There are also hidden items to find throughout each mission. And because there are a number of different ways to approach a given mission, there is plenty of reason to go back and replay them. You can spend hours on just one mission as you struggle for that perfect playthrough. The game is packed with content, taking upwards of 20 hours to complete. In fact, although you can go in guns blazing, the game does penalize you for that. This speaks to the beauty of the Hitman formula, which allows for flexibility in terms of playing style while still retaining the identity of the franchise as one primarily about stealth. From assault rifles to shotguns to 47's signature silverballers, there is more than enough here to keep action junkies satisfied. IO has supplied players with more than enough firepower to do the job. Of course, sometimes stealth fails, and in these cases 47 is more than capable of lighting up a room.
If you intend to walk past a group of potential hostiles, you may need to use Instinct to make yourself blend in. If you play on the Normal difficulty setting, you will find that Instinct is a convenient tool to be used sparingly. Depending on the difficulty setting chosen, players will be given an Instinct bar that can be refilled as they accomplish certain feats, such as stealthily eliminating a guard. Most notable is the addition of "Instinct", a mechanic which allows 47 to, through momentarily heightened sense perception, see enemies, points of interest, AI movement patterns, destination points, and more. Hitman delivers on that standard with a host of key improvements and additions that enrich the Silent Assassin experience. Naturally, then, one would expect game mechanics refined to match current standards.
Characterization was something IO wanted to improve on with Absolution, and it shows.Īs I noted at the outset, the last installment in the Hitman series was over six years ago. And what would a Hitman game be without a veritable menagerie of psychopaths to stalk and eliminate? Those are here, and they are more fleshed out than in any Hitman game previous. The story is told well, with strong writing and excellent delivery by a talented voice cast. It's not long before the plot thickens and 47 finds himself embroiled in a much more complex affair. Diana Burnwood, 47's former handler, has betrayed the the ICA, and they've tasked 47 with eliminating the handler he once trusted. The game weaves a tightly paced narrative, relying almost exclusively on in-engine assets powered by IO Interactive's new Glacier 2 engine. Perhaps the most immediately apparent distinction between Absolution and previous games in the Hitman series is the cinematic nature of the storytelling. Although it retains its unique identity, times have changed, and so has Hitman. The stoic assassin is back in Hitman: Absolution, the series' first installment in over six years.