Hitman: Absolution

Note: I played this game on Steam. Let me start by saying; yes, compared to the previous versions of Hitman the narrative is not as good, that said it only bothered me a couple of minutes at the start of the game though. It has more to offer. Re- playability for one. Looking at the graphics and the rest of the game, it is a real sandbox were anything can happen, and there are a lot of things to try, all with a different outcome for that mission. It is as they say: "The world is your weapon". Maybe not the best in it's series. All in all still a very decent game. If the story was more compelling and had better voice acting I would give it 5 stars.

On its own it is a fun third person stealth action game. Getting through every level with minimal kills and without alerting security is entirely feasible, entertaining to attempt and satisfying to pull off. Shooting your way through things is also an option and the gunplay is good enough that it can be very tempting prospect too. The elements carried on from predecessors such as the disguise based stealth system also help make your infiltration attempts more interesting. As a Hitman game however... it does feel very lacking. Only a few levels are dedicated to the kind of puzzle-like assassination you'd expect from previous games, and it still feels simplified even compared to them. Most levels play like a more typical stealth action game that just happens to have Hitman branding and some of its trappings. If a further evolution of what Blood Money brought is what you're after then you'll probably have to look elsewhere. A notable simplification is in the disguise system. As usual there's places each disguise should and shouldn't be, but now any NPC that doesn't match your disguise will never become suspicious of you (if you don't commit acts that would alert them) and any NPC with your disguise will become suspicious if they have line of sight for long enough. Unless you use the game's "Instinct" system to inexplicably prevent NPCs from being suspicious of your disguise. There is still skill in using it appropriately but it is weird. And then we have the plot... It's bad in short. Brought to the forefront unlike previous games, but also full of characters that feel like they don't fit in their roles, are offputting and act in ways that are idiotic and only justifiable as a way to make plot things happen. Also 47 is impressively bad at rescuing people. Overall, it is fun and I recommend it if you like stealth games, but not the best option if you want to experience Hitman or care deeply about story.

Hitman: Absolution uses a considerably different formula compared to other Hitman games. It is extremely story-driven, unlike other Hitman games where each mission are loosely-connected contracts on separate targets. The levels are linear, and the only targets are people connected to the abduction of a girl 47 must protect. While many people don't really seem to like this, it does in a way makes this game different from other Hitman titles. The gameplay remains the same, using stealth, disguises, and strategy. While most fans seem to dislike a linear story-driven Hitman game, I think it's great. The story is pretty thrilling, and the game hires some big-name actors for the characters. If you're going to play this game, play on NORMAL difficulty at least. The Easy difficulty doesn't track challenges. The bad things about the gameplay are the save system and disguises. Instead of manual saving, Absolution uses checkpoints and stages in every level. Checkpoints are only usable once per session, and if you KO or killed a non-target enemy then reload a checkpoint, they respawn. Luckily, each stage is usually pretty short, but still annoying how restarting means redoing lots of things again. NPCs with the same disguise as you can detect you, and you have to hide or trick them. Another thing is that the Contracts mode, in which you can create and share contracts, are removed from this version since the servers were shut down. The story mode is still playable from start to finish, so honestly it's not really an issue unless you want this game simply because you like creating missions.

Look, I'll put it this way, if this was the first Hitman game you ever played (Like me), then you will have a hell of a time with this one, it's a very solid game, like, there's nothing to complain here technical wise or graphics wise. This game holds up on those areas pretty well. The problem was halfway through this game that I decided to play the older and newer Hitman games to see why fans despise this game. And I get it, I really do. The game is linear, and even for a first time Hitman player, this game felt extremely linear (Except on that one mission with the 3 redneck dudes at Hope County, that mission is cool). Now, I do like the gameplay, in a way it very much has the same mechanics as any other Hitman, but it lacks any explorable levels in which you can take targets multiple ways, there are levels that can be exceptions, but most of the time it fails to deliver the idea of what Hitman is, an open world where you can kill your targets in the most ridiculous and creative ways possible if desired, but it fails to deliver it so. Now, If you completely move away from this idea, the game is very good, you'll have a hell of a time, just don't do what I did and played halfway through the game the other Hitman games and realize how shallow in comparison this feels. I then felt the need to just complete the game out of respect for it. The story is ok, don't really want to touch on it because I don't have much to say, I like the style, maybe some parts are a little ridiculous but I find them charming and entertaining and I like the idea of redemption in some way for 47. So my conclusion to this game is this: I recommend it for first time Hitman players, as I think this game serves more of a proper introduction to the real stealth of Hitman games in the other titles, especially the new ones, those are amazing. If you're a fan of Hitman who wants to own all the games, play it, you may not like it but it ain't that bad either. 3/5 Good game | Bad Hitman

[Overview] Hitman: Absolution is a game that fans of the series will either love or hate. It takes a much different approach compared to most other games in the series. It has more of a focus of story and linear gameplay, instead of being the traditional open sandbox with some light story elements. [Positives] - Gameplay isn't perfect, but it's enjoyable. - Solid graphics and art style. - Maps are small, but solid. - Great easter eggs. - Decent music. [Mixed] - Although the story isn't particularly good, it's very weird and can be enjoyable at times. There's plenty of bad writing. Lots of plot holes and other issues. However, many moments are 'so bad it's good.' [Negatives] - It doesn't play like a traditional Hitman game. This isn't the open stealth experience some fans may be expecting. - Much more limited and linear compared to the earlier (and even later) games in the series. - Online servers have been taken offline, making modes like Contracts unplayable. - Some impossible achievements due to servers being offline. (GOG version does not include achievements at all) [Conclusion] Hitman: Absolution is weird. It's essentially a linear action game with a Kojima inspired plot and a Hitman skin on top of it. It's an odd game and is unlikely to please hardcore fans. However, despite it's many issues, I like it. 7/10