Hitman: Sniper Review

Hitman: Sniper is the mobile-only spin-off of the popular assassination franchise, developed by IO Interactive. As you can probably tell from the title itself, the game revolves around you being a sniper, and taking down targets with a high powered sniper-rifle.

Story in the Hitman games have been relatively lax, up until the last two titles where it’s been more of a focus; however, this particular spin-off doesn’t choose to focus on that, not even in the slightest. Instead, levels are split up between assignments, where you are tasked to take targets out, however you choose with your sniper-rifle. If you were looking for some extra lore in the Hitman universe, then this title definitely isn’t for you, and the only reason you’ll be picking it up is for the gameplay.

Moving onto that, it’s pretty much how you would expect a sniper game to play. You look through the scope, zoom if you need to, aim at what you want dead, and fire! Gameplay may be simple and easy to figure out, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t enjoyable. After all, you’re rewarded for coming up with more unique and interesting ways to snipe your target; for instance, with a collateral headshot, taking out more than one target, despite using only one bullet. It is most certainly this enjoyable and easy to learn gameplay that will draw you into this game.

To keep things interesting, there is a mechanic that allows you to upgrade and purchase new weapons for yourself. These can upgrade a number of statistics, allowing for more damage and handling; ultimately making your job as a sniper that much easier. Upgrading your weapons does require you to gain in-game cash, which you acquire by completing assignments to the best of your abilities.

When it comes to the controls in the game, despite it being a first person shooter (technically), it controls pretty darn well. Moving the sniper scope around isn’t a difficult task and in general you won’t have any real issue hitting a target where you’re aiming, at least after you get the proper upgrades to help you out. Throughout my time working my way through the assignments in Hitman: Sniper, I have had little-to-no issues while playing the game on my iPad.

In terms of graphics in the game, Hitman: Sniper doesn’t tick any particular boxes for me, personally. Graphically the game doesn’t really excel on any areas, especially not when you compare them to the game’s other counterparts. Now, while I’m not expecting an iOS game to be even comparable to a console or PC game, that doesn’t mean it should be lacking any style, of which the game does. Overall, the aesthetics of the game are rather disappointing and unimpressive.

At times, there is a question that crops up in my mind in this game, one that I shouldn’t have to ask: how is it that people can survive a long ranged shot to the chest, with a high powered sniper-rifle? Often, I’ve found myself confused on how someone who is very clearly wearing no body armour whatsoever, can take a shot like that from a trained assassin, even if it is in the chest, it makes little-to-no sense on how they can survive a wound like that. Even after surviving that shot, they have the audacity to try and call for backup! Obviously, Hitman: Sniper at the end of the day is a videogame, but that doesn’t mean the stopping power of a sniper rifle should get suddenly negated all because I didn’t shoot an individual in the head.

The only other negative I’ve managed to derive from the game is the levels, and that’s not the actual levels themselves, but more on the frequency of them. They are well-designed and are fun to play around on, but the problem with them is to do with the fact that the levels don’t change every assignment. What this means is that when you pick a new assignment, the only thing that will change is your target, instead of the level itself. So, at the end of the day, the levels aren’t innately bad, it’s just that they get repeated too often to be considered unique or interesting for too long.

Overall, Hitman: Sniper does have a couple of slip ups spread around the game, but that doesn’t prevent the game from being an overall enjoyed experience. Not only that, but gameplay and controls are well designed for touchscreen devices, regardless of whether you’re playing on a mobile or a tablet. For a mobile spin-off, Hitman: Sniper manages to take a popular franchise, change it around, and yet still keep it fun.