Hitman: Absolution

Hitman Absolution takes significant steps toward delivering a cinematic exprience. In fact, you might be surprised to find out that there are probably more cutscenes in this game alone than in the rest of the previous games combined. However agent 47's tale of redemption is a contrived mess of absurd scenarios and characters and goes so far as to contradict series mythos, particularly Hitman 2. The contradictions extend to the gameplay as well. Without any explanation, Hitman is suddenly a delicate little flower that can only take a few bullets before biting the dust. Even with the addition of a surprisingly solid cover system, the guns-blazing approach is no longer a valid one. It might seem silly to criticize a stealth game for focusing more on stealth, but in Hitman taking away the ability to go on a rampage means that you can no longer experiment and "safely "discover what items and people you were actually supposed to interact with. It's like taking away the trial from trial and error. The disguise system has also been outright compromised as people wearing the same outfit, can recognize you instantly and unique clothing is now a rarity. To make up for this, 47 now has Instinct Mode. By activating it, hints are revealed and Hitman covers his face, somehow making those around him less rather than more suspicious. The checkpoint system is worst in the series, as not only are they few and placed erraticaly, but each can only be used once. Jesper Kyd's departure is also particularly noticeable, as the music in Absolution is completely forgettable. Which is a shame, since Absolution boasts incredible graphics and believable AI. It runs well too. But in the end the ridiculous story and botched gameplay make this the worst game in the series.

Absolution seems to get a lot of flak from veterans of the series. On the surface, it's understandable: the gameplay makes a lot of changes from previous titles and the story takes a satirical tone, which clashes with how serious the rest of the series is. Yet I think it's being a bit unfairly called out from being too much of a departure instead of being judged for its own merits. Yes, the gameplay is more focused on stealth and relies on more realistic elements that make the game a bit harder, but I think that's a good thing. In fact, I think the gameplay suits the character more now than in previous titles. Now it's not a simple matter of wearing a disguise and instantly becoming invisible, and since Agent 47 is less resistant to bullets, not being made is a priority. This makes the player take careful consideration into his strategies. Granted, the lack of preparation before a stage can be missed, but this is justified in-story by 47 being on the run and pretty much having to make do with what he has at hand. Again, this isn't inherently a bad thing, just a different one. Different strategies and ways to off your targets (and non-targets) are still a major part of the game. So much that there's a mode in which you can actually make your own challenges by picking a level, a target, a weapon and other modifiers and share those custom levels online; or play by yourself levels made by other players. If you don't care about story, this makes the game infinitely replayable. If you care about story, though, this one isn't for everyone. Hitman games usually let the story take a backseat, but here it's front and center. It's a silly story full of outlandish characters, so if you wanted something serious you might be disappointed. Otherwise, it's a fun ride. The one thing about this game I believe it's perfectly justified to dislike is the checkpoint system. It's just terrible and almost pointless. Otherwise, it gets a recommendation from me for stealth fans.

Some reasons why you maybe won't enjoy Absolution, if you already played the older ones: -no manual save; only local bound, disposable and valid during mission -disguises blow up pretty fast -to get Silent Assassin you need to do extra stuff (completing challenges, collecting objects) -instead of a map and keyholes you have x-ray vision -tends to be more like a Splinter Cell game -not possible to close doors, no light switches -no preparations before missions and contract briefings -music not from Jesper Kyd All of this may be minor, but together they make the game a lot harder unless you adapt to it. The play style you developed during the older games won't fit here anymore and forcing it like I did will turn your experience mostly into an tedious and terrible experience. Tips how to improve your experience: -Don't buy/play this game (duh!) -Play it before the other ones, if you don't mind to be spoiled (though the story doesn't make 100% sense and differs from the other ones) -Ignore the rating and play it as you like (best solution) -be a masochistic perfectionist If you never played a Hitman game, you might go ahead. The graphics, atmosphere and well written NPC dialog will blow you away. Looking at the long list, one might think, they did many mistakes, but there is actually one simple mistake: calling it Hitman Handling this game like a spinoff like Hitman GO would have done it more justice. tl;dr/conclusion Ok for a stealth game, dissapointing for a Hitman continuation

The story has never been the main focus in the Hitman series, but in this one they tried to deliver a good story, so you can feel attached to 47. IO Interactive did a "meh" job. Plot holes, bad decisions and some "never explained before" stuff will make you say quite often: "WTF?" The gameplay though is pretty good (not excellent,but good). They get rid of all the clunky animations and refined a lot of stuff, making it a pretty solid stealth game. The greatest flaw of this game is that it's too cinematic, stepping away from the older games where preparation was essential and planning was required. Your brain won't be much challenged by this game (unlike in the previous ones). In the end: a good stealth game, a mediocre Hitman

Imagine if Agent 47 existed in the same universe as Kane and Lynch. That's exactly what this is. An over the top Hitman parody where 47 goes gun blazing everywhere killing 20 guys in seconds after saying a one liner. This game feels more like the Kane and Lynch sequel we never got than a sequel to Blood Money. Interestingly enough Kane and Lynch actually have a cameo in the game making this theory very plausible. With that said, don't play this expecting Hitman since you will get none of that, but as a very cheesy over the top 3rd person shooter that parodies 47 it is very entertaining. Pros: -Best shooting mechanics in the series -Fun cheesy over the top story -Fun grousome over the top deaths Cons: -Not really Hitman -Characters make stupid decisions for plot reasons and are never developed -Stealth is broken making stealth sections boring and tedios