Hitman Absolution

pixelburp

There's a new walkthrough video out, featuring another level from the game. By the devs own admission, they're playing it as a speedrun, so hopefully the final game won't be as easy as this video makes it appear (Interesting this close to launch that they'd release a video featuring a glitchy pre-beta engine)

Overall, I'm cautiously optimistic about the game - levels look big and sprawling, and gameplay varied, though I'd personally want to turn off the excessive hints system.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szOYjJeHVyw

_vti

/froths at mouth

wnolan1992

Looks like the first review is in...

http://www.vg247.com/2012/10/24/hitman-absoltution-review-appears-glowing-praise-awarded/

OXM have reportedly given it 9/10.

Obviously that's just one review and it's four weeks out so should be taken with a pinch of salt, but it's encouraging nonetheless.

TheGunns

wnolan1992 wrote: »

Looks like the first review is in...

http://www.vg247.com/2012/10/24/hitman-absoltution-review-appears-glowing-praise-awarded/

OXM have reportedly given it 9/10.

Obviously that's just one review and it's four weeks out so should be taken with a pinch of salt, but it's encouraging nonetheless.

Very promising but then again no less than Ive expected after watching all the videos theyve put out. Will have to wait to get this til Christmas or after though.

ziggyman17

have the professional edition on pre order..

Can't wait for this... seem too be a sucker for special editions these days, love the books and stuff you get with the special editions..

wnolan1992

ziggyman17 wrote: »

have the professional edition on pre order..

Can't wait for this... seem too be a sucker for special editions these days, love the books and stuff you get with the special editions..

I'm the same.

I mean, I know they're blatant cash-ins and rip offs, but the stuff you get is sometimes too tempting.

hightower1

New LED tv ordered especially for this, want to get the best resolution poss to do 47 justice. Was considering a gaming pc but just worked out too pricey for what I wanted.

Cant wait for this, its been far far far too long , when tripe games get yearly sequels its a shame that a classic franchise with such flare like hitman takes so long for one. Every two years would do me just fine!

Still...not long now, anyone know if there are any midnight openings for this (limerick area)? A long shot I know but Ill be on hols from work (the day booked off)

ADarkKnight88

Not long now..

krudler

hightower1 wrote: »

New LED tv ordered especially for this, want to get the best resolution poss to do 47 justice. Was considering a gaming pc but just worked out too pricey for what I wanted.

Cant wait for this, its been far far far too long , when tripe games get yearly sequels its a shame that a classic franchise with such flare like hitman takes so long for one. Every two years would do me just fine!

Still...not long now, anyone know if there are any midnight openings for this (limerick area)? A long shot I know but Ill be on hols from work (the day booked off)

its been what, 7 years since Blood Money? there have been 7 COD games since then :pac:

Keith186

I pre-ordered off the hut for €44.49. You get a hoodie thrown in for that price too.

Not a bad price at all. Hoodies are only ok from there, should get a while out of it anyway.

Linky

snausages

PC gamer review wasn't too kind. 62/100

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=496903&page=12

Pros
- Nice looking locations
- Contracts mode is good, although not an adequate replacement of a proper Hitman game
- "One very good mission" near the end, but still not as good or as free as Blood Money

Cons
- No saving, checkpoint system is awful - even an AI glitch can lead to you having to restart the level, also doesn't save data such as disguises or items you've left, and guards killed will respawn
- Focus on (embarrassingly bad) story over gameplay
- PC performance was awful, they tried out on 3 different PCs - two can run Skyrim smoothly yet get 15fps in Hitman on minimal settings, with occasional freezes of over a second, and load times of over a minute
- A lot of gameplay involves you getting to a door to trigger a cutscene
- The amount of kills you have control over how they're executed is about 25%, even then it's not as expansive as Blood Money
- Equipment system - can't choose weapons in main missions, or carry weapons over between missions
- Guard AI is strange, they will sometimes detect you walking where commando rolling wouldn't get you detected
- "Sneak by covering your face" idea is laughable
- DRM on Contracts mode - can't play any contracts, even your own, offline

"I desperately hope the reaction is strong enough to convince the developers to change direction, because I couldn't stand to watch the series die like this"


I've been extremely worried about how this game will turn out ever since they started showing gameplay. Seems like there's been a big shift in emphasis from sand-box puzzle-solving to stealth-action a la Arkham Asylum. Hopefully it won't be as bad as all that.

krudler

Noooo, that sounds awful

ziggyman17

snausages wrote: »

PC gamer review wasn't too kind. 62/100

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=496903&page=12

Pros
- Nice looking locations
- Contracts mode is good, although not an adequate replacement of a proper Hitman game
- "One very good mission" near the end, but still not as good or as free as Blood Money

Cons
- No saving, checkpoint system is awful - even an AI glitch can lead to you having to restart the level, also doesn't save data such as disguises or items you've left, and guards killed will respawn
- Focus on (embarrassingly bad) story over gameplay
- PC performance was awful, they tried out on 3 different PCs - two can run Skyrim smoothly yet get 15fps in Hitman on minimal settings, with occasional freezes of over a second, and load times of over a minute
- A lot of gameplay involves you getting to a door to trigger a cutscene
- The amount of kills you have control over how they're executed is about 25%, even then it's not as expansive as Blood Money
- Equipment system - can't choose weapons in main missions, or carry weapons over between missions
- Guard AI is strange, they will sometimes detect you walking where commando rolling wouldn't get you detected
- "Sneak by covering your face" idea is laughable
- DRM on Contracts mode - can't play any contracts, even your own, offline

"I desperately hope the reaction is strong enough to convince the developers to change direction, because I couldn't stand to watch the series die like this"


I've been extremely worried about how this game will turn out ever since they started showing gameplay. Seems like there's been a big shift in emphasis from sand-box puzzle-solving to stealth-action a la Arkham Asylum. Hopefully it won't be as bad as all that.

the same reviewer gave max payne 3 a score of 55.. Hitman is getting alot of high scores else where, I would'nt read to much into pc games review

snausages

ziggyman17 wrote: »

the same reviewer gave max payne 3 a score of 55.. Hitman is getting alot of high scores else where, I would'nt read to much into pc games review

Regardless of the actual score (which is completely meaningless anyway, lets be honest) he brings up some of the same issues I had been worried about from watching some of the previews. It does look like story takes precedent over gameplay this time, especially with the escape sequences. Whereas I've always been of the view that story should be subordinated to gameplay. Previous Hitman's 'stories' were extremely disjointed affairs but that was good because it left greater wiggle room for the developers to make really interesting, self-contained missions. Silent Assassin barely made any reference to its over-arcing story except at the very beginning and the very end.

I'm guessing the embargo is lifted by now so it'll be interesting to see if other reviewers are so down on the game. RE6 got extremely positive reviews at first but once the NDAs expired there was a lot of vitriol.

ShadowHearth

that is a grim news indeed. ah well another Classic franchise is only good for bargain bin on steam sale next year.

wnolan1992

- The amount of kills you have control over how they're executed is about 25%, even then it's not as expansive as Blood Money
- Equipment system - can't choose weapons in main missions, or carry weapons over between missions
- Guard AI is strange, they will sometimes detect you walking where commando rolling wouldn't get you detected
- DRM on Contracts mode - can't play any contracts, even your own, offline

These would be the biggest issues for me. Would hope that these issues aren't as bad on consoles. Still going to get the game (for nostalgia sake at the very least).

the_syco

wnolan1992 wrote: »

I'm the same.

I mean, I know they're blatant cash-ins and rip offs, but the stuff you get is sometimes too tempting.

Looking at the weapon DLC's, and not sure if it'd be worth it.

snausages wrote: »

- No saving, checkpoint system is awful - even an AI glitch can lead to you having to restart the level, also doesn't save data such as disguises or items you've left, and guards killed will respawn
- Focus on (embarrassingly bad) story over gameplay

<snip>

Seems like there's been a big shift in emphasis from sand-box puzzle-solving to stealth-action a la Arkham Asylum. Hopefully it won't be as bad as all that.

Not sure if the game is even worth it; may pick it up in the sales.

richymcdermott

Playstation magazine Australia and playstation magazine uk gave hitman a 9/10

wnolan1992

richymcdermott wrote: »

Playstation magazine Australia and playstation magazine uk gave hitman a 9/10

This is what I want to hear.


Let's hope it's just sh*t on PC. :P

snausages

They're 'official' mags though, aren't they? That's where I get worried. They're a bit like Game Informer in the US or Famitsu in the East. They usually have 'EXCLUSIVE WORLD REVEAL' on the cover, advertising the fact that their's is the first mag where'll you'll hear if the game is good, which is of course also great for Eidos for the additional coverage they get.

Not that I'm trying to be super negative about every little thing about this game. It's just hard to know with reviews these days.

hightower1

I can see why they wont let you carry over weapons from mission to mission I mean a sniper rifle in a mission level thats small could ruin the game in spots making it too easy.

Im gonna reserve opinion until I play the game but Id expect this to be one of those games that gets a 8/10 most places and add on an extra point if you already love the franchise.

Stev_o

In fairness its slightly impracticable to be carrying around a stash of weapons with you when your sole goal is to be sneaky sneaky. Sure on most levels you got searched for weapons!

1man3letters

i am so hype for this!!!

hitman always been my fav series next to mortal kombat and i cant wait to get my hands on it

Equium

I am worried about that PC Gamer review, but so far that publication is the only one portraying the game in a negative light.

I found another from Play 3 magazine, who give it a healthy 88/100. The main points are as follows:

- Pros: brilliant mission design, extremely motivating game mechanics
- Cons: no big story surprises, checkpoint system
- Verdict: Good looking game with very well designed missions.
- Graphics 85/100
- Sound 91/100
- Entertainment 91/100
- 15 hours Campaign
- Score: 88%

wade_barrett

ok bad pc review but could the pc game be very different to the console game ?

hightower1

Well from what I can gather is that particular reviewer doesnt know his arse from his elbow... I mean Max Payne getting 55? That was one of the best games of the year. Suffice to say if he hated max payne and this game on the same level then we'll all enjoy it.

Theres always one or two reviewers who want to low score a game to drum up hits to their site / mags so I wouldnt take much notice of one or two, 5 or 6 would be another matter.

snausages

When did liking Max Payne 3 become a dogma? I never get why gamers are so quick to attack a reviewers integrity just because he doesn't conform to the consensus. It doesn't make you a contrarian just because you don't like a critically acclaimed game. Not that I'm taking his word as gospel either, but the things he highlights have me really worried. Ignoring the score and PC performance issues, it sounds like Absolution has some pretty bad problems.

"Absolution is a disaster. [...] instead of sidelining the story to focus on big, open-ended assassination missions, it sidelines assassinations to focus on telling a long, linear, and embarrassingly bad story."

"Three-quarters of these levels are purely about traversal: you're just trying to get from A to B to move the story forwards, and if you're given anyone to kill at all, it happens in a cutscene or scripted slow-mo event. The other quarter do give you a target to kill, and a choice of how to do so, but that segmentation means you're operating in a space that isn't as rich or complex as a typical Hitman:Blood Money mission"

On the equipment system: "Can you snipe this target from afar? Depends if the level designer left a sniper rifle somewhere. If they did, they probably put it in the ideal sniping spot to save you the mental effort of choosing one for yourself. Can you set explosives and detonate them when your target walks by? Depends if the level designer left any inexplicably strewn about, and if you find their illogical location."

"So much that used to be universal, versatile systems is now left to the level designer's whim. Hitman's greatest pleasure was coming up with your own solutions, but even at its best, Absolution makes it feel like you're choosing between the ones the designers provided for you"

On stealth and disguises: "That leads you into the other problem: suspicion is viciously over-reactive, and to all the wrong things. Guards rumble you in a split second if you stray close to them, and in a pretty short order even at extremely long range. That changes it from a disguise game to a stealth game: your only challenge is to break line of sight so you stick to sneak mode, hug cover, and do commando rolls between anything that blocks their vision. This - unlike walking normally - they have absolutely no problem with."

You also recharge instinct by killing guards: "So there's now a material reward for the gratuitous murder the series has always tried to gently discourage"

"With or without instinct, the new disguise system removes the single best thing Blood Money brought to the series: the ability to walk freely around almost every level, planning your approach without having to conceal your presence."

On assassinations: "Several of the actual kills happen in cutscenes, and sometimes all your hard stealth work in getting to the target is rewarded with a cinematic of your character screwing it up. It's kind of mindboggling to imagine how anyone could stray so far from the point of a series whose entire concept is right there in the title"

wnolan1992

snausages wrote: »

When did liking Max Payne 3 become a dogma? I never get why gamers are so quick to attack a reviewers integrity just because he doesn't conform to the consensus. It doesn't make you a contrarian just because you don't like a critically acclaimed game. Not that I'm taking his word as gospel either, but the things he highlights have me really worried. Ignoring the score and PC performance issues, it sounds like Absolution has some pretty bad problems.

Well of course he's perfectly entitled to review the game as he sees it, but if he gave a bad review to a game which is up there as a GOTY contender for you (as Max Payne 3 is for me), then you're obviously going to tend to dismiss a similarly negative review, especially since other magazines and sites seem to have a completely contrary view.

But of course, every review needs to be taken with a pinch of salt at the end of the day, the good and the bad.

snausages

wnolan1992 wrote: »

then you're obviously going to tend to dismiss a similarly negative review,

But ignore the tone and the score. Ignore the purely subjective stuff. Unless he's telling fibs, the problems he's talking about in reference to stealth and linearity will be in the finished product. Whether or not the story is "embarrassingly bad", as he says, is something that will probably be up for contention when the game gets released. But I doubt he's making stuff up when he talks about how the gameplay is now subordinated to the story and cinematics.

Yet people plug their fingers in their ears because he doesn't like one of their favourite games. I don't understand that.

Stev_o

Take your pick of videos,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcJhijTI1Ps

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_pal859keA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suZlRK59PV0

If any of the above problems mentioned are obvious in these 3 missions then go figure.