WARNING: THIS GAME IS FUN!

 

If listening to my sultry tones isn’t your game, here is our written review of the tremendous product that is Hitman Absolution  for a complete background on everything that is Hitman check out our first interview and showcase of the game._

This is Hitman Absolution- the continuation in the flagship Hitman franchise that once revolutionized the way stealth games work. It’s been a while since the last Hitman and I still remember fondly skipping along the Paris streets  as swat teams  shot tears gas into my apartment and I responded by fiber wiring their faces….If your not familiar, with the franchise instead of me blather on. Here’s Game Director Tore Blystad on Hitman Absolution:

Our hero Agent 47 who is a professional assassins get’s his most personal and dangerous contract of his career. He is forced to kill his handler and one and only friend Diana Burnwood. Which progresses the story and fulfilling Diana’s dying promise.

You play as Agent 47 which means you have the options to navigate the world as a silent assassin- hiding for guards, not touching a soul and “accidentally” taking out the prey or….grab a coffee mug- smash the nearest face and keep shooting until the gun goes click.

 Hitman Absolution Review

Like the previous titles the amount of choice is staggering, but now you have the added benefit of narrative choices….Does a certain greaser die or do I let him go? Does every sushi chef need to die under the knife? In the past, Hitman lovers had to input a lot of there own narrative flare. Plus with the addition of Challenges  no longer will you play a mission once for that Silent Assassin ranking- but you’ll keep coming back to earn these strange victories- Like in Hitman Blood Money…

According to Game Director Tore that was something they wanted to do for a long time:

It’s funny that you mentioned Blood Money, because  the reason we invented the Challenges was because  in Blood Money we created a lot of this extra content that players never really got the chance to experience because there are just so many different ways to play the game.  Challenges really hint at all of the different possibilities in the different levels as well as provide easter eggs 

Not everything is fantastic though- The core gameplay is solid but sometimes there are hiccups. Items don’t react quite right, key Assassination targets get stuck on one particular path making a Silent Assassin ranking impossible and while the larger missions are great! A lot of the smaller ones with no assassination goal….just really aren’t that fun.  But every time I found myself wanting to drop the controller a moment like this would happen

There is a new contract mode which is basically their version of multiplayer. You create missions and others try and beat your score, you earn money and fame. Since the regular missions already have a score that is compared to others around the world- this feature never really grabbed me.

In the ends, it’s a truly wonderfully fun and varied game for Hitman Fans and gamers alike. Don’t take my word for it- the impassioned Director Tore should have the final word:

If you’re interested in the fantasy of knowing what it’s like to feel like a Hitman, hopefully it will feel like something slightly different from most other games on the market.   

 

Final Score: 9 Fiber Wires out of 10

The Best Things: The best and most complete Hitman game to date.

The Worst Things: Contracts mode misses the mark, there are only so many times I can wear a chipmunk costume.