Hitman: Absolution

 PC
User Score
7.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 1732 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,008 out of 1732
  2. Mixed: 470 out of 1732
  3. Negative: 254 out of 1732

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. Esthete
    Dec 10, 2018
    8
    Mechanics from Hitman (2016/18) + narrative from Hitman Absolution + interactivity from GTA 5 = Perfect Hitman game ... could have been.

    And yeah a little girl kicking ass of adult uncles too stupid.
  2. oliver1h
    Nov 23, 2012
    6
    The story of the game is good (sometimes silly but it keeps you entertained.) I think the developers put a lot of work into the game. The maps are detailed and the graphics are really nice. I did not really like the way stealth mechanism worked in the game (It was really difficult not to get caught by some guard all the time, and once they noticed you it was difficult not to get engaged inThe story of the game is good (sometimes silly but it keeps you entertained.) I think the developers put a lot of work into the game. The maps are detailed and the graphics are really nice. I did not really like the way stealth mechanism worked in the game (It was really difficult not to get caught by some guard all the time, and once they noticed you it was difficult not to get engaged in a fight with everyone.) I did not like the way maps were 'cut up' to smaler sections (I wish there would be bigger maps the player could explore... Like in the previous games.) The player can't choose weapons or other equipment before starting a mission.The game has a console port feel to it (push 'q' button repeatedly to choke out someone.) Overall not a bad game but they mainstreamed it for wider audiences. I give it a 6/10.… Expand
  3. Mikester7
    Nov 28, 2012
    4
    Poor design decisions makes the latest installment of the Hitman series a huge disappointment. Gameplay has been dumbed down like we have seen in countless other modern installments of popular franchises and we seldom see any improvement from the original games that made the series. The first thing I noticed is the game crashes on average about once every 5 minutes on my GTX670, which isPoor design decisions makes the latest installment of the Hitman series a huge disappointment. Gameplay has been dumbed down like we have seen in countless other modern installments of popular franchises and we seldom see any improvement from the original games that made the series. The first thing I noticed is the game crashes on average about once every 5 minutes on my GTX670, which is certainly not a good introduction to a full price release. Controlling Agent 47 when locked behind cover is a chore, as you cannot move him when your camera is at a certain angle, feeling like you are snagged on something. For a stealth game such as Hitman, the checkpoint system is nothing short of disgusting. Reloading a checkpoint causes all of the enemies that you have previously dispatched, including the ones prior to the checkpoint to respawn, resulting in the need to sometimes start the level all over again. The AI is absolutely terrible, after reloading a checkpoint and everything respawning, I was caught in a gun fight with a few guys in front of me. The AI behind me, clearly hearing the gunshots, become totally confused and make no attempt to surround me whatsoever, instead just standing at their posts. Visuals are fairly nice, though commenting on graphics has no place in a review, the gameplay comes first. If you are new stealth junkie to the series, go and play dishonored, if you are a fan of the Hitman series like myself, avert your eyes and forget that this ever happened.… Expand
  4. v00d00m4n
    Feb 12, 2013
    0
    Don't be fooled by shiny graphics of Hitman: Abomination (or Assassin's Conviction: Saboteur Lynch Retardation), there is nothing good besides graphics. Gameplay is totally broken dumbed down, its not even hitman anymore, everything we loved it for was removed, only some barely working rudiments was left. It is yet another Conviction, but worse, everything you hated in Conviction,Don't be fooled by shiny graphics of Hitman: Abomination (or Assassin's Conviction: Saboteur Lynch Retardation), there is nothing good besides graphics. Gameplay is totally broken dumbed down, its not even hitman anymore, everything we loved it for was removed, only some barely working rudiments was left. It is yet another Conviction, but worse, everything you hated in Conviction, Saboteur, Assassin's Creed and Kane Lynch in terms of Stealth and gunplay is here, concentrated in extreme doses that may kill you. Also lensflare madness, started by Kane Lynch 2 and continued by Syndicate is here, head of 47 shines like supernova explosion to blind you from truth THIS GAME IS UTTER TRASH. It not just abandoned old Hitman gameplay, its simply broken everywhere and doesnt work, and its so primitive and generic. Let me list you few of many game design flaws: 1) Saves doesnt work, once you restart checkpoints every NPC object will be respawned, your stats would be reset to state of beginning of level, so you better to restart level completely and dont die or exit until you finish it. 2) Disguise doesnt work, its connected to stupid INSTINCT MANA that could be gained by killing and hiding bodies, or not gained at all on professional modes. Without using instinct, which magically removes suspicion, your cover will be blown in 5-10 second from 30 meters. So you are forced to use instinct in any mode, but cant on pro modes, and without instinct there you would not be even able to blend into area. It only barely working on easiest mode. 3) Pro modes and especially PURIST broken and rushed addition, game was not designed with these modes in mind, these modes not balanced at all, they simply locking features for retards, without even thinking that game designed that way so it cant be played without INSTINCT, and without thinking to compensate somehow lack of these features. It cant be played on PRO mode if you want to use disguise, blown covers makes game really frustrating, and pushing you to reastart, which will lead you to flaw 1 broken saves. On pro mode you will have only option to use covers Conviction style. 4) 80% of game is linear stealth cover shooter, only about 20% of levels reminds old Hitman games sandbox, but they all made using generic objects and repetitive pattern, lacking about 80% features you had in previous game, so its simply boring, primitive and most likely you will screw up trying to go Silent Assassin way. 5) AI is deaf and blind, totally dumb, glitching a lot. They dont see and dont hear anything except for you in disguise or killing. 6) You cant select inventory for levels and only limited to very few objects you can find on level. Most of unlocks and tools useless and can be only used in contracts mode. 7) Due of nature of stupid prerendered cut-scenes, where 47 appears only in his suit or any pre-defined suit, once cut-scene over you will loose your disguise and default suit will magically appear on you, same happens with guns, you enter the room dressed one way, but after cut scene you dressed another way. Really stupid, even cheapest games from 90th era never had such a flaw, Hitman 1 was better than this. 8) Scoring makes no sense, its not what it used to be in previous game. You are encouraged to do not stealthy things and some stealthy things not awarded at all, other non stealthy things not punished. 9) Level design is very bad, it may look good it terms of art, but its really bad in terms of gameplay logic. Every possible guard have always dumpster nearby to hide their bodies, how handy... for retards, very few, like 3-5 objects that allows you kill somehow are available per level, generic dumpsters, fuseboxes, pits, balconies, there is no unique content that we saw in Blood Money or previous Hitman games, every gameplay object is just a copy-pasted repetitive trash. 10) Whole instinct gameplay is retarded and must be removed from game, but instead it was not even removed from purist mode. 11) UI is huge, ugly and was designed by captain obvious, why in the world you need to have giant icon of equipped weapon or disguise if you can just look at hitman's and see his weapon and suit? 12) You cant peek through keyholes (surely, u now have magic wallhack cheat to replace that) 13) You cant even close doors, they only closed automatically 14) Worst thing most of your assassination targets are killed in FREAKING CUTSCENES, or not, actually most of time you will see cutscene where BEST KILLER IN THE WORLD, FAILING TO KILL HIS TARGET 15) Story may look like good one, but in fact its typical set of hollywood cliches and yet another plagiarism with nonsense ending. 16) Realism was lost completely, no briefcase, weapons spawns of Hitman ass, ammo picked up by legs. There are more issues, i cant compact them in 5000 chars limit. This game is near 5 of 10, but since it called Hitman, and since its not Himan at all, only 0 of 10.
    P.S.-MC was bribed to remove my review from top?    … Expand
  5. null
    Nov 24, 2012
    6
    Hitman: Absolution fails to be a great game because of some annoying
    game mechanics decisions. The absence of a quick save option has been
    filled with a cheap checkpoint system that only saves your position and mission status. Whenever you reload a checkpoint, the whole world around you is back to its initial state: all mobs are respawned. This would not have been such a big deal if    Hitman: Absolution fails to be a great game because of some annoying
    game mechanics decisions. The absence of a quick save option has been
    filled with a cheap checkpoint system that only saves your position
    and mission status. Whenever you reload a checkpoint, the whole world
    around you is back to its initial state: all mobs are respawned. This
    would not have been such a big deal if the designers implemented some
    sort of fast forward option, but since that lacking too you'll find
    yourself spending alot of time rewatching dialog events. The game is
    (in the later levels) quite unforgiven and it takes quite some skills
    to finish them as a silent ninja. If you don't time your attack
    correctly you'll be spotted in a second and set back 15 minutes for
    the zillionth time because you've got to reload a checkpoint. I do not
    know annyone in my personal life who enjoyed the previous Hitman games
    more then me and this is probably the first one I'm not going to
    finish. The game is far from a bad deal, but it probably should be
    renamed to Hitman: Absolute Frustration.    … Expand
  6. bungeeman
    Nov 23, 2012
    3
    They have effectively changed everything that was good about it and turned it into a simplistic action-shooter for the Call of Duty generation who have ejected any semblance of intelligence in game design in exchange for constant, mindless, shooting action. Here is a run-down of
    how old Hitman did things and the new Hitman counterparts:
    OLD HITMAN Vast open maps to explore with    They have effectively changed everything that was good about it and turned it into a simplistic action-shooter for the Call of Duty generation who have ejected any semblance of intelligence in game design in exchange for constant, mindless, shooting action. Here is a run-down of
    how old Hitman did things and the new Hitman counterparts:

    OLD HITMAN
    Vast open maps to explore with multiple ways to make your way to the destination. A genuine feeling of being given a sandbox full of environmental oddities and independent AIs, with numerous ways to pick your way through them.

    HITMAN: ABSOLUTION
    Constantly being thrown from one linear corridor to another with (if you    … Expand
  7. AlDepth
    Nov 22, 2012
    0
    As a long time fan of the hitman series, Absolution feels like a kick in the teeth. Gone are the sprawling sandbox style killing grounds of Blood Money - they have been replaced with tiny linear corridors where your goal very rarely even involves taking out a target. The story is embarrassingly bad and full of more holes than a wheel of swiss cheese, yet IO seems intent on forcingAs a long time fan of the hitman series, Absolution feels like a kick in the teeth. Gone are the sprawling sandbox style killing grounds of Blood Money - they have been replaced with tiny linear corridors where your goal very rarely even involves taking out a target. The story is embarrassingly bad and full of more holes than a wheel of swiss cheese, yet IO seems intent on forcing you to absorb it. Each of Absolutions mission objectives is focused on advancing to the next pre-rendered cutscene. I could also mention the **** quick time event driven combat, the broken disguise system where enemies will recognize you from 15 meters away even if you're wearing a mask and have your back turned to them, and the total lack of weapon / equipment selection prior to a mission. If you liked Blood money, stay far away from this It'll break your heart.… Expand
  8. darksmall
    Nov 25, 2012
    1
    The series is pretty much dead at this point. The Agent 47 character has been ruined. The gameplay has been ruined. Its very daunting. They would have done perfectly only making Blood Money 2. It wasn't that hard. And they blew it.
  9. MadMotte
    Nov 29, 2012
    2
    The game screws most of what used to give me pleasure in the Hitman games to focus on a story that is embarrassingly bad. I just hated it. After 3 hours playing in hard and trying to do it "as it has to be done", i just decided to run to the end killing everyone in my way, just to end it. And i know i'm not the only one. I played the 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 Hitman, have it in CDs, have it on steamThe game screws most of what used to give me pleasure in the Hitman games to focus on a story that is embarrassingly bad. I just hated it. After 3 hours playing in hard and trying to do it "as it has to be done", i just decided to run to the end killing everyone in my way, just to end it. And i know i'm not the only one. I played the 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 Hitman, have it in CDs, have it on steam too, have the DVD of the movie that i also saw in a cinema. I pre-purchased Hitman absolution the day i could and i played the sniper challenge to get all i could in it and 3 millions points : I AM A HITMAN FAN AND I AM ANGRY !!!
    I actually played more to the sniper challenge (13 hours) than to the real game (12 hours).
    I can detail but v00d00m4n did it very well, 100% of what he says is correct.
    I will add that i feel abused : that is not what the sniper challenge was promising us. The sniper challenge was showing diferent ways to kill some targets, to hide them, to unlock weapons for the actual game (so in the inventory right? Nope, there is Absolutely no inventory in hitman 5...).
    And it was obviously a reference to the first Hitman 1 mission which was a snipe mission, telling us that there would be some snipe missions in hitman 5. Nope.
    I give 2 for the sniper challenge, the nice graphisms (even if they could have been darker), and the knife throwing system (even if it really make the game easier, it make sense).
    And because i don't like to be that negative, i will now write what would have been nice :
    - the story : it has never been important in the Hitman serie. But since it was the main concern of the developers, it should have been better. We have to protect a girl that as been created like us. It is a bad plot (indeed "inspired" from leon the killer movie), but let say we keep it. I would have like to see good reasons to do that : a nice cinematic showing 47 and her taking good time together watching a movie, playing a game or something. A cinematic that shows what she can do, at the very begining : that would explain better why 47 want to keep an eye on her, as a student killer or as a threat for him. The best would have been to be able to play her like we can play catwoman in batman, supposing she would have had other "powers" than 47 (women disguises for a start).
    HITMAN SHOULD HAVE LOOKED LIKE A PROFESSIONNAL KILLER AND NOT A STUPID NOOB
    Spoiler : in the game story, they are actually 2 times at least when the bad guy can kill hitman after a stupid cinematic where hitman is awefully bad. And he just doesn't... When running out of a place, hitman uses the elevator. And if the elevator doesn't work, he repairs it with pieces strangely sprayed all over the building. PLEASE TAKE THE STAIRS!!!!
    - the gameplay : the disguise system is 90% of time a handicap compared to keep your own clothes. The idea was not that bad : if a small town cop sees a cop that he doesn't know, he will be suspicious. That make sense in some cases, but do all the CHICAGO policemens know each other? And the plummers? The AI should have been programmed mission by mission, differently, and with a briefing : "be careful 47, this is a small town where most people know each other"; or "Note that a lot of people come for a short time in that hotel, you should be able to walk free in most of it's parts"
    And there could have been a way to talk, to try to lie to people before they start shooting at you. At least a 3 sentences choice, find the one the guy can believe in and let you go (or leave witout harm). And not for every NPC but some of them. And in real life, some people stop asking questions with a litle tip. That could have been easy to put in the game, if we had got some money like in Blood Money. That would have been an easy but expensive way to go in a place. Again, not for every NPC, just some of them. And who can be bought and who will do his job whatever the price is something that the 47 instinct could have told. "This guy looks like a dealer, i can probably buy him."
    - there should have been an inventory like in blood money rewarding you : good work = money = the gun uppgrade you want. Being a professionnal killer without a silent gun sucks. - the close fighting should have been thought differently. this aze space system sucks. I would have liked different attacks to choose : fist in the face, kick in the legs and so on. This is not a priority, but it sucks to be a professionnal killer that can't fight properly. - the linear action sucks and should have been avoided at any cost, even with a focus on the story. I could have liked a Mass Effect like system where my actions would have impacted the story. I would have liked to be able to guide Victoria in a way or the other : get a normal life or become like 47.
    - there HAD TO BE a snipe mission in addition to the sniper challenge. And no, i won't buy a DLC for that.
    Not enough space here. Just don't expect more from hitman absolution than a bad sneak/shoot.    … Expand
  10. camron12
    Nov 22, 2012
    4
    A hitman game where you spend 80% of the time not assassinating people, and 15% of the time watching the people you're supposed to assassinate get killed in cutscenes. Nice linear piece of crap. The creativity aspect of other hitman games is mostly gone. Contracts mode is the only redeeming factor. It's interesting that the best part of the game is the part where IO isn't trying to tell aA hitman game where you spend 80% of the time not assassinating people, and 15% of the time watching the people you're supposed to assassinate get killed in cutscenes. Nice linear piece of crap. The creativity aspect of other hitman games is mostly gone. Contracts mode is the only redeeming factor. It's interesting that the best part of the game is the part where IO isn't trying to tell a crappy story and we are free to actually be a hitman.… Expand
  11. Cyper
    Nov 26, 2012
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. If you are a CoD fan then you should give this game a try - because it is designed for you. The game will hold your hands through from the beginning to the end and it is designed for a literally dumb audience. With the press of a button you can use wallhack and see where all the gaurds are about to go, and you instantly have hints within the corridoor shooter levels where literally everything is scripted. If you expect a true Hitman title then you will most likely be dissapointed, though.

    Absolution shines in graphics, improved stealth system, animations, lightning sound, and a few other features. But it falls short in many other areas and it literally throws much of what makes a hitman game a hitman game - out of the window - while it embrace and directly copy and paste features and even partly formulas from batman AA, splinter cell conviction, and even Red Dead Redemption
    with its 'draw gun' minigame and other games. The storyline is uninteresting, uninspired, contains a lot of childish and rather idiotic characters telling a lot of cliché lines. (exmple: Dexter Blake, the great villian, had a masterplan to sell genetically superior kid assasins for 10m bucks each.)
    The levels in the game is often very small and streamlined and you often have to sneak in pre-defined, corridoor-like paths. Weapon, dumpsters, gaurds, cover - all of it is place at convinient places. More focus on stealth and kills, and almost no focus on strategy and creativity. The type of gameplay has more in common with Splinter Cell Conviction than Hitman. Disguise system is broken. Gaurds can see through walls at times. Your cover gets blown all the time because everyone - and I mean everyone - for some reason raises suspicion against you. You can't choose what type of equipment and weapons you want to use. You can't pick locks anymore. You can't look through keyholes. You can't open or close doors. You can't save the game manually. Sniper rifles and other weapons are magically drawn out from thin air. Weapons and dumpsters are placed at very obvious places. Gameplay is extremely linear and offers almost no challange. In terms of innovation this game does not impress me. They've copied and pasted features from other games, such as xrayvision (Batman Arkham Asylum), draw-grun function (RDR) and many aspects from Splinter Cell. They abandone the unique hitman formula and made it to another generic game. This game shines in the visuals, but lacks in many other ways, and its pathetic to see how much it lacks in innovation compared to previous titles.    … Expand
  12. bjaz
    Dec 3, 2012
    0
    most worst game ever played....
    i think "hitman 4 blood money" in 2004 was farrr better than this game....
    i can't feel that i'm playing as a hitman...
    this game changed the hitman like a ****
    squre enix fooled us with those high graphical video.....
    never going to play game from squre enix from now....
  13. abk815
    Nov 21, 2012
    3
    I was really looking forward to this title... Sadly, i got disapointed. This is just not Hitman. First of, the graphics are outstanding abd the atmosphere is great too. But thats about it, as far as good points go. Negative aspects imo are:
    Totally dumbed down game, shifting the playstyle towards the Splinter-Cell franchise.
    No Map -> no mission planning or planning of tactics. No    I was really looking forward to this title... Sadly, i got disapointed. This is just not Hitman. First of, the graphics are outstanding abd the atmosphere is great too. But thats about it, as far as good points go. Negative aspects imo are:
    Totally dumbed down game, shifting the playstyle towards the Splinter-Cell franchise.

    No Map -> no mission planning or planning of tactics.
    No Sandbox-Levels -> Very linear gameplay
    No Weapon Selection or Equipment Selection prior to a mission -> WTF? Why do i even unlock the stuff in the first place? Why preorder? So i only can use the stuff in this contracts mode.... this is a bad joke!
    Totally dumb and silly story -> Wtf the Hitman suddenly becomes a like-able, daddy-like character? Sorry, this is the worst Hitman ive seen. Whoever came up with this stuff ruined just an other great Franchise.    … Expand
  14. missfatalissima
    Dec 1, 2012
    7
    I am a longtime fan of stealth games and I always though Hitman was the best series of the genre. But this was a major step back. It feels like I'm playing Splinter Cell Chaos Theory on expert without quicksave. Which means you have to repeat things over and over until you do it right, and most of the time you are waiting behind cover for something to play out. The strong points of HitmanI am a longtime fan of stealth games and I always though Hitman was the best series of the genre. But this was a major step back. It feels like I'm playing Splinter Cell Chaos Theory on expert without quicksave. Which means you have to repeat things over and over until you do it right, and most of the time you are waiting behind cover for something to play out. The strong points of Hitman were: fluidity, flexibility, exploration. Now it's about going through linear levels, with a LOT of repetition because of the lack of quicksaves (sure, saves were limited in higher difficulties on the old game, but I could choose when I wanted it). Today I was playing a level, and I repeated like 15 time the same easy, but long segment because I had a checkpoint before it. If I could choose, I would save it just before I started the hard part. But instead, I gor so bored I turned on the TV to watch while I waited for the same scenes to play out over and over again. And that kills exploration. It kills the spirit of the game, which was to blend in, walk around like a boss, like a predator, only analyzing how to catch the prey and then act on your plan. Also, stop making 47 be hunted. It breaks the game. The disguise system is awesome, but the fact that missions are often linear with loads of people wearing the same disguise as you means you have to hide all the time. So most of the time, disguise is almost useless. Also, not having a silenced pistol is a real pain for a game where you have to sneak all the time - it takes way too long for you to get it back. Anyway... Hitman is about being set loose in a "playground" where you have to figure out how to infiltrate and kill targets without anyone seeing. Sneaking is something to be done only a fraction of the time, usually just before a kill: certainly not all of the time. They took that away and took a lot of the fun with it. That said, I did give it a 7, so it's a respectable game. It's got a few improvements: the fact that taking out all witnesses means other people don't know what you did; the new objects/weapons and attacks; the graphics; the awesome throwing knife kill, the instinct targeting system, the contracts system. The game also has some nice missions (most of them toward the end), but frankly, I'm pretty disappointed. This was a major step back in the key aspects. Bring back the old game.… Expand
  15. JLF
    Nov 22, 2012
    1
    This is honestly the biggest disappointment in my entire 25 year experience of gaming. Hitman was never good because of flashy kills, big drama or fancy graphics. What made this game stand out was the sandbox-like environment where you have to use analytical thinking and make the circumstances work for you. What I had the unpleasure to experience with Absolution was quite different.
  16. Bestpony
    Nov 27, 2012
    0
    I'm going to be very unfair here but this game made me very angry very quickly. First, 47 actually has MAGIC POWERS now, he can see enemies through walls, remove their suspicion levels and do other tricks, and it actually requires MANA (cleverly dubbed "Instinct") to do it. Agent 47 is Corvo now. But that's not the main problem. The main problem is that checkpoints don't work at all sinceI'm going to be very unfair here but this game made me very angry very quickly. First, 47 actually has MAGIC POWERS now, he can see enemies through walls, remove their suspicion levels and do other tricks, and it actually requires MANA (cleverly dubbed "Instinct") to do it. Agent 47 is Corvo now. But that's not the main problem. The main problem is that checkpoints don't work at all since a lot of the stuff that you've done is simply reset. How are you supposed to construct a precise plan when every single mistake means that you have to restart the entire goddamn level or start killing left and right, which, as you might notice, is the exact opposite of what you're supposed to do in Hitman. It seems that you simply can't play this game without improvising and that's something that 47 should never ever have to do. If you have any love for our bald assassin, skip this game.… Expand
  17. SubV
    Nov 27, 2012
    1
    I waited for this game for years, being not aware of the fact the original development team is gone. Almost all of the features that made the original series so interesting, are gone in Absolution. I uninstalled the game after 30 minutes of playing.
  18. BubbaLou
    Nov 27, 2012
    4
    Don't trust the IGNs and Kotakus this time around - the PC version has flaws, my friend.

    Here's the problem - the game tries to shoehorn it's story in everywhere, and in so doing, ruins the Hitman genre. You can't choose your kit at the start of a mission - you aren't with the Agency - so your starting gun every mission is always some POS unsilenced pistol. Want a sniper rifle? Hope the    Don't trust the IGNs and Kotakus this time around - the PC version has flaws, my friend.

    Here's the problem - the game tries to shoehorn it's story in everywhere, and in so doing, ruins the Hitman genre. You can't choose your kit at the start of a mission - you aren't with the Agency - so your starting gun every mission is always some POS unsilenced pistol. Want a sniper rifle? Hope the level designer left you one - often it's in the perfect sniping spot too, so you don't have to use brain cells finding one yourself. You can't carry weapons over from mission to mission, either. This Killed it for me.

    Levels are small, cramped, and linear, often culminating in you opening a Door - it's cutscene promotion. You can spend all day being as stealthy as possible, dealing with a total lack of autosaves, and in the cutscene you SCREW UP THE HIT - The devs want you to play a story, not Hitman. Disguising well runs off "Instinct". You get more instinct by killing people. Hitman Absolution puts you in some crappy cycle of killing people you don't have to, and losing points for doing so (they kept that), to get the "Instinct" you need to disguise well. Dumb.

    But you need to do this because the guard AI is hyper-suspicious of similarly dressed people now. Often, you'll have the guard disguise and find yourself sneaking and action rolling from cover to corner - in plain view of guards - just so they don't look at you too closely. Walking anywhere near them blows your cover, but they don't care about a similarly dressed person action rolling around lol. There's still a few AI bugs - I've been spotted through walls, thus having to restart the whole level because there's no autosave feature, even on PC. When you do reach one of the few checkpoints in the game, even they are dumbed down - the game forgets who you killed, what you have, guards respawn and bodies disappear - it's the worst checkpoint ever.

    The graphics are a nice improvement. Hitman 4: Blood Money was a fantastic game - you did all the planning, all the killing, the level design was huge and open, you picked your guns and thus your strategy, you could autosave before a difficult part (and that cut down a lot of repetition). Whoever designed Absolution decided these were all negatives - a story does the planning; a cutscene does the killing - sometimes, because the story has people survive; the level design is narrow and linear to promote a single, definite path; you don't pick your guns - the designers give you only what you need, often in the place you'd use them anyway (goodbye Silverballers); and whoever designed the save system should be shot repeatedly and thrown off a balcony, because the autosaves are gone and what remains is a broken shell of a checkpoint system as we know it today. Hitman: Absolution is a stealthy shooter with nice graphics. But it's definitely not Hitman - it's been dumbed down so much that what's left is the bald guy and the title. In all honesty, if you liked the "plan your own kill" part of the genre, fire up Blood Money again - it's not so dated that your eyes crawl, and it's the essence of what a good Hitman game is. I just wish someone told the developers of Absolution.    … Expand
  19. Sam777
    Nov 25, 2012
    3
    The absence of a quick-save or even a proper working logical checkpoint system makes the game HUGELY frustrating... unplayable in my opinion, unless you like to redo LONG parts of the game over and over. Ridiculous. Such a shame.
  20. marshb
    Nov 23, 2012
    3
    Very nice Splinter-cell game. Two Thumbs Up. Very bad Hitman Game. Two Thumbs Down. Really, if 47 had the gadgets Fisher had this would be a kickin Splinter-Cell game. Unfortunatly 47's gadgets are for stealthy take downs and not much else and facing down a 30 NPCs (cudos to the Glacier 2 engine) when you've been spotted for umpteenth time, and no hit in sight, only cutscenes?
  21. ephex
    Nov 20, 2012
    5
    Q: How to get the Silent Assassin rating in this game? A: Evidently it's to jump into a wrestling ring in front of a hundred spectators, take off your mask revealing your face to everyone, and conspicuously breaking your target's neck.

    This is not a Hitman game anymore, it's rather Splitman Cell: Absoviction, full of linear sneaking levels instead of open world assasinations, quick time    Q: How to get the Silent Assassin rating in this game? A: Evidently it's to jump into a wrestling ring in front of a hundred spectators, take off your mask revealing your face to everyone, and conspicuously breaking your target's neck.

    This is not a Hitman game anymore, it's rather Splitman Cell: Absoviction, full of linear sneaking levels instead of open world assasinations, quick time events replacing real gameplay and of course the great mechanic of killing multiple enemies with a single mouse click.

    This is not a bad game, if it weren't part of the Hitman series I would rate it much higher, but since it has to compare itself to the brilliant Hitman: Blood Money, this is only a 5/10.    … Expand
  22. MaroBaro
    Nov 21, 2012
    4
    I'm a big fan of the series. I am 5 missions in and it absolution has been a bit disappointing. I really don't care about the story, only about the hits. And the hits have been pretty bad until now. There really has been only 1 mission out of 5 that you actually get to do a hit. First mission you play for like 45 minutes so you can get to the target and a cutscene cuts in (excuse the pun)I'm a big fan of the series. I am 5 missions in and it absolution has been a bit disappointing. I really don't care about the story, only about the hits. And the hits have been pretty bad until now. There really has been only 1 mission out of 5 that you actually get to do a hit. First mission you play for like 45 minutes so you can get to the target and a cutscene cuts in (excuse the pun) and you watch while he actually kills the target. That pretty much has been the most anti-climatic mission end in the whole series, and possibly in gaming lol.

    Since the disguise system is abysmal, the levels are pretty linear, the game feels more like a stealth puzzle rather than a sandbox hitman game. You just can't improvise and do a hit that it is your own... not that the levels are actual hits mind you. First lvl cutscene hits, second lvl is the only true hit, third level you play to get to a shaft, fourth level is about running on rails from the cops, and so on and so forth.

    Next no weapons selection before the level which makes sense since the levels are so linear it wouldn't make sense to let you bring something that will break said linearity.

    In essence, you do no true hits, highly linear, bad disguese system, bad save system. All in all it is a pretty frustrating puzzle game where you have to replay long stretches for the smallest mistake.    … Expand
  23. Eptesicus
    Nov 21, 2012
    3
    It is beautiful to look at...but that is where it's beauty ends. A travesty of a game that is just a mash up of every other quick time event,stealth game out there. Might as well have called it Splinter 47: Assassins Conviction.

    IO have seemingly thrown away everything that made the Hitman franchise so wonderfully unique. Terrible
  24. meotheleo
    Nov 20, 2012
    6
    The early critical review of this game was right. it's "Doorman : absolution"
    This game is not the hitman. it absolutely sacrificed the free style of hitman franchise for storytelling.
    If you're fan of hitman series, you'll not like this one-way style at this time.
  25. Danneskjold
    Nov 22, 2012
    3
    Hitman: Absolution is one of the biggest gaming disappointments this year. All I wanted was a sequel for Blood Money and instead got a failed experiment of mixing Hitman and Splinter Cell: Conviction. The open-world choices of Hitman games going back a decade are now replaced with a mediocre story and a game on rails. I wish I didn't get this on Steam so I could return it.
  26. bigbassbastard
    Nov 21, 2012
    2
    This game is a big step backwards from Blood Money. It's over simplified and waaaay too story driven. The open ended gameplay is gone and the whole experience is like riding on a rail. Big mistake, avoid!!!
  27. Horrigan
    Nov 23, 2012
    0
    I have to say for players like me who consider the hitman series one of THE outstanding pieces of digital art produced in the last decade (shoulder to shoulder with games like planescape:torment, fallout and similar giants) Hitman:Absolution is nothing less then a grave insult. Taking all the elements that made Hitman its own unique style of murder adventure - all essential features, likeI have to say for players like me who consider the hitman series one of THE outstanding pieces of digital art produced in the last decade (shoulder to shoulder with games like planescape:torment, fallout and similar giants) Hitman:Absolution is nothing less then a grave insult. Taking all the elements that made Hitman its own unique style of murder adventure - all essential features, like free roaming in extensive levels, multiple VIABLE paths to dispose of ur victims without being noticed, hiding in plain sight have either been done away with or nerfed into oblivion
    as somone who preordered the game months ago and has been fired up for it for more then a year I have to express my deep disapointment and can only warn u to not buy it and save ur money for a more worthy title    … Expand
  28. Vini
    Nov 21, 2012
    2
    The game is brand new and presents good graphics though, it is not as good as Bloodmoney. Also it has too many bugs. The gameplay lacks lots of details. For example, when you select your weapons or items they just appear in 47's hands without drawing them. This is definitely not acceptable for a game with such reputation.
    I would describe it as a very disappointing game, especially for fans.
  29. Ballsington
    Nov 22, 2012
    0
    This game lacks the magic of the previous Hitman games. It's plagues with problems that any rudimentary check would have found. As is typical, another franchise gets completely dumbed down so that it can be shipped to a wider audience, compromising it's original flavour.
  30. pierre0000
    Nov 20, 2012
    0
    I found in the review of v00d00m4n exactly what i wanted to say. If you were a fan of blood money, don't buy it there is nothing left for you here!
  31. JulienJaden
    Nov 20, 2012
    6
    Hitman Absolution is a mixed bag: It's definitely good by today's standards, but if you judge it by its pedigree, only Hitman Contracts (that map pack they insist on calling 'Hitman 3') can beat it in terms of mediocrity.
    Three missions in, I'm baffled by the linearity. Seeing so many cutscenes in the middle of the action takes a great toll on the satisfaction. The gameplay design is    Hitman Absolution is a mixed bag: It's definitely good by today's standards, but if you judge it by its pedigree, only Hitman Contracts (that map pack they insist on calling 'Hitman 3') can beat it in terms of mediocrity.
    Three missions in, I'm baffled by the linearity. Seeing so many cutscenes in the middle of the action takes a great toll on the satisfaction. The gameplay design is contradictory, with Instinct draining really fast, being used for arbitrary things and being almost impossible to refill on higher difficulties. In retrospect, it was a terrible idea to make every person wearing the same clothes as you able to see right through your disguise. I defended it before, and it may add to the realism (you know, since people working for the same security agency might know their colleagues), but it also makes disguises damn near useless. I'm not commenting on the level design, since the levels might open up later on, but so far, it's looking grim, and maybe they should have just omitted the console release entirely and just created bigger levels, without dividing them.
    Oh, and there is no excuse for the inclusion of a checkpoint system.

    Overall, I wonder just how much feedback from hardcore fans they actually listened to. I'm afraid it cannot have been too much. It's okay, and I guess I'm still gonna have fun with it, but it lives a very bitter aftertaste, because I can already tell from the start that a lot of bad design decisions were made - It's not the Hitman 5 it could have been.
    Dafuq, IO?    … Expand
  32. phukubi
    Nov 29, 2012
    5
    I tried to like this game, even convinced myself it was good, but I'm only deluding myself. This is understandable as I've just spent £30 on it, it should be good...right. Wrong.
  33. DaGleese
    Sep 26, 2013
    6
    Upon release, I hated this game, however after playing thorugh it again, I have reconsidered my stance from a 3 to a 6.

    The contracts mode is good, and as a game, it is not that bad. They made some mistakes with this game, there is no doubt about that. But on the whole, it's still a very impressive game with some improvements, like the graphics, fluid movements, realism etc. I'm    Upon release, I hated this game, however after playing thorugh it again, I have reconsidered my stance from a 3 to a 6.

    The contracts mode is good, and as a game, it is not that bad. They made some mistakes with this game, there is no doubt about that.

    But on the whole, it's still a very impressive game with some improvements, like the graphics, fluid movements, realism etc.

    I'm mainly changing my stance on this review because it saddens me that the Hitman Dev team had cutbacks, most likely as a result of the poor reception this game recieved. I just wish IO would make another Hitman game, one that follows the formula of blood money, but has the visuals and smoothness of this game.    … Expand
  34. DarkMR
    Nov 28, 2012
    3
    I had to create an account at Metacritic to explain why I feel I just wasted 40
  35. Stealer
    Nov 20, 2012
    0
    Just for removing the briefcase and appearing of sniper rifle out of thin air, while on official forums were lots of complaints before release. And yeah, in most this is not Hitman which we enjoyed with Bloodmoney. This is "on the run" like they are calling it, and there is lack of a manual save system, which were so useful to hanging around and experimentation that made the previousJust for removing the briefcase and appearing of sniper rifle out of thin air, while on official forums were lots of complaints before release. And yeah, in most this is not Hitman which we enjoyed with Bloodmoney. This is "on the run" like they are calling it, and there is lack of a manual save system, which were so useful to hanging around and experimentation that made the previous Hitman so enjoyable… Expand
  36. twoeazy
    Nov 21, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The first hour of Absolution was like "Finally! After six years of waiting 47's back and I'm crawling through the linear tutorial mission as always! Wow, the guards AI is fine!" etc. I was waiting for the real game to start. For now, I've edended up in orphanage and I got to turn on four electrical switches. This is the goal of the level, switches. Ghost-like, urban legend killer is now forced to pull switches or open doors on a ratcage-like levels, that makes absolutely no sense! There is no freeform gameplay anymore, you are, literally, forced to do the thing that developers tells you to do. At the Purist difficulty, there's even more of absurdity: you got ONLY ONE way through mission that really works. There's no Hitman anymore. I just wish the Real 47 will come and kill that bald bandaged clown disguising as him in Absolution. The most awful fact is that you can see all the buried potential of the game. Levels are cutted to parts with doors with NO loading, which signs that the game once WAS open-ended Hitman that we once liked. As the Hitman game, this piece of poo gets 0 from me. As the Deus Ex HR with bald guy instead of Adam Jensen it gets 6 points. P.S.: Actually IOI already released Jensen suit as DLC, what an irony.… Expand
  37. Kref
    Nov 20, 2012
    0
    The changes in comparison to previous games of the title are vast and **** We've got a simple stealth game. There is no pretty simulation of locations like hospitals, hotels, parts of cities and people's behaviour in them anymore. We won't excuse such **** up. It's a serious step of a degradation of game industry/ People who decide to make it should be sacked and do not work in gameThe changes in comparison to previous games of the title are vast and **** We've got a simple stealth game. There is no pretty simulation of locations like hospitals, hotels, parts of cities and people's behaviour in them anymore. We won't excuse such **** up. It's a serious step of a degradation of game industry/ People who decide to make it should be sacked and do not work in game industry anymore. I won't by any game of Square Enix untill there would be public excuses, public sacks, and a normal version of hitman.… Expand
  38. vianna77
    Nov 20, 2012
    0
    Don't bother buying this game! You won't be able to play it!
    People (including me) can't pass the intro screen.
    It's so buggy that I'm not even able to play the game.
    Not buying another game from Square Enix anytime soon!
  39. shinerfeld
    Nov 19, 2012
    7
    Hitman Absolution has the same relationship to the hitman series that splinter cell conviction had to the splinter cell series to me. This game is a great stealth action shooter with an engaging story and amazing graphics. But as a hitman game, it is not up to par. Some of the biggest gripes I had were for one, no longer are you spending money earned from missions to upgrade and expandHitman Absolution has the same relationship to the hitman series that splinter cell conviction had to the splinter cell series to me. This game is a great stealth action shooter with an engaging story and amazing graphics. But as a hitman game, it is not up to par. Some of the biggest gripes I had were for one, no longer are you spending money earned from missions to upgrade and expand your arsenal, but now you are picking up things as you go. No more poison or mines always at your disposal, now you must improvise. Now this isn't terrible because it goes with the theme of, "hitman is on the run from everything and he has nothing to help him" blah blah blah. Which brings me to my next point. In Blood Money, you entered a massive level and went throughout it to creatively kill your targets, then leave the same way causing no alarm. Now you are going from point A to point B in a much more linear fashion. Now even though I have all these complaints, if you are looking for a nice stealth action game, (and don't worry, being a silent assassin bad ass is still possible) with a fantastic story and stellar graphics, this game should defiantly be worth a purchase.… Expand
  40. Obersalzberg
    Nov 23, 2012
    8
    I was a fan of Hitman series a long time but with Absolution they made a huge backstep. They removed essential features like customizing weaponloadout before a mission, modifying weapons (only available in contracts mode now), looking through keyholes. The new level design is awful! It's too linear and you dont have freedom like in previous hitman games. Also the new disguise-system isI was a fan of Hitman series a long time but with Absolution they made a huge backstep. They removed essential features like customizing weaponloadout before a mission, modifying weapons (only available in contracts mode now), looking through keyholes. The new level design is awful! It's too linear and you dont have freedom like in previous hitman games. Also the new disguise-system is pretty **** - enemies blow your cover in 2-3 seconds thats not fun. Of cause they brought a bunch of new features and improvements: graphics are very nicely, the glacier2 engine is also a lot better than glacier1. Also the new contracts mode provides additional gameplay and especially with friends it is really fun. But all in all IO turned the classical tactical hitman into a pure action game. As a hitman game it sucks but it is a nicely done action game. My review: 8 out of 10 points (if i had reviewed it as a hitman game it would have got only 4/10 points).… Expand
  41. ComradeWinter
    Nov 19, 2012
    7
    When I first clicked on Hitman: Absolution in my Steam Library I was fairly certain about what I could expect from the game. The previous 4 installments of the game series followed the same pattern, and there was no reason why the 5th shouldn't do the same. (Un)fortunately, it turned out to be quite different.

    (-, +)First off, there's the linear gameplay. You no longer play in one big    When I first clicked on Hitman: Absolution in my Steam Library I was fairly certain about what I could expect from the game. The previous 4 installments of the game series followed the same pattern, and there was no reason why the 5th shouldn't do the same. (Un)fortunately, it turned out to be quite different.

    (-, +)First off, there's the linear gameplay. You no longer play in one big area, but rather small areas, which are led by checkpoints. The areas are, however, fully packed with opportunities to kill your targets, but in most areas you don't have targets at all. It usually contains 2-3 areas you have to pass through before you get to your target area, and after you've found a satisfying way to end your target, there's a 3-4 areas to go through so you can escape. In many of these areas there are tight corridors which only have a few ways of approach, sometimes with only one plausible solution. (-, +)The checkpoints in the game removes a lot of the Hitman feeling instantenously. One of the key aspects to the Hitman series was to explore the world and keep your head calm, lest you blow your cover and everything is over. Now you can just reload the checkpoint as if nothing happened. There's now room for imperfection. It's a good way to explore the world though, as if you get caught sneaking in an area off-limits, you can always reload and try again.

    (--)Now, as for weapons I was just plain disappointed. One thing I liked about the previous games was to smuggle my weapons inside places. Now you can hide a huge shotgun inside your jacket as if this was GTA, and no guards check you for weapons. It feels as if the weapons are kind of stuck onto you, instead of something you could lose any moment. You also don't get to buy guns or upgrades before a mission, nor choose between an arsenal like in the previous games, atleast not in the story mode. You always gotta start from scratch when you enter a new mission. There's a decent selection of weapons, though, and the introduction of environmental weapons like your average vase is a good one.

    (+, -) Cutscenes seem like a welcome addition to the game, except for a few cases where they take over the gameplay completely. Sometimes you just want to do something else than 47 decides for you, which can give you a headache. Still, it adds up to the dark and deadly feeling of Hitman, instead of weird half-assed animations.

    (++) The story has an interesting turn, and without spoiling anything, it shows a different side of 47. Although you no longer kill for money, you have another goal, which 47 can very much relate to. You also feel as if you come to a conclusion to how 47's life has been, which is a welcome addition as the previous games have kept that between the lines, mostly.

    (+++) The graphics are superb, atleast when you max out. You get the dark, gloomy feeling of being a killer, and the Hitman series have never looked so real. 47 has officially gotten a high-resolution face, and my doesn't he look like a true killer. Without doubt amazing, and it makes the world in the game look very alive and real.

    (++) The sounds were indeed very good aswell, without doubt another thing that makes the gameworld feel alive. Varied speech for NPCs, good voice actors, good integration with AI, and good sound effects made the game's sounds very realistic.

    In short, Hitman: Absolution is not a bad game, but it didn't blow my socks off, either. It seems a bit new, which is good for some and bad for others. I wouldn't mind playing in bigger areas and rely on saves if I needed a checkpoint. The only things that will make me remember this game are the stunning visuals and the enthrilling story. Things that we liked in Codename 47, Silent Assassin, Contracts and Blood Money may and may not be gone, but all in all, Hitman: Absolution is a game well worth playing. Just don't expect the world.

    Graphics: 9/10
    Gameplay: 6/10
    Story: 8/10
    Audio: 8/10
    Other annoying crap (things existing in previous Hitman games that were not present for unknown reasons: 4/10

    Overall score: 7/10

    Recommended. Good replayability with Contracts mode, not so much storywise.    … Expand
  42. sentosasam
    Nov 20, 2012
    9
    I've only completed around 20% of the game, but so far its been pretty fun. Anyway, here's a list of the good and bad stuff:

    The Good: - Some excellent non-linear missions - Excellent graphics - Superb crowd mechanics - Controls are generally fluid and there are some awesome moves such as faking surrender and subduing people with an elbow to the fact - Fluid melee combat - feels    I've only completed around 20% of the game, but so far its been pretty fun. Anyway, here's a list of the good and bad stuff:

    The Good:

    - Some excellent non-linear missions
    - Excellent graphics
    - Superb crowd mechanics
    - Controls are generally fluid and there are some awesome moves such as faking surrender and subduing people with an elbow to the fact
    - Fluid melee combat - feels freaking awesome bashing peoples faces in with bottles and bricks
    - Shooting mechanics are pretty good, and it's the most amazing feeling to blow someone away with a shotgun when stealth is no longer an option

    The Bad:

    - Fairly graphically demanding (I'm running 30 fps on medium with a Radeon 6850, which isn't bad), but cutscenes and loading when respawning is so laggy that it drops to 1 fps. - Can't select equipment before your mission (so even though I spent 15 hours in the Sniper Challenge unlocking everything, it isn't available in the story missions)
    - There is a slight feel of "console port" (but this maybe just because of my mediocre FPS rate)
    - Large equipment can be concealed? This is a step back from Blood Money, where you had to hold anything bigger than a sub machine gun or drop it I'll add more stuff to the review as I complete the game.    … Expand
  43. shm0
    Nov 20, 2012
    9
    Play Blood Money after playing Absolution, and then tell me which one is a better reflection of how games should be in 2012. Absolution is technically, amazing. ~700 NPCs on screen in China Town. Great graphics. Don't get me wrong, I loved Blood Money.. I loved Blood Money almost as much as Hitman 2 when it came out... but now? Blood Money > Hitman 2... in time, Absolution may havePlay Blood Money after playing Absolution, and then tell me which one is a better reflection of how games should be in 2012. Absolution is technically, amazing. ~700 NPCs on screen in China Town. Great graphics. Don't get me wrong, I loved Blood Money.. I loved Blood Money almost as much as Hitman 2 when it came out... but now? Blood Money > Hitman 2... in time, Absolution may have the same effect.… Expand
  44. Taureny
    Nov 19, 2012
    6
    The murderer becomes more detailed and exquisite, Hitman: Absolution is a big jump in the franchise of Agent 47.

    A story much deeper and more intense than in previous installments, a technical section and amazing gameplay that offers a number of options like few games can.

    Notably, the great work of optimizing the PC version.

    Definitely the best game of murder so far.
  45. ReubenIsAGod
    Nov 19, 2012
    9
    Hitman absolution is not the best hitmn game it it is defiantly not the worst, The game play is fun and killing people has never felt so delightful, This is an awesome game with so much replay value defiantly would recommend this game, PLUS I GOT WITH THE OTHER HITMAN GAMES SO EVEN IF THIS GAME WAS **** I WOULD STILL BE ABLE TO PLAY TH OLDER GAMES
  46. aurun
    Nov 20, 2012
    9
    Excellent take on Hitman, it takes a slightly different direction towards a more story driven narrative but it has many hitman moments, in fact the purist difficulty makes the game substantially harder than Blood Money so far.
  47. bilsantu
    Nov 19, 2012
    8
    I had my doubts before the release but now I am relieved that all the negative reviews of the game were nonsense. The game is great and if you loved the previous ones, you will probably enjoy this one too.
  48. bud389
    Nov 20, 2012
    9
    This is truly one of the most definitive Hitman experiences out there, there are so many more options compared to the previous games, what would you like to do? Subdue a target discetely then take his clothes and attempt to walk straight through? But what if they notice you, what then, shall you proceed to use instinct to blend in and move away or perhaps find an alternate route? IfThis is truly one of the most definitive Hitman experiences out there, there are so many more options compared to the previous games, what would you like to do? Subdue a target discetely then take his clothes and attempt to walk straight through? But what if they notice you, what then, shall you proceed to use instinct to blend in and move away or perhaps find an alternate route? If you're caught, what then will you do, melee quitely and hope you're note widely discovered, fake surrender and take him as a human shield and blast your way out, or perhaps you skip the fake surrender and go straight for guns blazing? That's not even half of what you could do either, there are just so many more options in this sequel than the others. Sure, it doesn't have as many "simulation" features such as the inability to hide heavy 2 handed weapons on you, or having animations manually put your guns away along with other small features, but it trades those in for smoother gun control, more gameplay options, with a more complex melee system that works out for the better. One thing I would say that detracts, which I believe was intentional, was that if you put two bodies into a locker/closet together, you can see just before the doors close that they are positioned purposely in a way so as to make it look like they are having standing "doggystyle" sex, something which I think is a small detractor because the comedy feels so out of place and random that it doesn't blend well. If it wasn't intentional, which I doubt, I would very much like it to be fixed, for atmosphere's sake in a game such as this which has such a serious tone.

    The AI has been given a major overhaul, truly reacting to each and every thing you do in the environment, reacting accordingly to it as well, although with a few minor hickups and glitches that aren't all too noticeable. It's hard to go in depth about the AI because of how diverse and complex it is, given the multitude of situations that they react differently in each and every time. One thing I do like though, is now other people in the environment may notice you or become suspicious if you're wearing a certain disguise.

    Finally, the story. The characters are all unique in their mannerisms, voices, and look, each with their own feel and flavor to them. Their voice acting is all great and manages to make them feel alive and animated.

    One flaw that was fatal in the game for me, detracting it an entire point, was the checkpoint system. This checkpoint system doesn't save your progress, it simply records your character up to that point and places you in that position, let me explain. Say you clear a room of guys, then you get a checkpoint. You die, naturally, and come back to it, and now all of the guys you just got through killing in the previous room before the checkpoint are back. This I felt detracted greatly from the sense of accomplishment if you pull off a very smooth gunfight sequence, only to find out all your efforts were in vain after dieing past the next checkpoint. A good amount of the levels are sectioned off though, so the checkpoint system seems to work in a way that doesn't hamper the player in those parts, but in the larger sandbox maps, it becomes very frustrating.

    Finally, there is contracts mode, which enables you to cutsomize and create your very own hits and share them with the community. This is something that I wouldn't of expected to come from a game such as this, and works so well in so many ways as to be entirely unique, and hopefully becomes a permanent addition to the series from now on.

    Overall this is a fantastic game with tons of content and as much polish as possible for the date they had set, very few bugs of any kind have been encountered and the everything seems to work as it should. Hats off to the developers for making such a fantastic game.    … Expand
  49. dante01
    Nov 20, 2012
    10
    the worlds best assassin is back wid more action n stealth gud game just graphics is dissappointed bt still a gud game very nice hitman rocks..............
  50. dumle
    Jan 27, 2013
    5
    As a Hitman game Absolution fails quite miserably. More linear maps, few actually assassination-missions, a checkpoint system that discourages the hitman-sandbox gamestyle, a checkpoint system that doesnt save the gameworld, the new disguise system that turns the gameplay into cover based stealth, and you cant customize your loadout anymore. However as a cover-based stealth game with someAs a Hitman game Absolution fails quite miserably. More linear maps, few actually assassination-missions, a checkpoint system that discourages the hitman-sandbox gamestyle, a checkpoint system that doesnt save the gameworld, the new disguise system that turns the gameplay into cover based stealth, and you cant customize your loadout anymore. However as a cover-based stealth game with some hitman elements the game is quite average. The stealth works alright, the checkpoint-system is still awful, the visuals are great, the crowds looks great, there are some cool-looking maps, there are still several ways to complete your goals, the story is not all that good but the game is quite atmospheric. Stay away from this game if you are looking for the good old sandbox-style perfect-murder hitman gameplay. If you are looking for a stealth game with a twist then pick the game up for a cheap price.… Expand
  51. mizerr
    Jan 21, 2013
    6
    This Hitman game missed the mark on what makes the Hitman series unique. This game starts off with various missions with multiple outcomes and planning, but this quickly changes. Later levels have minimal variations and it just becomes a sneaking game where you try to pick people off one at a time. I remember the iconic missions of the first Hitman where you dress as a chef and poisonThis Hitman game missed the mark on what makes the Hitman series unique. This game starts off with various missions with multiple outcomes and planning, but this quickly changes. Later levels have minimal variations and it just becomes a sneaking game where you try to pick people off one at a time. I remember the iconic missions of the first Hitman where you dress as a chef and poison the food then watch the target choke to death. It's unbelievable that wearing a uniform does almost nothing and you are still recognized as an enemy. This fact alone depletes half the style of the game. This game does not feel like a Hitman game at all and is just a sneak around and pick people off style game which provides limited entertainment and minimal replayability.… Expand
  52. FarscapeSDC
    Jan 27, 2013
    6
    I really wanted to like this game, mostly because of how much I like Hitman: Blood Money, but I just didn't like it as much as I wanted to.

    Absolution suffers from the same condition that many television series do - it suffers when it tries to be about the characters and not their work. Absolution tries to introduce a more personal aspect of the game, showing how Mr 47 is not just an    I really wanted to like this game, mostly because of how much I like Hitman: Blood Money, but I just didn't like it as much as I wanted to.

    Absolution suffers from the same condition that many television series do - it suffers when it tries to be about the characters and not their work. Absolution tries to introduce a more personal aspect of the game, showing how Mr 47 is not just an emotionless killer-for-hire but is in fact a human - this is the girls first mistake, as it is jarring and unpleasant to have the totally professional Mr 47 be risking life to do something out of character.

    Secondly, opposed to the large, open level design of previous games, in which 47 had a huge sandbox to play in and plan out elaborate assassinations, now you have levels that are broken up into smaller, linear sub-levels, making it feel less like Hitman and more like a generic sneaking game.
    In previous games, assassination contracts felt interesting and engaging. The people 47 was hired to kill were mostly scum who deserved to die, and you would get into the mindset of "Killing scum, AND getting paid for it? Awesome!" Now, most of the people you have to kill are just people who are in your way.

    For anyone who has never played a Hitman game before, Absolution may score an 8/10, but for anyone who has, I'd say it's a 6 out of ten. It is still technically Hitman, but it's not the Hitman you remember, and it will probably not be the Hitman you were hoping for.    … Expand
  53. cyruss
    Jan 25, 2013
    6
    Overall the game is pretty good. Is it as good as Hitman Blood Money? No it isn't, but that doesn't mean this is a complete failure. They made some mistakes with level design, the levels are a lot more closed off and linear than past games. For example you walk through a door which takes you to the next section of the mission, but there is no going back - its like entering a new level,Overall the game is pretty good. Is it as good as Hitman Blood Money? No it isn't, but that doesn't mean this is a complete failure. They made some mistakes with level design, the levels are a lot more closed off and linear than past games. For example you walk through a door which takes you to the next section of the mission, but there is no going back - its like entering a new level, the "open world" feel of it is totally removed.

    Weapon load-outs before the mission starts are gone, no more planning ahead how you want to kill your target, if you want to carry your sniper rifle in the briefcase and LOOK for a vantage point to strike from. No, instead the one of the few levels that does give us a sniper rifle in it, it is available in the only room on the map, and the only one that has a clear vantage point to the target. That is not acceptable, the levels should not be designed with sniper rifles in them already.

    The disguise mechanic is flat out broken and is painful to use without getting spotted, the whole idea of Hitman is you should be able to sneak in and out unnoticed using disguises - instead what they have done is messed up the disguises so much that you always get spotted, the result is instead of walking around trying to blend in you have to sneak around like an idiot hiding from everyone.

    This all said some levels are gems, and are more like the old Hitman games we all loved, and the disguise mechanic works well, the thing is it almost feels like some levels they nailed it, and others were as if they were designed by people who hadn't a clue how to make a Hitman game.

    Overall the game is good, its modernised which is necessary, on the next game I would like to see the faults in the level design fixed, I would like to see the briefcase brought back with sniper rifle, and I would like weapon loadouts at the start if the mission to return as well as fixed disguises. Please Square Enix, get rid of the "Instinct" thing, its crap.. the batman vision is useless and not necessary, I didn't use it at all when I played, it just wasn't useful. Bring back the map and ability to look through doors, if you bring back the map then you can have bigger levels.

    There's a lot of negative points in this review, true, but ultimately it is not a bad game and is worth playing - simply because, it is still Hitman, and it is refreshing to have a new Hitman game after so many years. I just hope in the next one they listen to their fans and fix some of the problems for the next game.

    If you like Hitman, play this game... it may not be as good as the past Hitman games, but it is as close to a Hitman game as you're going to get right now, and it plays quite well when it works    … Expand
  54. kodeee
    Jul 16, 2013
    5
    WTF? Hitman finally got REALLY GOOD and now it's completely regressed to all the problems I had with earlier hitman games. Seriously, you can't even select a weapon without automatically pulling it out again!? And the stealth mechanics are f*cking annoying. The game looks pretty good but they fell WAY short of what I was expecting. I would be extremely mad if i hadn't waited for the priceWTF? Hitman finally got REALLY GOOD and now it's completely regressed to all the problems I had with earlier hitman games. Seriously, you can't even select a weapon without automatically pulling it out again!? And the stealth mechanics are f*cking annoying. The game looks pretty good but they fell WAY short of what I was expecting. I would be extremely mad if i hadn't waited for the price to go down to a small fraction of what they were originally asking. I can't remember if it was blood money or contracts that came out last and that I thought, "this is near perfection, i can't wait for more hitman!" but when i finally had a chance to play absolution...it just made me sad. what the fu(K where they thinking?… Expand
  55. Wayrow
    Jan 7, 2014
    5
    This is a Splinter Cell with disguises, not a real Hitman game. Disguises have severely limited usefulness, because guards react to your changed clothes a LOT more. Therefore you have to sneak with a disguise most of the time anyway.
  56. TommyTanker
    Dec 29, 2013
    3
    I bought the game 1 month ago on Steam as the initial User reviews weren't great. Boy, oh, boy I should've listen to those user reviews. I have 42minutes of playing time and that was enough for me. The game has been significantly dumbed down for younger audience, you are constantly spoon-fed wherever you go. Very linear and enough cut scenes to make yourself believe you weren't in a game.I bought the game 1 month ago on Steam as the initial User reviews weren't great. Boy, oh, boy I should've listen to those user reviews. I have 42minutes of playing time and that was enough for me. The game has been significantly dumbed down for younger audience, you are constantly spoon-fed wherever you go. Very linear and enough cut scenes to make yourself believe you weren't in a game.

    Its now on steam for $5, wait until it gets cheaper, then it will be worth it.    … Expand
  57. keefbaker
    Jan 1, 2014
    7
    It's not terrible, it's just not great. I can understand the disappointment of a lot of hitman fans here. Objective markers, clearly marked pathways. These things pretty much are anathema to the previous hitman titles. As others have said this feels more like a splinter cell title, which isn't a bad thing it's just not what it said on the tin.
  58. Aeryx
    Jun 1, 2013
    7
    After finishing the game, I can definitely say that a lot of love and forced innovation (contracts for online games) went into the production of this game. The levels were well-designed and despite some bugs, overall it was an enjoyable experience. But as a fan of Hitman Blood Money, I can say it does detract from the direction of its predecessor and fails on this regard. In previousAfter finishing the game, I can definitely say that a lot of love and forced innovation (contracts for online games) went into the production of this game. The levels were well-designed and despite some bugs, overall it was an enjoyable experience. But as a fan of Hitman Blood Money, I can say it does detract from the direction of its predecessor and fails on this regard. In previous installments, I would work hard to gather all the guns and use them on replays just for sheer fun. This no longer happens on single player as the unlocks can be only used in contracts mode. I don't like this. Bring back the customizable weapons for single player! I'd give it a 6 but it is still a good game so it gets a 7.… Expand
  59. Jacer200
    May 12, 2014
    2
    Game looks fantastic. But alas I played for 20 min and was disgusted with the game play. It could possibly be my own fault. I played this right after Dark Souls and Fall Out 3.
  60. Vayra
    Jul 15, 2013
    7
    Coming from the older games in the franchise, up until Blood Money the Hitman games have been riddled with a vast range of options to execute targets and assignments. The most notable thing in Hitman: Absolution is that this non-linearity has been pretty much removed. With the combinations of small, chopped up levels that 'follow up' on each other, there is too much room for error, theComing from the older games in the franchise, up until Blood Money the Hitman games have been riddled with a vast range of options to execute targets and assignments. The most notable thing in Hitman: Absolution is that this non-linearity has been pretty much removed. With the combinations of small, chopped up levels that 'follow up' on each other, there is too much room for error, the game has become too simple, too linear and is entirely not suited for a second playthrough, not even on another difficulty. The first story playthrough is enjoyable and at times classic Hitman stuff we love to see, but that is where this game abruptly ends. It has no replay value because of the simplicity of its level design and the lack of original Silent Assassin hits (they exist, but are sometimes nothing more than flipping a single switch or making a headshot with the TRG).

    Graphics 9/10 (Stunning, DX11 at its best)
    Audio 8/10 (The game is made very immersive with its voice-overs during play)
    Mechanics Gameplay 5/10 (The game lacks depth, but improves slightly on animation smoothness)    … Expand
  61. KingShree
    Jul 27, 2013
    7
    Its not the Hitman you remember from Blood Money. Very linear, less creativity needed, achieving high score is easy. On the other hand graphics are great, story is good. Its like old Hitman mixed with Call Of Duty. They tried to make it more for the big crowd of players at the cost of the Hitmans soul. Its still a Hitman, but not like you remember him.
  62. Choksquaker
    Nov 5, 2013
    6
    I'm a long-time Hitman player and in short, It lacks words to express my deep disappointment for this game.

    Think about everything that made the series so epic erstwhile They screwed every little bit of those things. No more world-wide contracts no more assassinations and briefing. Instead, we were "gifted" with an uninspiring and boring story filled with a low quality drama, and    I'm a long-time Hitman player and in short, It lacks words to express my deep disappointment for this game.

    Think about everything that made the series so epic erstwhile They screwed every little bit of those things.

    No more world-wide contracts no more assassinations and briefing. Instead, we were "gifted" with an uninspiring and boring story filled with a low quality drama, and with a cartoonish cowboy as an antagonist.

    I'm holding myself not to rate this failure in shape of game a ZERO and i won't do so just because of the engine, the well-polished graphics, the killing and shooting system and last but not least, the game's length.

    All those factors make the game enjoyable for the newcomers to the series; all of whom, comprehensibly, doesn't give a if the devs KILLED the Hitman Series or not.    … Expand
  63. POstAL_QueeN
    Nov 23, 2018
    8
    Полноценный сюжет с неплохой историей, то чего совершенно не ждешь от этой серии игр. Лысый убийца - это в первую очередь профессиональный киллер, а потом уже чувствительный человек. Но как показала эта игра, у лысого есть душа, да и ещё какая. Эта часть серии пошла совершенно иным путем, она показала нам знаменитую франшизу совершенно с другой стороны. Когда что-то меняют кардинально, неПолноценный сюжет с неплохой историей, то чего совершенно не ждешь от этой серии игр. Лысый убийца - это в первую очередь профессиональный киллер, а потом уже чувствительный человек. Но как показала эта игра, у лысого есть душа, да и ещё какая. Эта часть серии пошла совершенно иным путем, она показала нам знаменитую франшизу совершенно с другой стороны. Когда что-то меняют кардинально, не всегда уверен в том будет ли это стояще, и нужно ли это вообще. Но как оказалось, разработчики доказали свою правоту в этом плане. Я играл в предыдущие части серии и каждая не оставляла меня равнодушным, особенно Blood Money. Вообще вся серия мне нравилась не стандартными подходами к убийству, то есть ты должен сам выбирать как тебе лучше это сделать. В этой части идет упор на сюжет, но она не лишилась своих прошлых достоинств, а только усовершенствовала и приобрела новые.

    Мне действительно было в кайф наблюдать за полноценным сюжет лысого убийцы, я даже чувствовал себя не в своей тарелки. При первом прохождении я говорил себе, что так не должно быть, зачем устраивать какой-то карнавал. Но во время прохождения мое мнение кардинально изменилось. Оно приобрело исключительно положительную форму. Я начал вливаться в жизнь 47-го и мне это нравилось. Ощущение было, будто ты знаешь этого человека давно, но истинную правду узнаешь только теперь, спустя долгое время. Я был полностью удовлетворен сюжетом и тем как разработчики его подали. Даже берет за живое, ибо столько страдания приходиться нести ради сокровенного, но 47-ой это выполняет с полна. Разработчики решили приправить все трагическим сюжетом, чтобы игрок понимал всю суть происходящего и в общем у них это получилось. Есть пару глупых моментов (заданий) которые ни должны были присутствовать в игре, на мой взгляд. Но в целом все получилось, опять же опираясь на тот факт, что это абсолютно не сюжетная игра. У меня бы повернулся язык назвать эту серию симулятором, но ни как игрой с острым сюжетом. Но эта игра доказала обратное.

    Та же свобода действия осталось, ты сам себе режиссер. Думаю можно пройти даже с некой долей пацифизма, но ни полного (лично не пробовал). Мне лично по большей части понравилась реализация убийств. Особенно убийств с холодного оружия, типа ножа. Это изящество проработки тронуло меня до глубины. Как бы невзначай 47-ой втыкает в живот врагу нож и резко достаёт. Ловкость, красота, мастерская техника, все это в одном салате так круто переваривается, что прям хочется убивать и наслаждаться до бесконечности. Если не быть сильно придирчивым, то в принципе вся проработка оружия удовлетворяет.    … Expand
  64. StanleyStinklip
    Feb 15, 2013
    7
    Don't uninstall Hitman Blood Money because Absolution isn't even close! It is a decent action-stealth game with some good moments and is worth playing through but as a Hitman game I mostly can't stand it. It just feels like Agent 47 got assimilated into the barely indistinguishable pool of action-stealth games. Having played and loved the Hitman series since day 1 on its original PCDon't uninstall Hitman Blood Money because Absolution isn't even close! It is a decent action-stealth game with some good moments and is worth playing through but as a Hitman game I mostly can't stand it. It just feels like Agent 47 got assimilated into the barely indistinguishable pool of action-stealth games. Having played and loved the Hitman series since day 1 on its original PC platform, many of the gameplay systems and input styles in Absolution have the stink of console development all over them. The usage of quick-time events and button hitting just for the sake of it made me think "this is so annoying and stupid, why the hell is is this in a Hitman game?" at least every 30 minutes. The levels are broken up into small linear sections instead of big playgrounds; there is no big inventory full of items and weapons to work with; no customized weapon lovin' for the missions; no briefcase and sniper rifle; the disguise detection system feels like a contrived third-wheel; no regard for the magical concealment of long guns; there's plenty more but no need to pile on here. There are indeed improvements to some important systems such as movement, shooting, body concealment/disposal, distraction options, and throwing things. Sound, graphics, framerate, stability and controls are all very good. It's just that...as a Hitman game...Absolution is a huge disappointment after Blood Money which I still play 6 years and hundreds of hours later. They traded some of the deepest and most distinctive elements of being Agent 47 for console game pacing and lots of cutscenes to tell a crap story. If these tradeoffs turn out to be permanent for the series, then Agent 47 just jumped the shark. Still, even with all the Hitman-series-related disappointments, Absolution a good game on its own and you should play it and think for yourself.… Expand
  65. Rogyapa
    Jan 8, 2013
    5
    Hitman Absolution is the weakest entry in the Hitman series. Many people have performance issues (like crashing to desktop, bugs, deleted save files, and the game crashing during cinematics) with no patches able to really fix these problems yet. The disguise system is better in some aspects and far worse in others compared to the old system. A way in which it's better is the sheer numberHitman Absolution is the weakest entry in the Hitman series. Many people have performance issues (like crashing to desktop, bugs, deleted save files, and the game crashing during cinematics) with no patches able to really fix these problems yet. The disguise system is better in some aspects and far worse in others compared to the old system. A way in which it's better is the sheer number of disguises available but it's worse in that if you try DISGUISE yourself and don't have any instinct, people will damn near instantly detect/become suspicious of you (and it's worse on higher difficulties), rather than the old system where it was more or less based on doing strange/out of character actions. The point shooting aspect is kind of cool if you feel like playing this more like an action game, though useless otherwise. The contracts mode is a fun addition which adds more replay value to the game.
    There are still many ways to approach missions, though certain missions have WAY more freedom than others. As the game currently stands it's fun but unstable for many people including myself, and wouldn't recommend it.    … Expand
  66. charlesb
    Dec 8, 2012
    5
    Big fan of the series. But this isnt hitman anymore, its a whole new game. Very disappointing for fans of the series. The game completely ignored what fans enjoyed in all of the other games. You can no longer save your game, you can not customize your weapons, you can't select the weapons you want, every disguise is automatically detected, it is a short story line and levels are chopped upBig fan of the series. But this isnt hitman anymore, its a whole new game. Very disappointing for fans of the series. The game completely ignored what fans enjoyed in all of the other games. You can no longer save your game, you can not customize your weapons, you can't select the weapons you want, every disguise is automatically detected, it is a short story line and levels are chopped up and completed in sections.… Expand
  67. Vizition
    Nov 28, 2012
    6
    The Hitman series has always been a favorite of mine. Now they have done like all the other big gaming companies; make drastic changes, and massive U-turn of gameplay (D3, CNC4 S3). Big gaming companies must realize, that change the essential gaming mechanics, when the game is as big as it is, is a very severe move. The things we loved from the OLD Hitmans (Codename 47, Hitman 2);The Hitman series has always been a favorite of mine. Now they have done like all the other big gaming companies; make drastic changes, and massive U-turn of gameplay (D3, CNC4 S3). Big gaming companies must realize, that change the essential gaming mechanics, when the game is as big as it is, is a very severe move. The things we loved from the OLD Hitmans (Codename 47, Hitman 2); "Professional hits" (Not running away from cops), loadouts and disguises that meant something. In Blood Money, we did get all that, PLUS a noterity system, resulting in even more consequences in your actions you make. This made the game even more exciting, as you could get caught, or you could be a "silent assasin". In Absolution, we get a kind of "bourne" feeling, as he is running away from cops all the time, no loadouts, and not so many actual professional "hits". They have made a new disguise mechanism, which is pretty annoying sometimes and pretty much pretty hard, and frustrating when playing on a more hard difficulty. They made the missions linear, as there are not many ways to kill your target. They made more cutscenes, which makes it more COD-FPS-MOVIE like, as we have not seen in the earlier releases of Hitman. They have changed the game so drastically, that it doesn't deserve the Hitman title. And im not even refering to graphics, because i am only basing my score on the gameplay. Because what makes a good game, is the gameplay. I hope for a new title, which could be Blood Money 2, as we want a cold-killer hitman and his professional hits, NOT a Hitman with feelings and sympathy. If you know the Lore of hitman, you know that is not him.… Expand
  68. Loca
    Dec 31, 2012
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I was a huge fan of Hitman series and waiter a lot for this title. I am kind of embarrased by this game. Graphics are good but there are some problems with game itself. Like you cant equip weapons of your choice in Story mode one only Revolver and fiberwire. We can use weapons in Contracts but whats the point of playing online when we cant fight against each other.you can kill the person by punching on head but it takes a lot of bullets to kill.… Expand
  69. JakeizBettar
    Feb 16, 2013
    5
    First of all. They shouldn't of even called this a Hitman game. It doesn't come close to the amazingness that WAS Hitman. Don't expect to be killing targets, hiding in plain sight (Disguises are broken), manually saving so you can experiment with how you're gonna go about you're mission, and especially playing a good game. This game pretty much just throws away everything that made HitmanFirst of all. They shouldn't of even called this a Hitman game. It doesn't come close to the amazingness that WAS Hitman. Don't expect to be killing targets, hiding in plain sight (Disguises are broken), manually saving so you can experiment with how you're gonna go about you're mission, and especially playing a good game. This game pretty much just throws away everything that made Hitman good. The story of this game is utterly boring and you don't even work for an agency which is dumb. Hitman Absolution is just a ripoff of other "Stealth-Action" games. Try one of the other good Hitman games not this stumble in the road.… Expand
  70. PeleTheS
    Dec 3, 2012
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Well Where to begin ?
    the good : Great mechanics the new engine feels a lot smoother then previous ones
    Nice idea adding the ability to estimate your enemy's location with the "Hitman Sense"
    The Bad: There is a lot to say here ,First of all and this is the most important part the inability to choose your equipment prior to your mission and plan in advance what kind of game you want to be playing turns this game from hitman to just another pretty shooter , shows me the developers are not listening to their audience
    the fact that you give us a cool new way of interaction doesnt make this part the main part of the game and infact the single player feels as though its the "no so important" part of the game the AI is either too smart or too dumb (depending on what level you play)
    the weapons don't feel like the cool assassin's weapons they where in hitman
    and since you cant choose them they simply feel forced on you shooting someone directly in the head before he even notices you (like i could do in blood money) like a true weapons expert is really difficult
    as a true hitman lover i have to say i HATE this game
    the only similarity between it and the hitman series is the Main character and even there it starts to feel like they are trying to make him less of an expert assassin and more like a mortal man learning his way around the world - its been done before and its pointless
    maybe they are trying to introduce a new character to the series (i hope not) but this is a really bad way of doing it
    all in all im giving it a 5 simply because i do not want to kill the review completely im going to stop ranting now (i have a lot of bad things to say)
    the only thing i want to say is : THIS IS NOT A HITMAN GAME    … Expand
  71. jonnyohio
    Dec 3, 2012
    6
    There's some to like and much to not like about Hitman: Absolution. First, I feel the Instinct mode it's a better alternative than the overview map of the older games. They put in the option to increase difficulty to shut it off, which is good. One big let down for me, is there is no save system in the game, just a stupid check point system which really awful. In reality, only yourThere's some to like and much to not like about Hitman: Absolution. First, I feel the Instinct mode it's a better alternative than the overview map of the older games. They put in the option to increase difficulty to shut it off, which is good. One big let down for me, is there is no save system in the game, just a stupid check point system which really awful. In reality, only your position in the area is saved, though, not who you killed or anything else it seems. I found out that if you get guns in one area and then go to the next area, you lose everything you just got. There is not selection of guns when you start a new part either, and gone is the briefcase-- the sniper rifle just appears out of the thin air-- just terrible. That other NPCs you dress like are most suspicious of you sounds like a good idea, but it completely ruins the game because you have to constantly use instinct to try to avoid being detected or sneak passed them anyway. Because of this, you will probably just end up killing a bunch of people, and find yourself not really giving much care about using disguises...I found myself staying in my suit and just sneaking around, and using cover...which really got kind of boring. The game tells you that turning your back to someone will stop them from being suspicious usually, but that rarely worked for me. You can use certain places to 'hide' when someone is getting suspicious, but these places are too few. The AI didn't seem like it was very consistent either. Sometimes I would play through an area and everyone was suspicious of me all the time, and other times I'd play through the same way, and it was like I was just blending in without effort. The storyline is pretty good, the voice acting is good, and the graphics are good. The lighting seemed a little 'off'- perhaps it was the overuse of reflective surfaces that gives the world a sort of washed-out look sometimes. Some areas didn't seem like they offered many different ways to complete them, unlike other Hitman games where it seemed like there were many ways to complete an assassination (which kept you coming back and playing it over to try to figure out all the possible ways)-- here it seems like there might be 2 to 4 ways at most, and that is about it. It feels like a very linear game, instead of the classic sandbox style game Hitman has always been. The world you play in is not very interactive at all-- most of the objects are just for decoration and 47 can't mess with much or rig things up to have 'accidents' happen-- the choices seem limited, and very shallow. Many of the areas are not very large, and most buildings can't be accessed to explore. The Contracts feature was a bit of a let down. Instead of creating some unique locations for the Contracts, they just used the same areas and same people from the storyline-- hardly any real effort was put into it. Basically, Contracts is just a a boring 'social' element they added to the game, which feels more like an after-thought rather than something planned from the beginning. I am hoping that there will be DLC that will expand this game-- not just guns, suites and disguise packs either, and some patches to fix it up. In the end Hitman: Absolution is nothing but a mediocre game, that is good for a couple of play throughs at most. Well, if you can tolerate the check point system, the poor AI performance, the lack of options and linear game play, and the disappointment of approaching your target, only to watch 47 kill them in a cut scene. I can see myself playing through it again maybe one more time, and trying a few more things out. But ultimately it will end up being deleted from my local Steam library in the very near future. Maybe some DLC will resurrect it from the Steam Cloud and I can play it once more, or perhaps the game will get the Steam Workshop on PC, and provide hours of replay with mods and user created content, and improvements. I highly doubt that will happen though...still one can dream of better days.… Expand
  72. te47
    Dec 2, 2012
    0
    I decided it was worth creating a Metacritic account just to add another 0/10 review for this game. I bought Absolution on Steam as soon as it came out, because I had faith that it would be a Hitman game (or at least something close). I wish I could go back in time and warn myself, not so that I could save my money, but just so that I wouldn't be one of the many gamers who actuallyI decided it was worth creating a Metacritic account just to add another 0/10 review for this game. I bought Absolution on Steam as soon as it came out, because I had faith that it would be a Hitman game (or at least something close). I wish I could go back in time and warn myself, not so that I could save my money, but just so that I wouldn't be one of the many gamers who actually rewarded the people responsible for this enormous stab in the back. The fact that the developers had the audacity to call this "Hitman" and the fact that so many people seem to love it is about the most depressing and disturbing thing I could have possibly imagined. As a massive fan of all four previous Hitman games, I can tell you beyond a shadow of a doubt that Absolution betrays virtually everything that made Hitman so special. Instead of amazingly open-ended self-contained missions, complete freedom of exploration and experimentation, careful planning and execution, and everything else that (until now) has made Hitman so great, we get a linear, typical, mainstream, and utterly forgettable pile of garbage with the worst story of any game I've ever played. Even 47 himself acts nothing like the real 47, even losing his signature look after the first two missions. But the most depressing thing of all is, because so many people seem to love Absolution, I think it's safe to say that Blood Money will be the last Hitman game. I had to give Absolution a 0/10 not because it's the worst game ever made, but simply because it pretends to be a Hitman game. To any true Hitman fan reading this review, please don't make the same mistake I did. Save your money for a real game.… Expand
  73. BloodyCouscous
    Feb 1, 2013
    2
    All right, I believe some of the green reviewers are paid, really (all quoted from the same...) :

    "This is truly one of the most definitive Hitman experiences out there, there are so many more options compared to the previous games" - All the spirit of the hitman series is gone. Each map of this game is a path which leads you to a cut-scene full of ridiculous clichés. "there is    All right, I believe some of the green reviewers are paid, really (all quoted from the same...) :

    "This is truly one of the most definitive Hitman experiences out there, there are so many more options compared to the previous games"
    - All the spirit of the hitman series is gone. Each map of this game is a path which leads you to a cut-scene full of ridiculous clichés. "there is contracts mode, which enables you to customize and create your very own hits and share them with the community."
    - Are you kidding me?! The contracts mode consists of killing someone in a level already made by the developers and not customizable at all.

    "It's hard to go in depth about the AI because of how diverse and complex it is, given the multitude of situations that they react differently in each and every time."
    - Wow, I laughed at this one. The AI always react the same way! They can notice you even if you wearing a disguise, 30 m away and shows your back! They added this stupid system where you have to press Ctrl to make the disguise work seriously! And when you're out of "adrenaline" or whatever they call it, you have to kill to be able to disguise yourself again.....

    I really feel like we did not play the same game, bud389. I give a 2 because the graphics are fine, that is all.    … Expand
  74. BearzYo
    Dec 23, 2012
    6
    The detection system sucks, you re enemies have ultimate mutant megavision. I strangled a guy in the toilet, no one around, but everyone in the vicinity instantly knew exactly where I was the second he died. It's as if you don't complete things the way the game intends it brands you with a YOU ARE DOING IT WRONG and makes it impossibly hard to finish.

    The previous Hitman games kinda    The detection system sucks, you re enemies have ultimate mutant megavision. I strangled a guy in the toilet, no one around, but everyone in the vicinity instantly knew exactly where I was the second he died. It's as if you don't complete things the way the game intends it brands you with a YOU ARE DOING IT WRONG and makes it impossibly hard to finish.

    The previous Hitman games kinda gave you a sense of "You are the hitman, take him out as you please"    … Expand
  75. zombieapocalyps
    Nov 28, 2012
    6
    The latest installment in the Hitman series feels dumbed down. Small maps and the introduction of sub-levels and checkpoints makes the game feel very linear. Not to mention the awful instinct system that allows you to see enemies and points of interest through walls and is required to make your disguises work. And enemies are too easily fooled by simply throwing a randomly acquired objectThe latest installment in the Hitman series feels dumbed down. Small maps and the introduction of sub-levels and checkpoints makes the game feel very linear. Not to mention the awful instinct system that allows you to see enemies and points of interest through walls and is required to make your disguises work. And enemies are too easily fooled by simply throwing a randomly acquired object in their vicinity as a distraction.

    Many of the levels simply involve getting from one side of the map to the other (usually a door, staircase or elevator) without any assassination target. It's more Splinter Cell than Hitman. What happened to the large sand-box maps of the previous game (Blood Money) that made it so enjoyable, challenging and replayable?

    But for me, the biggest failure is the attempt to drive the game by a strong (but poorly written/very disjointed) narrative, rather than simply having a series of missions loosely connected by an underlying story arch (as in Blood Money). I want to be a Hitman, not Sam Fisher on the run.

    That said the graphics are gorgeous and some of the maps are very immersive and the attention to detail is impressive (eg walking through a crowd and being able to listen into multiple conversations going on around you). I also like the fact that enemies don't simply shoot on sight if you're caught trespassing, they will now approach and attempt to arrest you (and you can fake surrender). And the challenge system and contracts mode can be good (but not necessarily wholesome) fun and add some replayability to the game. Though I miss the ability to customise my loadout for the story missions.

    I would rate this game 7/10. Lot's of potential, but ultimately let down by too much tweaking and dumbing down after the very successful formula that was Blood Money. A wasted opportunity really, let's hope the next installment is better.    … Expand
  76. vujo
    Jan 2, 2013
    6
    i'm a big fan of series. hitman see between walls!?! mmm.. good graphics ok, but the heart of the game: the strategic planning of the killing, the map, the chosen of the weapons, they are deleted. i don't see a big difference between agent 47 and ezio auditore; the game is end in the same mode of resident evil games. too much action, too less contracts. bad for me
  77. erichlebt
    Nov 26, 2012
    5
    Just not that good. I wish it'd be better cause I love the franchise but it's just not what it could have been or what was promised. It shines when it comes to graphics (especially 47s 'glowing like a deathstar' dome), audio and depiction of huge crowds. They even managed to improve certain aspects like melee fighting. But the games core mechanics feel odd. It would make a fine 3rd personJust not that good. I wish it'd be better cause I love the franchise but it's just not what it could have been or what was promised. It shines when it comes to graphics (especially 47s 'glowing like a deathstar' dome), audio and depiction of huge crowds. They even managed to improve certain aspects like melee fighting. But the games core mechanics feel odd. It would make a fine 3rd person shooter but that's not what I'm looking for in a Hitman title. You'll find too many things that'll make you go: "Wait a minute, this is ridiculous and even I could have come up with a smarter, better solution to that problem than the one I'm presented with." Maybe (hopefully) future patches will adjust at least some of the big issues. Untill then it's nighty night for H:A.… Expand
  78. Nasher
    Jan 27, 2013
    7
    As a game of it's own it's ok. But Hitman Blood Money is still the best in the series.

    It's clearly been aimed towards console gamers and lacks much of the depth of the previous games. Including the weapon and equipment customizations we had in blood money.
  79. Luxangel7
    Feb 13, 2014
    0
    What a horrible waste of time and disk space.

    Horrible game mechanics, horribly linear, horrible story that is boring and makes no sense, every single boss kill is incredibly anticlimactic, this game is absolutely horrible, from beginning to end.

    Not to mention misleading the consumer by releasing trailers and demos that have almost nothing to do with the actual game.
  80. d_monik
    Feb 22, 2013
    5
    Sneak your way to the next door, which will start a cutscene. Repeat.
    This is not a proper Hitman game, and pales in comparison to Blood Money earlier in the series.
  81. carnivorCactae
    Jul 30, 2014
    0
    People who didn't like "Blood Money" seem to like "Absolution". Need I say more?

    Extreme linear missions without any planning-phase! No more weapon-upgrades or loadout-selection (!), A braindead "disguise"-system that forces you to "sneak" and crawl like a kid who watched too much spy-movies. Quick-Time-Event-Fighting. (You've read right: numb quick-time-event-fights! The cancer of    People who didn't like "Blood Money" seem to like "Absolution". Need I say more?

    Extreme linear missions without any planning-phase!
    No more weapon-upgrades or loadout-selection (!),
    A braindead "disguise"-system that forces you to "sneak" and crawl like a kid who watched too much spy-movies.
    Quick-Time-Event-Fighting. (You've read right: numb quick-time-event-fights! The cancer of modern gaming dumbed down even further.)

    No more cool mission-score-system like in Blood money.
    Instead you have to bare with a "High-score-system" that pops up stupiditly in your face while you are midst a mission.

    All of it is wrapped up in a pathetic and illogical story.

    Don't buy this shiny garbage and don't belive any of the high ratings!    … Expand
  82. Zanadar
    Nov 27, 2012
    6
    This is the best entry in the Splinter Cell franchise to date. Wait, what do you mean Hitman? No, this isn't a Hitman game, those aren't painfully linear with silly unlock systems and scavenger hunts. No, no, I'm sure you must be wrong, this is definitely a Splinter Cell game. It's a really good Splinter Cell game too. It would make for a pretty poor Hitman game though...
  83. BigWoodFarmer
    Nov 27, 2012
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. My expectations were very high. I admit. I wanted Blood Money with new graphics and new missions. I wanted larger areas, more weapons, more accident setups. Even excuses you can say to guards, depending of your knowledge of the level, mention that the shower is broken upstairs, that's why you are in a restricted area to fix it, social engineering, additional ways to sneak, maybe even hack computers and technology devices, like spies, carry new and ingeniously hidden weapons on your person.

    What did I get? A dumb-down arcade version of one of my favorite game. A broken disguise system, a ridiculously unrealistic instinct system, which would get you banned in most online games. I never wanted easy. I wanted to walk around a level, explore it, save a certain points to try things over and over to perfection, than replay the level and attempt to complete it as a silent assassin. I don't want a checkpoint system like ID Software    … Expand
  84. moviefreak11
    Nov 28, 2012
    0
    What a disappointing game. Disguises won't work only when you use your 'instinct'. How do you get instinct? By killing and hiding bodies. Contradiction in terms... There might be multiple ways of finishing levels but you can't experiment as there is no save option. When you fail, you will have to restart all over again including all the cut-scenes etc. Why did they have to destroy this franchise?
  85. jomplox
    Dec 2, 2012
    1
    I'm never pre-ordering a game ever again. Don't be fooled by the marketing and all the trailers. Don't fund this developer tendency of over-hyping a game to make a quick buck. The only reason I completed the game, was to appease the feeling of regret it gave me for wasting perfectly good money for this poorly crafted "game".
  86. TerraPass
    Nov 30, 2012
    6
    So, Splinter Cell: Absolution... sorry, I mean Hitman: Absolution is disappointing for a fan of the series. In itself, it is by no means a bad game: it looks great and may be fun to play, unless the player expects the feel, depth and non-linearity of the previous Hitman titles. Unfortunately, as was already said many times, it does not feel like a Hitman game anymore. Why? There areSo, Splinter Cell: Absolution... sorry, I mean Hitman: Absolution is disappointing for a fan of the series. In itself, it is by no means a bad game: it looks great and may be fun to play, unless the player expects the feel, depth and non-linearity of the previous Hitman titles. Unfortunately, as was already said many times, it does not feel like a Hitman game anymore. Why? There are several reasons, but the BIG one is that the game is schizophrenic in its relations with reality. For example, now every person on the level knows their every colleague, in fact, they know each other so well, that can identify the outsider (you) in several seconds from the other side of a crowded street, blowing off your disguise. At the same time, they do not recognize you if you are disguised as a person of another profession, even though they were chatting moments ago, you know, before one of them went to the WC to be dispatched with a crowbar. 47 now also possesses mystical "Instinct" power, that allows him to see through walls and identify his target (by smell?). Now, that's so much more realistic than the map, dynamically showing target position, isn't it? Besides, "Instinct" allows our bold hero to blend with the crowd by scratching his head for a moment. It is to avoid being recognized by the aforementioned colleagues. The only problem is that 47 can only scratch his head for 3-10 seconds, depending on the difficulty settings, otherwise his "Instinct" runs out.

    Finally, now a bottle, an axe and a sniper rifle can all be concealed under 47's suit. Momentarily.

    Has Conviction become a "Call of Duty of stealth shooters", so that now developers feel their game should be like it? Using disguise is discouraged, exploration options are minimized and so the players, especially on the higher difficulty settings have to resort to linear sneaking.    … Expand
  87. Hoi_Gr
    Nov 29, 2012
    6
    I'm a die hard Hitman fan, having spent more hours than I want to remember getting silent assassin on the hardest difficulties on all previous installments. This game was a huge disappointment to me as part of the series but I can't say I didn't enjoy it once I got past the my nerd rage.

    I just accepted the new rules of the game which are obviously much different than before. You are    I'm a die hard Hitman fan, having spent more hours than I want to remember getting silent assassin on the hardest difficulties on all previous installments. This game was a huge disappointment to me as part of the series but I can't say I didn't enjoy it once I got past the my nerd rage.

    I just accepted the new rules of the game which are obviously much different than before. You are free to kill almost anyone as long as you don't get caught, there are some extremely funny sequences and the entire game is just smoother and easier to play. If you looking for the hardcore Hitman experience, Absolution is inadequate. If you are looking for a fun, cinematic game where you can feel like a mastermind and a bad ass, you are going to love it.

    In any case, the game is nothing extraordinary. We've seen better stealth, better graphics, better story, better action, better cinematography and in better combinations. Surely my rating has been affected by my love of the originals but there have been some amazing games in the recent months so I can't really give Absolution anything higher than a 6.

    RAGE PART: Why are you MORONS still giving 10s and 0s. It's almost 2013, most of you are 26+ and you still don't grasp the concept of rating? A 0 would be the equivalent of a $50 pong, and a 10 would be something that propels the genre forward or gives you a incredibly polished experience. WE ALL KNOW ABSOLUTION IS NEITHER. By being desperate fanboys of marketing or the original series you are mainly hurting FELLOW CONSUMERS.    … Expand
  88. ntuong95
    Nov 30, 2012
    6
    Since when can 47 conceal a baseball bat and a rifle in his suit at the same time? Is he a product of R* now? As someone who have been playing since Codename 47 went out, I'm totally disappointed with this. Not to mention instinct.. And the developers aren't great writer. At least let 47 go somewhere outside the US.
  89. typhus148
    Dec 1, 2012
    0
    i think everyone who played the old hitman games could tell very fast that hitman absolution was a new direction. this is bad because i wanted sandbox levels where i have to kill my target anyway possible. i got maybe several parts or sub levels that were sandbox old school hitman style. the rest of the game was mainly get from point A to B. this made me very sad i wanted to open levelsi think everyone who played the old hitman games could tell very fast that hitman absolution was a new direction. this is bad because i wanted sandbox levels where i have to kill my target anyway possible. i got maybe several parts or sub levels that were sandbox old school hitman style. the rest of the game was mainly get from point A to B. this made me very sad i wanted to open levels not small segments of evading cops or going from one place to another. the old hitman games had way better story and they did not even go into the detail or base every mission around that story. also the new disguise system as everyone is saying should be, in my opinion, removed. it was implemented poorly and i do not get how the game testers were like i am getting spoted while in disguise, while in a crowd, from about 30 feet away... i mean its cool idea but terrible handicap for this game. the worst part is the lack of open hitman style levels, too much broken up levels where your doing nothing. i got bored really fast and did not bother to try to continue throught the game to try to reach that next sandbox level.… Expand
  90. Razv
    Dec 1, 2012
    6
    Overall good game. Nice graphics, nice gameplay, good storyline. However, the reason i decided to give it a 6/10 is because of the enormous potential wasted along with the decision to switch to Checkpoints instead of keeping the Save method. It is pathetic. Even the fact that the creators took this option into consideration is awful. The fun of experimenting is gone. Almost every cool moveOverall good game. Nice graphics, nice gameplay, good storyline. However, the reason i decided to give it a 6/10 is because of the enormous potential wasted along with the decision to switch to Checkpoints instead of keeping the Save method. It is pathetic. Even the fact that the creators took this option into consideration is awful. The fun of experimenting is gone. Almost every cool move you succeed is useless because if you make a mistake afterwords it all goes to **** and you have to start over. If you want to do things stealthy you will find yourself doing the same thing over and over and over and over until the whole succession of moves is correct, which in my opinion(and apparently not just my opinion) is utter ****… Expand
  91. Xetor
    Dec 27, 2012
    6
    This is no Hitman. This is some kind of dumb stealth shooter, in levels where everybody is your ennemy, where disguises doesn't work at all, where you kill everybody and get a "specialist" title because of your headshots. This is a game emphasing on the story for no reason, killing the gameplay because you're doomed to start half of the levels with **** and noisy guns. There no poison, noThis is no Hitman. This is some kind of dumb stealth shooter, in levels where everybody is your ennemy, where disguises doesn't work at all, where you kill everybody and get a "specialist" title because of your headshots. This is a game emphasing on the story for no reason, killing the gameplay because you're doomed to start half of the levels with **** and noisy guns. There no poison, no explosives, no well designed open levels, it's no Hitman. If you want to buy this game, get ready to play Splinter Cell Conviction with unappropriated mechanics, with a **** and vulgar story, and with penalties for killing people when the game suggests you to. At least there's the contracts mode. But the levels are still boring and everybody is still your ennemy. Maybe I enjoyed 2 or 3 levels in the entire game. Do not buy it and reinstall Blood Money instead.… Expand
  92. coffin87
    Jun 3, 2013
    2
    As a long-time Hitman fan I was really looking forward to Hitman: Absolution. It has been one of the BIGGEST disappointments in my life as a gamer. Actually, right now, I cannot think of a bigger disappointment. The last Splinter Cell was bad as hell, but I knew that for a fact before and am not a big Splinter Cell fan, so it didn't touch me as bad.
    Everything that was achieved    As a long-time Hitman fan I was really looking forward to Hitman: Absolution. It has been one of the BIGGEST disappointments in my life as a gamer. Actually, right now, I cannot think of a bigger disappointment. The last Splinter Cell was bad as hell, but I knew that for a fact before and am not a big Splinter Cell fan, so it didn't touch me as bad.
    Everything that was achieved gameplay-wise with Blood Money has literally been kicked in the balls so hard it couldn't move and was then left to die in the desert.

    The biggest problems are the linear levels, the USELESS disguises, a checkpoint system with no manual save option and the absence of a map but instead the introduction of "Instinct", some lame supernatural power that 47 suddenly possesses that makes him see through walls and also into the future as he predicts enemies' paths. Gone are the times where you had to stand by, take your time and learn about your enemy. You simply hold down [CTRL] now.
    Linearity is the biggest level-design problem that literally kills the entire game. The first level after the tutorial was actually pretty OK for a first level, although a little small and still nothing compared to the awesomeness of the vineyard level in Blood Money but still, it was OK and I was having hopes that all the bad things I heard before about the game being "casualized" were a bit too much. But beginning with the second level, the game is a downhill roller-coaster.
    I have not finished the game. I couldn't bear it. The levels got too worse. I started with the 2nd highest difficulty because a few months back I read somewhere that the devs claimed to have added those features for "newcomers" to the Hitman franchise, and that hardcore Hitman players could deactivate those, similar to Deus Ex 3 (actually a f*in awesome game), where it actually worked. But with that choice, I killed all fun. You have to LEARN the specific mechanics of this game, that have nothing to do with any Hitman game before it. The problem on a higher "difficulty" is that interactive spots will not be highlighted with "instinct"-vision and still, there is no f*in map that could show those spots (I mean stuff like specific items or interactive objects in the world that would help you get to your objective, marked with an exclamation mark on the map before). At first I couldn't get through some sort of stupid library level, dumbed down the difficulty level so I could see the spots by activating "instinct" and after that, the level got beatable. Still, everything about this was against any logic in any Hitman game ever.
    Another level highlight includes being chased by a helicopter that shoots at you (remember 47 doing stuff like that?). In one specific scene, you have to crouch (pressing C or [CTRL] once), then lean against boxes (pressing another button once) and then LITERALLY just keep pressing A and E A to move to the left side of the screen and E to keep scampering from box to box. All the while, the helicopter keeps shooting through windows and destroys all the boxes. You can feel how this scene was supposed to be thrilling and intense, but the helicopter didn't even hit 47 once. The ONLY point of this scene, gameplay-wise, is to hold down A and keep tapping E.
    A few levels down, I was so filled with disappointment and also rage about my destroyed memories about the adventures I had with 47, that I HAD to uninstall it.

    This list of problems is in NO way complete, but I don't want to keep writing forever. Those are just the things I kept in mind.
    I actually registered on this page just to write this review, to somehow channel my anger and letdown. I give Hitman: Absolution a 2/10 for three reasons: the graphics were pretty goddamn good, it remembered me about all the fun I had with 47 in the past (by showing me the exact opposite) and it made sure I will play the GODLIKE Blood Money again soon.

    On a side note: it is sad. It is sad how games are being casualized for the sake of "opening up to a bigger audience". We've seen it with so many franchises in the past years, one of the more memorable being the new Splinter Cell. I hope that enough other gamers will wake up to this and boycott this, when necessary.    … Expand
  93. modgill
    Dec 8, 2012
    0
    This is the worst game i have ever played. By Worst i mean, Worst in HITMAN FRANCHISE. This is not a Stealth Game, it forces players to pay like Calll OOOO DOOOTYY, plus everything about this game generally sucks. Kane & LYnch devs have infiltrated hitman and RUINED IT.
  94. Esfar
    Nov 27, 2012
    3
    1.This not a open ended or open world game any more.
    2.there is no map.
    3.disguise does not properly work any more without bloody instinct.
    4.You cant see through key hole.
    5. everything re spawns after loading a save point and therefore you cant experiment.
    6.And the list goes on.. Graphics alone cant save this game.They have totally destroyed a fine game.
  95. unbiasedcritic
    Nov 24, 2012
    0
    Hitman Absolution
    It is safe to say I have played all of the hitman games by now. I will say for a fact this is not a hitman game. There are tons of elements that Hitman: Blood Money introduced that were stripped in absolution and that made the hitman franchise "fun". Its fair to say everyone was expecting a Blood Money 2, but not everyone was willing to compromise for anything less.    Hitman Absolution
    It is safe to say I have played all of the hitman games by now. I will say for a fact this is not a hitman game. There are tons of elements that Hitman: Blood Money introduced that were stripped in absolution and that made the hitman franchise "fun". Its fair to say everyone was expecting a Blood Money 2, but not everyone was willing to compromise for anything less. There are gamers out there who because they are influenced or drawn by the media will select absolution because of the Hollywood style action or the mainstream hype that brought them to the game. And then there are gamers who played the series and have fundamental passion for playing over and over again the addictive and challenging sandboxes. The problem with Absolution: There are no sandboxes. In fact, all the maps are linear. Each map forces the player to move forward in one direction without having the chance of going back and re-experience the same level. Each map is a build up of smaller maps which are all joined together by checkpoints. So by having checkpoints, the developers have destroyed the one peice of formula that made hitman a sucess. A Sandbox. (start taking notes square enix)The developers have also made the gameplay into a "duck and covering" system, where the player is forced to hide and go seek wall after wall, hiding in terror instead of hiding with Absolution. By doing this the player is unable to get any proper "hits," has to use non-refillable instinct in order for a disguise to work, and above all loses points for attempting to kill anyone other than the target. Square Enix has demolished anything that was memorable or likeable about the hitman series and has suggested it all be shoved down a gumball machine for the player to experience. It is too bad that Eidos found its best interest for SE to take over, but im sure this game will please very much the mainstream audience as it was designed to do.    … Expand
  96. Speed4Runs
    Dec 1, 2012
    5
    6 years of waiting... is it worth it? When they announced the game, I was so excited, but when I played it... I have to say it:
    another game created for the masses.
    Hitman was a great game, now they converted it into some kind of good garbage. Very bad performance, quite good graphics, good gameplay (but not as funny and good as its predecessors) and it finally has a story. The problem    6 years of waiting... is it worth it? When they announced the game, I was so excited, but when I played it... I have to say it:
    another game created for the masses.
    Hitman was a great game, now they converted it into some kind of good garbage.
    Very bad performance, quite good graphics, good gameplay (but not as funny and good as its predecessors) and it finally has a story. The problem is that they have ruined a lot of great sagas, now the Hitman's one. It was better if they stopped it with Blood Money, which already changed too much.
    Also, the scoring system is VERY disappointing.
    Overall, it's a good game...
    ... for the new generation gamers.    … Expand
  97. DaHonestReview
    Dec 29, 2012
    4
    Very very very disappointing. Hitman is now the next game stealth game franchise to be over influenced by the modern gaming audience. I hope the developers understand that to make the game good, they don't have to make it appeal to every single gamer that exists, because that seems what the minds behind Hitman Absolution have attempted, with disastrous results. Regarding the story, thisVery very very disappointing. Hitman is now the next game stealth game franchise to be over influenced by the modern gaming audience. I hope the developers understand that to make the game good, they don't have to make it appeal to every single gamer that exists, because that seems what the minds behind Hitman Absolution have attempted, with disastrous results. Regarding the story, this game seems to force you into an at best, satisfactory story, that no one asked for, because that's not what made the Hitman franchise previously great, it was its gameplay, that the dovelopers thought required a major overhaul for some unknown reason. This has caused ALL the gameplay aspects that was loved by the Hitman community to be removed, and morphed into a Splinter Cell Conviction atmosphere. You are at war with yourself while playing this game because of the combination of Splinter Cell gameplay, with Hitman objectives. It's as if this game is promoting you to kill everyone in your way, because there are no consequences for it. It has no effect on the aftermath of the mission nor the game's storyline itself. And if you have the will to attempt the stealthy approach, be prepared for a very frustrating chore, due to the broken disguise system. It's understandable that a handful of mechanics in a small town know each other well to recognise someone new. This would also be fair for difficulty, as they would detect you more rapidly as the difficulty level increases, but as there are a few of them, circumventing them may be a challenge, but not an impossible task. However it's completely unrealistic that every policeman in a major metropolitan city by the thousands, would be able to recognise every single fellow cop from memory, and be able to spot an imposter from 30 metres away. Speaking of realism, the inventory system has been made even more poor and unjustified than that of Blood Money. In Absolution, when you have all filled slots you are carrying: 4 pistols, Fibre Wire, A melee object of varied size, An assault rifle, A bunch of c4, and a sniper rifle. Ironically, the dovelopers have called this change to the inventory system another "realistic addition to the game" along with the disguise system. Another thing that's most about this game is that most of the missions have no targets. This drastically changes the source of the motivation to continue playing this game. In Blood Money, the motivation was to kill the target, which every level had at least one, in innovative and unique ways, all while trying to achieve the challenging, but greatly sattisfying Silent Assassin rating. Whereas in Absolution, the motivation has shifted to pursuing the story, and when the story is not even that satisfying itself, it makes completing the game rather challenging. Fortunately though, the true strive for Silent Assassin still is retained in the new Contracts multiplayer mode. Allowing players to choose targets out of the segments of Absolution's levels grants that strive for the perfect kill that has been lost in the story, and is perhaps Absolution's only redeeming factor. Overall, Hitman Absolution is a mess hidden behind shiny graphics. Since graphicsalone don't make a good game, we can see the mess itself. This game that should not have undergone the complete overhaul it had gone through. Everything that had the potential to make this game great was right in front of the dovelopers, the previous games of the franchise, yet they somehow decided that they should morph Hitman into a Splinter Cell shooter game. Also, if IO Interactive decide to further pursue this series, please don't dig the grave of the Hitman franchise deeper by covering it up with more Splinter Cell like games. However if you plan to reanimate the true core principles of Hitman in an upcoming game, go for it. Just remember the gameplay of Blood Money, and hopefully you'll get it right. This game gets a 4/10 because the story is satisfactory, not completely satisfying, earning it a 1/2. The gameplay, Hitman's most important component has unfortunately undergone a major change for the worse. Everything from the inventory system to the disguise mechanic is completely broken, giving it 0/2. This game excels in the Contracts multiplayer, as it maintains the core principles of a Hitman game, earning it 2/2. Absolution fails to motivate you to continue in the story to the point where it is just a faint question, resulting you to look up spoilers on the Internet, and you will not be surprised, because there is no major plot twist, but it does make you strive to be the best in the multiplayer, earning 1/2. Finally, Hitman Absolution spits on everything that has made the franchise great, and most likely ruins any chance of it being pursued in the future, giving it 0/2. This ultimately results in Hitman Absolution getting a total of 4/10, unfortunately, the honest truth.… Expand
  98. Sarra
    Nov 26, 2012
    1
    When I saw the first trailer, and it showed the cover system, and the helicopter chase
    I said "Oh, well this certainly looks likes **** and isn't what Hitman is about"
    Then I was assured it wasn't the case, but it was, and I knew it. Let me make this clear for future purchases you might be buying: When devs show off, or implement a certain game mechanic, they intend for it to be    When I saw the first trailer, and it showed the cover system, and the helicopter chase
    I said "Oh, well this certainly looks likes **** and isn't what Hitman is about"
    Then I was assured it wasn't the case, but it was, and I knew it.

    Let me make this clear for future purchases you might be buying:
    When devs show off, or implement a certain game mechanic, they intend for it to be used, and therefore the game is based around it. Gameplay is the core of any game (not that anime novel), everything else is secondary, so when you see something and go "WELL GOSH YOU DONT HAVE TO USE TO IT OMG CALM DOWN"; dont kid yourself.

    A lot of people who like this game didn't have the pleasure of playing the first ones, and I'll let that explain the ratings.    … Expand
  99. recombex
    Nov 25, 2012
    0
    Hitman: Abomination

    I really wonder if the creators of this game ever played a Hitman game before of if they even really grasp what it was which made them iconic games. It is all well and good a video games developer trying to take something in a different direction but the Hitman games are very unique in many ways but it looks like none of that has really been conserved and what has    Hitman: Abomination

    I really wonder if the creators of this game ever played a Hitman game before of if they even really grasp what it was which made them iconic games. It is all well and good a video games developer trying to take something in a different direction but the Hitman games are very unique in many ways but it looks like none of that has really been conserved and what has has been diluted to the point that its almost unrecognisable and barely serves a purpose in this game. Putting previous Hitman games aside, this really is a sub par game and will soon be sold on offer and be thrown in the bargain bin. It really begs the question as to why this game was even made if the only credentials it has is riding on the back of previous titles. The best bit about this game would have to be the sniper challenge, which despite being quite a nice simple little level, actually manages to show off some little quirks, creativity and general personality of a Hitman game.

    You can tell a lot of effort has been put into the graphics, nice action sequences and cut scenes, but that is where all quality ends. To compliment the expensive graphics and cut scenes you have a truly terrible story filled with badly voiced characters each and everyone of whom is a brain dead idiot. It is a very different aeshetic from previous games which generally able to add some humour and creativity into the mix; this game is dull, dark , grey, linear and definitely lacks a sense of humour and is an all round ball-ache to play.

    Despite being an elite assassin, in this game Agent 47 has turned into a complete amateur who apparently pull off an assassination to save his life.When you're not failing to assassinate people you spend much of the game finding door ways and doing other exiting things like running from the police, who happen to be incredibly abundant with fantastic eyesight. Owing to 47's new found incompetence he does not have a map, however don't worry each area you find your self in is small enough you likely won't need one; in addition there is the new senses mode which will point out every object of interest in the environment for you, so don't worry about finding out how to take out a target. Killing someone in order to take their clothes as a disguise is now a waste of time as each policeman, bouncer, chef, etc in the game appears to know one another intimately and so are able to spot you as an imposter at 100 yeards.Moreover you cannot change your load out and you are very limited in how you murder someone and the ways you can are already pointed out by senses mode. Above all the game has lost its creativity, its quirckiness and personality and become something dull and linear where you spend far too much time getting from A to B.    … Expand
  100. ComradWinston
    Nov 26, 2012
    4
    Much smaller levels, very few paths to your target, very linear level design, no black market, no syringes or other interesting assassin tools, not many interesting ways to kill your targets, little and more often than not zero history behind your targets or any motivation to kill them besides them wanting to kill you.

    Environments and targets have very little variation, most of the    Much smaller levels, very few paths to your target, very linear level design, no black market, no syringes or other interesting assassin tools, not many interesting ways to kill your targets, little and more often than not zero history behind your targets or any motivation to kill them besides them wanting to kill you.

    Environments and targets have very little variation, most of the environments are in the US, the vast majority of which are in North Dakota and New York. Has an odd underlying crude sexual theme which simply doesn't fit very well with this game. The game's story focus essentially throws out the premise of being a hitman until its very end.

    You can still be spotted by people wearing the same outfit as you as though every gardener on the planet knows one another, and being spotted in any difficulty besides easy is almost always certain death.

    Contracts mode puts you in the same levels obviously designed with a linear story in mind. The only freedom it allows in the game's constrictive levels here is the contract's name/description, who you're killing, what single weapon you can choose to start with, and what you are wearing.

    All in all, a serious disappointment and downgrade from Blood Money.    … Expand
prev
Page:

Awards & Rankings

59
#59 Best PC Game of 2012
20
#20 Most Discussed PC Game of 2012
23
#23 Most Shared PC Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 26 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 26
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 26
  3. Negative: 0 out of 26
  1. PC Master (Greece)
    Feb 6, 2013
    80
    Despite the deviations and minor shortcomings, it remains true to its roots. It just brushes them aside for a while, just long enough for it to tell its story- a story where the traditional contracts and other usual components just wouldn’t fit. [January 2013]
  2. DarkStation
    Jan 8, 2013
    60
    Hitman: Absolution does stand out from the ocean of gray and brown shooters that populate the market, but not in enough good ways to warrant a recommendation.
    Read full review
  3. DarkZero
    Dec 26, 2012
    70
    It's not a bad game by any means, and it does fix some problems with the controls that plagued previous games, but having the story that essentially makes Agent 47 less of a hitman and more of an espionage hero, makes Absolution a decent stealth game but not a fantastic Hitman game.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »