Hitman: Absolution Review

Before we start, I'll come right out and say it: I have never played a Hitman game until now. It's not that the series doesn't appeal to me, I do own all the Hitman games (having picked them up in a sale recently), I just never got around to playing them before this assignment landed in my lap. However, Eye-oh and Sqeenix have made claims that this is "the most accessible Hitman to date" and it's very much made with newcomers in mind, so perhaps I'm perfectly placed to judge the game on those merits.

Hitman: Absolution is a very story-focused experience which begins with Agent 47 being tasked with eliminating his former handler, who has gone rogue, and tracking down the asset that she stole; a young girl named Victoria. Things don't go as initially planned and 47 finds himself acting as the girls ward and protecting her from both the mysterious Agency and an assortment of nefarious characters who see her as a simple paycheque rather than a human being.

This story is very well presented and the graphics in-game, and particularly in cut scenes, are very polished. Agent 47's weathered looks in contrast to his bright blue eyes certainly make him a visually unique character. Facial detail on enemies is also impressive and environments are well designed with plenty of incidental detail. Although enemy types will share the same uniform, which is important in gameplay terms, there is sufficient variation in how the uniforms are worn to ensure that they all look different.

Sound design is a big plus point as well, featuring a selection of firearms all of which have a distinct and unique sound when firing. Voice acting is superb and the characters involved in the story are incredibly well voiced, making each unique and memorable. Many enemies and NPCs have set conversation pieces you can listen in to during missions, each of which will grant you valuable information that you can use to plan your hit to pinpoint precision. The sheer number of characters with such useful dialogue pieces is particularly impressive.

There are two options available from the main menu, the first of which is Absolution Mode; which is essentially the single player campaign. The story takes place over 20 missions of significantly variable length and most missions are broken down further into segments that effectively play out as short missions in themselves. Each segment is set in a certain area and will have one or more goals that must be completed before you can move on to the next. An objective may be as simple as finding your way to an exit, or it may involve taking out several targets along the way.

Although Agent 47 is quite adept at killing, an action shooter this is not. While it is feasibly possible to gun your way through any of Hitman's missions your best weapon is your ability to hide, whether by sneaking your way through each mission or hiding in plain sight using a disguise. Each area will contain several NPC types such as cops, gang members, mechanics or store clerks and by obtaining a uniform (through fair means or foul) you can blend into the crowd and simply walk through the mission unmolested. Well, more or less.

You see, your disguise will fool anyone except those who share the same profession. A mechanic will ignore a cop, a gang member will ignore a convenience store worker; but dress as a chef and all other chefs will be able to see through your disguise if you get too close. Apparently there is something distinctly un-cheffy about Agent 47. You can however stall detection by using your 'instinct' bar to blend in, but this is at best a short term solution.

This is an understandable mechanic, without the threat of detection there would be little challenge to the game so the need to avoid certain NPC's does add some tension and tactics to the matter, it's a shame though that sometimes this can really spoil the immersion. I get that the security staff in a building might recognise each other, but I don't get how a chef in the middle of town recognises that I am not legit in the uniform I took from a building I passed through 30 minutes ago in a different part of town. Even if he does have his suspicions that I may not be a real chef, I certainly don't understand why he feels the need to immediately call for the police.

This issue can be further compounded by the fact that at certain times a given area can be densely packed with many NPCs of all types for which a disguise is available on that level, significantly reducing the effectiveness of trying to blend in. It may seem unfair that I am heavily focused where this system fails, as truth be told the majority of the time the disguise system is well implemented and perfectly fulfils it's job at giving the right amount of freedom whilst still requiring a level of planning and caution. However, given that using disguises forms such a major part of the gameplay it is a real frustration in those few sections when the implementation falls short.

The mission objectives themselves really reward investigation, thought and forward planning. Completing a hit is as simple as pulling out a gun and popping your target with a headshot, but the true rewards come from exploring your surroundings, listening in to local conversations and observing the movement and actions of your target. There are multiple ways to take out each target; in an early mission there are three different ways to poison the mark, a hidden sniping point and numerous quiet spots where your target can be lured. Each technique requires brains and planning and there are clues to find, guards that must be bypassed or eliminated and places to hide or blend in when the deed is done.

Hitman encourages replayability in a number of ways. You are awarded a high score for each mission and earn points when you complete objectives and clear your tracks. Extra points are awarded for using you signature wire garrote for hits or for making the death look like an accident by setting up elaborate environmental traps. You lose points for being spotted and eliminating non-target personnel, although you can offset the points penalties for eliminations by getting a clean takedown and hiding the body which will give you enough positive points to balance out the negative. Completing a mission with enough points will award bonuses to Agent 47, such as faster reload speed, extra firearms damage etc.

As well as score, each mission has several bonus objectives to meet such as locating all disguises, not being spotted and eliminating enemies in certain ways. Several of these objectives require multiple plays to obtain as the objective conditions cannot all be met in a single run. These objectives are fun and challenging, but also encourage a thorough explore of each level and enable the player to see first hand the scope of all the options available to them. Completing each objective grants a permanent score bonus to future playthroughs of the mission, which further motivates the player with the potential to earn consistently higher scores and better ability unlocks.

A primary mechanic throughout the game is Agent 47's 'instinct', a quickly depleted energy bar activated by the touch of a button. When using instinct, 47 can easily spot guard positions, see their patrol routes, identify interesting objects and enter a slow-motion mode in which he can line up a number of quick killing shots. Instinct recharges by achieving silent takedowns and completing objectives, although on lower difficulty levels it will recharge over time.

Difficulty can be varied during the main campaign and there are five distinct difficult levels to choose from, each of which changes the gameplay substantially; making matters accessible for the most casual of player or creating a challenge for the hardest of the core. While the difficulty setting does affect how instinct depletes and is regained, separate options are available to fine tune how effective instinct mode is in operation, toggling such features as item highlighting, enemy spotting and path finding on and off to allow for extra realism and heightened difficulty.

The second option on the main menu is Contracts mode, which adds another layer of replayability onto a package that already threatens to swallow up a significant portions of your time. Players can take an existing level and mark up to three NPCs as targets as well as setting optional objectives such as avoid been seen or kill a target with a specific weapon. These customised missions can then be selected and played by others through the Contracts menu.

Creating a mission in Contracts mode is unusual in itself, but also fun and well implemented. It is based on a 'play to create' principle, in which you select a level and move through it in-game, choosing your targets at will and eliminating them as you see fit. How you play through the level determines the targets and optional objectives, so the outfit you are wearing and the weapon you use become bonus conditions, as well as factors such as whether or not you were spotted or if you hid bodies triggering bonus score conditions. This ensures that the objectives are achieveable and sets the base level of payoff.

Score is key and players vie for positions in online leaderboards. You can view your progress against your friends list and challenge any of your contacts to beat your high score on a contracts mission. Scoring works in essentially the same way as the single player campaign except you are working against the clock and will receive a higher score bonus for fast completion. Other than that, the principles of completing all objectives while causing the least amount of disturbance possible applies.

The constant desire to improve your high score and beat your friends, along with the almost infinite combinations of targets and optional objectives as well as the free-form nature of play make Contracts a mode that will keep you coming back for more. The knowledge of the environments picked up from the main campaign is essential to operate effectively and stand a chance on the leaderboards, but equally you may discover something new in a Contracts mission environment that sends you back to the main campaign to try out a new weapon or strategy in the associated story level.

Hitman: Absolution is by no means a perfect game and can be let down when during some frustrating moments rear their heads, usually revolving around disguises. Some of the levels can be dramatically short and some disappointingly linear. However, when the pieces fall into place, Hitman offers a highly enjoyable stealth/action experience with as much challenge as you desire through it's multiple difficulty settings. With a myriad of different ways to complete each objective and numerous optional achievements, unlockables and score challenges the game certainly does have an awful lot to offer and really encourages multiple plays. When Contracts more is added to the mix, this freedom and variation reaches a crescendo and offers so much that you won't know what to do with yourself.