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Hitman: Absolution

Posted by: Terry Majamaki on Jan 31, 2013 | 6 Comments

Review of: Hitman: Absolution

Game:: Terry Majamaki

Reviewed by: Terry Majamaki

Rating:: 5

On January 31, 2013

Last modified:February 5, 2013

Summary:

Hitman: Absolution does not disappoint, it pretty much does everything right on a massive scale. This action stealth game is oozing solid gameplay and great atmosphere.

More Details

I never played any of the previous Hitman games. They have a bit of a cult following for the bad ass bald Agent 47 character and unique gameplay style. For some reason the previous entries didn’t appeal to me or maybe at the time of their release there were too many other great games vying for my attention. However Hitman: Absolution is different. From the first video that was released showing actual gameplay footage I was intrigued. It showed off the dilapidated library level filled with police searching for Agent 47. Every additional video leading up to the release got better and better, except one silly one, truly showcasing the unique gameplay and an incredible amount of atmosphere and character the game was going to offer.

The final game does not disappoint. Hitman: Absolution does pretty much does everything right on a massive scale. Every level is very unique and loaded with great atmosphere. Each scenario provides several tactical options on how to approach your objective and assassinate your key targets. You could play this game several times over and accomplish each objective differently. Through exploring each level you discover many different solutions from disguised unsuspecting assassinations to spectacular accident kills. You are given a great deal freedom and encourages you to take your time to explore to discover the multitude of various options available in achieving your objective goal.

The freedom to explore and discover various tactics naturally encourages you to replay levels differently.

The heart of the game rewards you most when playing stealth, but you can go with all action or a blend of the two, but the game is at its best when your going stealth. A large part of the stealth is blending in with disguises, the best assassin blends in and is never noticed. I would definitely say this is one of the better stealth games in recent years, closest on par with the Splinter Cell games. There is a scoring and leaderboard system, every level has tons of challenges that provide you with an overall score at the end of each level. Thus encouraging to replay the levels to achieve the highest score with signature or accident kills of your targets, not getting spotted, choosing or not choosing disguise outfits, etc. This also challenges you to explore different tactics on completing the mission objectives. It works really well and adds to the overall gaming experience.

Without a doubt one of the better stealth action games since Splinter Cell.

Visually the game is stunning, loaded with deep rich saturated colors and details that oozes with sultry cinematic atmosphere across all 20+ levels. IO-Interactive has done an exceptional job with their proprietary Glacier 2 game engine. The amount of detail and polish comes through across the board here, nothing was overlooked in making this one of the best looking games of the generation. I can’t wait to see more games running on the Glacier 2 engine.

Visually Hitman: Absolution oozes with rich sultry cinematic atmosphere.

The story is solid and entertaining, albeit a little cheesy at times. It does tie into the story from previous Hitman games, so I suppose having played those would help strengthen the plot here, but it’s definitely not a requirement. However each of the characters and voice acting are top-notch. Through well done facial animations you begin to feel connected to each character as the story unravels, regardless if you like them or not.

I must say I was really surprised by how good this Hitman: Absolution was. It showcases the same type of detailed polish that Deus Ex: Human Revolution has, another favorite of mine. Even after completing it, I went back and replayed some levels completely differently to see how they would play out. Then on top of the stellar single player campaign, they have Contracts mode which allows you to create our own assassinations on any target you pick. It records who you picked, how and with what you took them out with and what you were wearing. Then allowing you to upload that Contract to the community, allowing anyone to play it and try to top your original score. Adding high replay value to the game. I sure hope that the same IO-Interactive team works on the sequel to this game because Hitman: Absolution turned out to be one of the great games of 2012.

Video: Hitman: Absolution Launch Trailer