   Looks good though...… Expand

   • 4 of 6 users found this helpful
6. NoX81

   Nov 21, 2012

   6

   Firstly i would like to point out that i started playing Hitman games with silent assassin on the PS2, later I had contracts and finally bloodFirstly i would like to point out that i started playing Hitman games with silent assassin on the PS2, later I had contracts and finally blood money on the PC, i love the game series. So i had to get the latest version for my Xbox.
   
   Well it pains me to say it but this is just not the game it was, 6 years later and this game is NOT as good as the previous ones. Its a watered down version in the same way the all the Tom Clancy games got watered down. Gone are the strong elements of tactics and planning, gone is the reward for exploration and experimentation, in their place there is the illusion of these things. This game attempts to add tense action sequences but it does so with scripted, triggered action points, by funnelling you down one route or situation instead of allowing the previous sandbox anything goes game-play to shine through. The beauty of a Hitman game was that two players could take completley different routes to the objectives, the action and tension they encountered was completley a consequence of their play style and timing. In this game the experience is contrived, forced and scripted to the point that everyone will get the same experience bar a few areas where the leash is loosened enough for you to get a brief taste of what made the game great. To often are you forced into situations that are not becoming of a game series that once carried silent assassin as a game title, well there's nothing silent about being forced into being chased by a helicopter and countless police men through numerous early stages. By attempting to turn the tables on agent 47 and make him vulnerable in this new narrative we are robbed of what made the series great; selecting your gear, scouting the location out and making your way to your target.
   
   Gone is the load-out, your weapons are pre-selected for you, so no more sniper briefcase but dont worry because someone will have left a high-powered sniper rifle in the room overlooking your target and the window is open, the weapon will also be according to its description in the menus agent 47's choice sniper rifle, how convenient...and lame. Also on the subject of lame is the new disguise system; now you might thing the best way to blend in with some police men is perhaps to grab one of their uniforms, act normal, keep a relative distance so they dont see you up close etc. Well actually if you put a police uniform on every time you are in eye sight of a police man at any distance you arouse suspicion and attract unwanted attention, the same goes for any disguise, dress up as a bodyguard and all the bodyguards immediately seem to be onto you, however if you just dress as someone else they let you pass unnoticed...so the point in dressing up is what exactly? Case to point: I put on a police uniform to access and area guarded by police men, nothing but suspicion is aroused, i come back dressed as a drug dealer and i'm fine to walk through unnoticed. These scenarios happen throughout the game yet you can negate it somewhat by using an intuition bar that when used de-pleats but allows you to....wait for it.....cover your face as you walk past in a rather awkward and obvious attempt to hide your identity. Yeah, that's right, and if the bar or your 'intuition' de-pleats? yeah you can no longer put your hand over your face.
   
   Also hiding works as stupidly, climb through a window next to a guard in a restricted area and he will turn, question you, become suspicious, but if you quickly read a near by pamphlet hey everything is fine, no problems! Stop reading the pamphlet though and the guy will draw on you and shoot in seconds.
   
   The A.I then as you may have guessed is lame, predictable boring patrol patterns, nothing dynamic, higher difficulties mealy mean they notice you faster and shoot more accurately for the most part.
   
   Agent 47 used to feel like a real pro, you had the element of surprise and could use it how you wanted, with the load out you wanted, on the path you chose. Now you get the weapons you given along with anything you can scavenge, you get limited paths and worse of all levels are no longer large sandboxes but separately loaded sections where if you return to a previous area anyone you killed or subdued is back alive.
   
   Despite all this there are still some nice elements to the game, there are some small sections where the game plays like its predecessors and its here where it creates its own dynamic drama and tension just like the old games did. Its a sad modern trend in gaming that sees strategic, stealth games getting watered down into stealth/action games. Hitman as a game has always had the tools for action, the moments where we messed up would bring the fight, or where you had to quickly dispatch two approaching guards, we dont need scripted action in a sandbox, just give us the tools and freedom and we'll make our own, just like the old days. Please IO keep the formula to what it was, its not Hitman any more. 7 from a series fan.… Expand

   • 22 of 32 users found this helpful
7. Disco_Dave

   Nov 20, 2012

   4

   This is NOT a Hitman game. The levels are small an not really sand box ,the AI is bad, the story is bad. If you want a bargain then head onThis is NOT a Hitman game. The levels are small an not really sand box ,the AI is bad, the story is bad. If you want a bargain then head on over to Ebay to grab my copy.Ebay is full of second hand copies already an its the first day of launch,what does that tell you?… Expand

   • 14 of 28 users found this helpful
8. Dastrados

   May 11, 2014

   0

   Generic piece a garbage. Everything good about a videogame is not found in Hitman Absolution. Just skip it and go buy mass effect 3. MasGeneric piece a garbage. Everything good about a videogame is not found in Hitman Absolution. Just skip it and go buy mass effect 3. Mas effect 3 is the best game of the year 10/10. This game how ever is 0/10
   but I'll give it 1 point because its so ****… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful

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