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

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  1. 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
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. 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.
  6. 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
  7. 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.
  8. 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
  9. 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
  10. 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
  11. 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.
  12. 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
  13. 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
  14. 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
  15. 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
  16. 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
  17. 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.
  18. 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.
  19. 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
  20. 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
  21. 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.
  22. 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
  23. 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
  24. 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
  25. 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
  26. 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
  27. 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
  28. 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
  29. 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
  30. 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
  31. 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
  32. 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
  33. 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
  34. 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
  35. 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.
  36. 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.
  37. 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...
  38. 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
  39. 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
  40. 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.
  41. 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
  42. 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
  43. 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
  44. Littlebomb
    Nov 25, 2012
    5
    You can't save. Need I say more? If you do happen across a check point and decide to reload all the mobs respawn. Mind Blown yet at this poor example of decision making on the dev's? I mean, the most fundamental part of a game (saving) is broken. What more is there to say? Oh yea, disguises don't work. Remember those disguises that are one of the main features of Hitman? Well now they justYou can't save. Need I say more? If you do happen across a check point and decide to reload all the mobs respawn. Mind Blown yet at this poor example of decision making on the dev's? I mean, the most fundamental part of a game (saving) is broken. What more is there to say? Oh yea, disguises don't work. Remember those disguises that are one of the main features of Hitman? Well now they just keep you from being spotted in stealth as quickly. Yep, that's right. I mean if you can't save in sandbox style assassin game what's the point? Just like ME3 every game besides indies are getting this consolfication of our favorite pc titles. At least Deus Ex was still really good. Here's hoping Thief doesnt get butchered. Even Dishonored knew to have SAVING. Checkpoints...really?… Expand
  45. beladrim
    Nov 23, 2012
    6
    Hitman Absolution looks great... But it feels "wrong". This game walks the dangerous path of an other popular stealth game : Splinter Cell conviction. Forget the subtle stealth gameplay of previous games. Now... we have "instinct". A Meter bar that allows you to blend in. Or should i say... forces you. Like previous Hitman games, you can wear a disguise. Problem is, that diguise will beHitman Absolution looks great... But it feels "wrong". This game walks the dangerous path of an other popular stealth game : Splinter Cell conviction. Forget the subtle stealth gameplay of previous games. Now... we have "instinct". A Meter bar that allows you to blend in. Or should i say... forces you. Like previous Hitman games, you can wear a disguise. Problem is, that diguise will be useless 90% of the time unless you use the new flashy instinct bar. The instinct system would be great in some games. But in hitman? It just feels wrong. It's distracting, breaks the immersion completly and if anything it's frustrating without being challenging. Fortunatly, the game still allows you to be creative with the way you take down your target. Sadly the stealth in this can be resumed to how well you manage the instinct bar. Absolution is the perfect exemple of what happens when you try to reinvent the weel. I can only hope that the next game (if there is one) will try to get back to what made "blood money" so good : the fact that it was an assassin simulation game. Not a dumb action game with bar management as a stealth system.… Expand
  46. Jshtjls
    Dec 23, 2012
    7
    After waiting for 5 years for the new hitman game,"Hitman Absolution" is rather disappointing.
    i am never played the first hitman game or the third in the series,but i have played Hitman: Blood Money which much better than this new absolution.
    in term of Graphics,The new hitman game is better than all the previous hitman game combined including Hitman: Blood Money. the graphic is great    After waiting for 5 years for the new hitman game,"Hitman Absolution" is rather disappointing.
    i am never played the first hitman game or the third in the series,but i have played Hitman: Blood Money which much better than this new absolution.
    in term of Graphics,The new hitman game is better than all the previous hitman game combined including Hitman: Blood Money. the graphic is great which made agent 47 looked more realistic.also the landscape looked more stunning than ever before,each level is designed with detail which bring places in this game more alive.beside graphics,the new hitman also has triumph in term of sound effect and voice acting.the sound of broken bottle,knife throwing,gun shooting, etc is much more improved. overall,"Hitman: Absolution" is a triumph in term of technical aspect.but unfortunately,the gameplay is not as good as its graphic.
    if you had played Hitman: Blood Money,this game will surely be a disappointment.everything about what makes Hitman Blood Money thrilling and exciting,is all been erased.instead the developer choose to make agent 47 like a super assassin which can killed or subdued enemy with a single button.unlike Blood Money where you must carefully planned your stealth action since it takes more than a single press of button to subdued the enemy, the latest hitman is more like a button mashing instead of a stealth game.
    "Hitman: Blood Money" is thrilling,suspenseful,pulse-pounding stealth game that also supported with terrific musical score and novelty stories.while "Hitman: Absolution" is more of monotonous button mashing action game with lack of suspense whatsoever.
    for those hitman veteran,the latest installment of agent 47 might be one of the worst or disappointing game of 2012,while new player will crave this used-to-be great stealth game.nevertheless,Developer should pay more attention to game play instead of enchanted graphic.a great hitman game like "Hitman Blood Money" is more than just over the top graphic and sound effect.    … Expand
  47. chocobo
    Dec 8, 2012
    6
    This game is plain hard (I'm on normal). The enemy density is way too high, margin of error is very small. I'm fine with that and I don't need a quick save function if you don't give me like one check point every level, and force me to overhear conversations (and have nowhere to go until the guys split) over and over again.

    This game gives you different choices to get to a goal, which    This game is plain hard (I'm on normal). The enemy density is way too high, margin of error is very small. I'm fine with that and I don't need a quick save function if you don't give me like one check point every level, and force me to overhear conversations (and have nowhere to go until the guys split) over and over again.

    This game gives you different choices to get to a goal, which is good. But when a certain route is already hard as hell, it's just causing the players to focus exclusively on that route, spending all their retries tackling the small open windows, making it the same as other linear experiences. You get two player behaviors out of that, 1) doing everything painstakingly slowly, like killing every person possible and hide their bodies away, and 2) sneak through with some luck, and get to the goal without experiencing anything about how the level looked, what was the scripted cool stuff, what was the special kills, etc. Both behaviors don't make a deep impression in players.

    With the painful check point/ reload system, exploring alternative routes is like restarting a level. I'd rather spend another retry polishing my last move than to risk any more retries to do any new stuff.

    I'm not kidding, but the most effective way to reach most goals in this game is to shoot everyone, and that's what I did when I just lost it. And of course the consequence is an extremely low score that you don't feel you've actually completed the level.

    It's been very long since the last time I finishes a game just for the sake of finishing it.    … Expand
  48. Hob
    Nov 21, 2012
    5
    Like Kane & Lynch without Lynch. Pretty as hell and that's about it for the upsides. I'd rather watch a good movie. This has too much filler, the game mechanics (especially disguises!) are rather unsatisfying, it's very linear and difficulty levels above hard are essentially broken due to the new gimmick not working anymore.
  49. theoldgamer
    Nov 20, 2012
    5
    I have to say, I am very disappointed in this game so far... I am only about 30 minutes in and so far it feels like I am playing a game on rails. Way to linear.

    1. The cut scene murder in the first mission is LAME. I don't want cut scenes, I want to execute hits! 2. Disguises don't mean anything... Heck, when you go through the first level and put on a disguise the game forgets    I have to say, I am very disappointed in this game so far... I am only about 30 minutes in and so far it feels like I am playing a game on rails. Way to linear.

    1. The cut scene murder in the first mission is LAME. I don't want cut scenes, I want to execute hits!

    2. Disguises don't mean anything... Heck, when you go through the first level and put on a disguise the game forgets you ever wore one, cue cut scene and you're back wearing 47's suit?!?

    3. The checkpoint system is stupid, I feel like I am playing Cabelas Big Game Hunter.

    4. Did I say this game feels like it's on rails?

    I'll force myself to continue playing to see if the gameplay gets any better, but my initial impression is that they really messed this up.

    All I really wanted (and I'm sure many other gamers too) was another bunch of levels added to Hitman Bloodmoney and maybe some updated graphics... Instead they radically changed the game for the worse.

    Bloodmoney was almost the perfect hitman game... Why didn't they build off that?!?!    … Expand
  50. Neal0790
    Dec 11, 2012
    7
    This game is kind of a love hate situation with me. Sometimes i really wanted to play and got hooked in, but then there were moments where i felt like it just dragged. I will say the graphics are nice, and it looks great in 3D. Story wise this game is completely forgettable. I dont know who wrote the story/ dialog for this game but who ever it is should find a new carrier. The story isThis game is kind of a love hate situation with me. Sometimes i really wanted to play and got hooked in, but then there were moments where i felt like it just dragged. I will say the graphics are nice, and it looks great in 3D. Story wise this game is completely forgettable. I dont know who wrote the story/ dialog for this game but who ever it is should find a new carrier. The story is there i just couldnt care less about it. Even the moments that were supposed to be "dramatic" barely felt dramatic at all. The ideas where there but it was presented like crap. Open world wise its kind of a mixed bag. Some levels have plenty of different ways to kill your target that are creative, while a few levels it feels like the developers ran out of ideas. Disguises also have there moments that feel broken. There could be 100 gaurds but if you kill one and steal there clothes every guard will recognize you. But at the same time if there is one chef serving food to everyone and you steal his clothes not one person will think twice. If you think about it most likely people are going to remember the one person who looks like noone else and forget about the person who is dressed like 30 other people around you. Overall i give it 7/10. The game is fun, but doesnt seem like it was setup properly to be a real hitman game. The balance being all over the place kills it. It feels like they catered to a different crowd this time around. Hitman games are supposed to be hard, anyone who played a previous hitman game knows this. But in hitman absolution you can pretty much stroll though the whole game with your hand over your face if you wanted too. I didnt feel like i had to plan out anything in this game or explore. Alot of the stuff was just blatantly pointed out to me on what i should do. Game is worth $25-$30 on sale. Took me 7.5 hours to beat according to steam and thats with a complete stealth play though. You could probably beat the game in 2.5 hours if you shot your way though. lol… Expand
  51. RedAFX
    Dec 2, 2012
    7
    Severely lacking imagination when compared to the sandbox classics before it, the atmospheric, fun and challenging gameplay of Hitman 2 is long gone. Hitman sits at the top of the pile of this year's poor selection of games, nothing more than a PC gamer alternative to Metal Gear Solid 4.
  52. Human
    Jan 17, 2013
    7
    This being my first Hitman game, I don't know what I am talking about. That being said, I thought this game was alright. I finished it, what more do you want? I felt like the stealth mechanics were a little broken and I found myself over-relying on the instinct vision mechanic, and the scoring system was completely useless. However, overall it looks good, plays well and was fun for a fewThis being my first Hitman game, I don't know what I am talking about. That being said, I thought this game was alright. I finished it, what more do you want? I felt like the stealth mechanics were a little broken and I found myself over-relying on the instinct vision mechanic, and the scoring system was completely useless. However, overall it looks good, plays well and was fun for a few evenings, but it's not changing the industry.… Expand
  53. JayE
    Oct 29, 2014
    5
    Hitman series has taken a low blow to the lower intestinal region, this is nothing like the brilliant Blood Money game and prior games.

    If you are a classic Hitman fan, you may want to avoid this game. The first fish market mission was great, you have the usual hitman style gameplay in a sandboxed area, then everything goes haywire. It turns into a linear storyline, classic hitman    Hitman series has taken a low blow to the lower intestinal region, this is nothing like the brilliant Blood Money game and prior games.

    If you are a classic Hitman fan, you may want to avoid this game.

    The first fish market mission was great, you have the usual hitman style gameplay in a sandboxed area, then everything goes haywire. It turns into a linear storyline, classic hitman elements are thrown out the window, it turns into a linear Max Payne style game.

    Not good. This is not the Hitman we know.
    Stopped playing after 3-4 missions.

    Attempting to play the game while ignoring the fact that it is a hitman game failed.
    At a basic level it simply doesn't deliver, not sure what the devs were trying to accomplish but it just doesn't work.

    For the love of Hitman... bring back the classic Hitman style sandbox gameplay, don't try to be an emotional linear action FPS... it simply doesn't work with this franchise.

    55/100    … Expand
  54. Bumble-Reviews
    Apr 8, 2013
    5
    Mediocre. To sum it up short, it has a terrible story with no consistency, one-dimensional characters, flimsy level design, and linear set pieces. It removes the core of Hitman, that is planning to perfection on how to kill your targets. It's gone in this game, save a few levels.

    However, the game has great game mechanics. Had these been implemented into bigger maps and a less    Mediocre. To sum it up short, it has a terrible story with no consistency, one-dimensional characters, flimsy level design, and linear set pieces. It removes the core of Hitman, that is planning to perfection on how to kill your targets. It's gone in this game, save a few levels.

    However, the game has great game mechanics. Had these been implemented into bigger maps and a less pretentious storyline, it would have worked. Other than the Instinct feature, the game benefited from it's great controls.

    It isn't without it's faults though. The disguise system is horrendously imbalanced and doesn't help you at all. Considering it's a core feature of the Hitman series, this hits hard.

    Though the game has it's moments. Levels like, King of Chinatown, Terminus Hotel, Hunter and Hunted, Streets of Hope, and Blackwater Park are brilliant, and are some of the best in the series. Although, the other levels are completely unplayable, since the player will have no ambition to grudge through them and their linear design void of player choice.

    If you see this game on a Steam Sale, I'd say you should buy it to see just what it's about. That doesn't change the fact that it's a huge disappointment in the series after Blood Money.
    You're better off purchasing the HD Collection if you're a console player.

    This game had huge potential IO. Fix it with the next game.    … Expand
  55. MagnesiumDew
    Jan 28, 2013
    7
    Having played every other Hitman game, Absolution seems to me a little lacking in freedom and open environments. Now Hitman Absolution is an amazing game, updating everything from Blood Money, and adding new features like instinct and cover. But the level design is limited an there isn't much to find in the level. In Blood Money you could explore, find mysterious weapons and an unknownHaving played every other Hitman game, Absolution seems to me a little lacking in freedom and open environments. Now Hitman Absolution is an amazing game, updating everything from Blood Money, and adding new features like instinct and cover. But the level design is limited an there isn't much to find in the level. In Blood Money you could explore, find mysterious weapons and an unknown viewpoint on the target in his office. Now if this review was for me personally, Absolution would have scored a 6. But because most will play this having not played the other games, it is a good game with good mechanics. I wouldn't pay more than £30 or $40, but for anything under, it will be a good weekend with it.

    But for us previous 'Hitmen' the game isn't as expected. If you have played any other Hitman game then Absolution will disappoint. The 'costumes' and 'disguises' that only work if you hold down control, smaller mission areas than Blood money or silent assassin, and the fact the you can't choose weapons before an assignment. Overall, a good game in itself, but it doesn't live up to Blood Money.    … Expand
  56. RaveHeart
    Jan 28, 2013
    6
    One of the most anticipated titles of 2012 with unworthy expectations. In the 20 missions of the game, just the 3 of them are on a classic blow. At other missions you will have to explore areas and dicking around to retrieve information and to fulfill various objectives. In short, the title and goal of the game takes a secondary role in the gameplay and leave the exploration to take aOne of the most anticipated titles of 2012 with unworthy expectations. In the 20 missions of the game, just the 3 of them are on a classic blow. At other missions you will have to explore areas and dicking around to retrieve information and to fulfill various objectives. In short, the title and goal of the game takes a secondary role in the gameplay and leave the exploration to take a leading role. It's a really annoying and makes it as something very different for the series.… Expand
  57. Sylvianblade
    Dec 30, 2015
    5
    The reason why hitman games used to be great despite obvious flaws is because the game didn't shove its story and long cutscenes down your throat.It was just you doing your job and figuring out the plot mattered only in the end. Instead in absolution we got a hollywood style hitman who somehow has developed feelings.The plot is so cliche not to mention the most annoying characters I'veThe reason why hitman games used to be great despite obvious flaws is because the game didn't shove its story and long cutscenes down your throat.It was just you doing your job and figuring out the plot mattered only in the end. Instead in absolution we got a hollywood style hitman who somehow has developed feelings.The plot is so cliche not to mention the most annoying characters I've ever seen in a game. I wouldve enjoyed this game if it was Jason Statham and not hitman.

    Gameplay is decent but in-game achievements ruins everything by not letting you figure out the multiple ways to kill your target yourself.    … Expand
  58. dubesor
    Nov 20, 2012
    6
    Too bad they have taken a different route and moved away from an open world innovative disguised 47 and moved towards a more mainstream action-stealther with flawed disguise-system and forced linearity. It isn't a bad game but don't expect a Hitman Blood Money 2.
  59. mintlo
    Nov 20, 2012
    5
    I'm disappointed in this. The graphics and audio are nice, however the actual gameplay is somewhat point and click...the game leads you like a carrot in front of a donkey on how to take care of your objectives. There is no save option, only occasional checkpoints. The AI is not good. There are those 'invisible walls' that I find so annoying. The bottom line is that it just isn't funI'm disappointed in this. The graphics and audio are nice, however the actual gameplay is somewhat point and click...the game leads you like a carrot in front of a donkey on how to take care of your objectives. There is no save option, only occasional checkpoints. The AI is not good. There are those 'invisible walls' that I find so annoying. The bottom line is that it just isn't fun to play.… Expand
  60. gartenzwerg
    Jan 29, 2013
    7
    H:A looks and sounds good, but as sad as it is: It's just one more of those linear, quick-time-event-infested and scripted action games out there. You'll probably enjoy "Dishonored" way more than this - like me.
  61. bazialex
    Jan 21, 2013
    7
    Hitman as a game has clearly made a name to it self when it was first released in year 2000 with code 47 playing it on PC. Those were the good old days. I would love to rate Hitman: Absolution somewhere in the 90's but for a reason or another the creators of the game has decided to make it purely a stealth game where scoring is based on stealth. come on you are a hit man you can adopt anyHitman as a game has clearly made a name to it self when it was first released in year 2000 with code 47 playing it on PC. Those were the good old days. I would love to rate Hitman: Absolution somewhere in the 90's but for a reason or another the creators of the game has decided to make it purely a stealth game where scoring is based on stealth. come on you are a hit man you can adopt any strategy you like and scoring should be based on stealth. Also you can not choose which weapons to use for each mission. However I like the fact they kept the game as authentic an original as it is in terms of character. story line is nothing new but interesting. graphics is good but could have been better. Cinematic is not realistic you would be wearing a certain custom with a certain weapon and it will be gone in the movie scene no body does that now. most of the game is in the dark with shades of blue and grey not much of out door missions and diversity. not realistic with environment back ground issues if someone keeps shooting a car it needs to blow. graphic issues with funny angels. attention to details is lacking in general could have been a great game. hopefully in the next release ubisoft will look into the pitfalls mentioned however its a nice enjoyable game to play and if you are a hitman fan its a must buy.… Expand
  62. casablancaAK
    Jan 30, 2013
    7
    No long in depth review here, I'll keep it simple.

    Pro's - Great looking, game play is very good if a bit short. Very enjoyable but for one thing!

    Con's- No save function!! if you are killed or need to stop for any reason before you reach a check point, you have to start level again! repetitive and very frustrating!!!
  63. Thatoneguy
    Dec 6, 2012
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I have plenty of things to say about this game as I do many games, so first off I'll talk about the story. You are the hitmeehn, agent 47, a genetically engineered superhuman meant for stealth and assassination, taking your target out without anyone noticing. Your former handler in the agency of assassins, Diana Burnwood has gone rogue, so your sent to kill her, as her final request, she asks you to keep a girl safe from the agency so she doesn't "Become like you." As the game and story progresses, you meet very strange and weird characters along the way, like a guy with a fetish for pigeons, crazed redneck who owns a weapons factory where they explode pigs with landmines, the crazed rednecks 10 foot tall behemoth Mexican wrestler bodyguard, and nuns with guns. Yeah. Now the hitmeehn franchise has never been very serious with its targets, locations, or characters, but seriously? On top of that, if your new to the franchise, if you see that cover, do you expect **** NUNS WITH GUNS? Let alone all the other crazy **** this game has, its very over the top in the story department. The graphics are beautiful and very dark, not really set well with the over the top story, but it still is pretty to look at. The gameplay is much more linear than in previous games, where you have a big place to roam and explore, here, your set on a basic straight path. You also have something called instinct which comes in handy for removing suspicion from being next to someone of the same clothing, BECAUSE ALL COPS KNOW EACH OTHER BY **** HEART. It also lets you see people through walls and their predetermined paths, depending on the difficulty. Then there's the contracts multiplayer mode, where one person sets up how and what to do in a specific part of a mission and you have to replicate what they do to obtain money, to upgrade your weapons. They also added a cover mechanic which is really what this game needed. The problem with this game is that I don't feel like im playing hitman, I feel like im playing splinter cell, its too linear and it needs to be much more open-ended. Also, the "perks" you get for completing a set score in a mission are barely noticeable, I didn't even notice any change with Agent 47 which was pretty stupid. Overall, die hard hitmeehn fans may not like it, but anyone who is a fan of stealth games should go out and get this game, despite the flaws.… Expand
  64. daveyy12
    Dec 25, 2012
    7
    I found this to be a challenging game with lots of action and super graphics. My only problems were: (1) each mission became somewhat repetitive (2) annoying way in which melee battles switched to slow motion (may be due to playing on the easy level). Otherwise, very entertaining, but not quite worth the new release price. I suggest waiting until it goes on sale.
  65. GolovA
    Sep 17, 2013
    7
    Love Hitman Series. However, almost every CONSOLE PORT gets a minus-one from me right away, simply because it does not care about PC GAMERS. And this Hitman installation obviously does not. You cannot adjust FOV, which is limited to a box-view. I mean come on you are a silent assassin and you cannot see anything beyond what's directly in front of you (and even that is oftenLove Hitman Series. However, almost every CONSOLE PORT gets a minus-one from me right away, simply because it does not care about PC GAMERS. And this Hitman installation obviously does not. You cannot adjust FOV, which is limited to a box-view. I mean come on you are a silent assassin and you cannot see anything beyond what's directly in front of you (and even that is often obstructed by the bald head of the main character). Come ooooon!
    The game is also a little too hard from beginning (although i am playing on hard, and it seems that all areas are littered with people, making silent approach almost impossible), punishing you for taking out (even if you just knock someone out) all non-targets and decreasing your mission "budget".
    Aside from the bad, i still enjoy the game: hiding in the shadows, pulling gangsters out of the windows, snapping the necks of your targets, dressing as maids (alright maybe not as maids, but you'll definitely get a chance to dress as cowboy!) all of those things are present in Hitman: Absolution, and if you enjoyed previous installations, you will enjoy this one as well.    … Expand
  66. sinadoom
    Feb 18, 2013
    6
    Being an avid Hitman fan, having played all the games through at least 3 times each, I can say that my initial fears of this game becoming yet another cinematic shooter and losing its unique identity amongst the vastness of mediocrity has been proven wrong. This game is drastically different from other Hitman games. Where Blood Money was more conservative in its advancements from theBeing an avid Hitman fan, having played all the games through at least 3 times each, I can say that my initial fears of this game becoming yet another cinematic shooter and losing its unique identity amongst the vastness of mediocrity has been proven wrong. This game is drastically different from other Hitman games. Where Blood Money was more conservative in its advancements from the previous three games, Absolution is a much more radical jump from Blood Money. There are many things different. The game engine is much more modern than the dated Glacier, because it not only features DirectX11 with gorgeously lighting, but enables the developers to craft more detailed cutscenes, environmental manipulation and superb crowd simulation. Facial detail is no longer bland, but very realistic. The same goes for virtually all aspects of the game. You see, in previous games the vital factor in determining your performance was your understanding of the game's mechanics. The levels seemed to have distinct approaches and pathways which were set in stone, unless you could successfully manipulate the AI's field of view. In Absolution, IO have continued the emphasis on environmental interactions as they did in Blood Money, but to a much greater depth. They've tried to make it so that if you've never played a Hitman game, you can rely on your instinct of what you'd actually do if you were in the level in real life. Almost every aspect of the game is very realistic and your approach isn't subject to your knowledge of the game's limits. Sure, it's no longer as technical as Hitman 2 or as steep of a learning curve like in Codename 47, but I think in the current generation and context of gaming, Square Enix have been wise with their decision on the direction of this franchise. There are 20 levels (which is more than usual) but now that there is an actual story holding it all together (and not some lazy flashback storytelling like in Contracts or Blood Money), you actually get a game which flows like Hitman 2 rather than a random culmination of levels. But don't be expecting anything good; the story is just to glue together the levels rather than the main focus of the game (it's a BAD story). Gameplay is very modern, hwoever. That means there's friend leaderboards for each part level (checkpoint), an unlock system (rewards for certain actions, challenges etc.) and achievements. Everything you do in the level is assessed. The way it's done does give you a lot of scope for approach and replay value to improve your score, but requires a robust scoring system and solid game mechanics. There are a few major issues with the game though. The first is the disguise system. Whoever thought getting spotted immediately and losing points for it when you walk anywhere near someone with same costume clearly didn't understand the idea of a disguise. Sure it's realistic, but now you'll find yourself trying to do levels suit-only much more often. The second problem is how the scoring system penalises you for trespassing even if the boundaries were not immediately obvious; forcing you to restart checkpoint. My final complaint is the poor effort in the level design department. There might be 20 levels but my god they're long. And it's not the suspenseful kind of long, since there's none of Jesper Kyd's beautiful work to keep you happy while waiting. You spend most of the game sneaking from one spot to another, and the occasional parts where there is some actual target involved it's very lazily done. Often bits of level design are copied from previous Hitman games, but dumbed down to be almost trivial. There's very little thought required to silent assassin a level, but I guess that's to appeal to brainless newbies who think this game is a shooter. Aside from that, the game is definitely a great step forward for the franchise which has really moved with the times. The instinct mode instead of a map, the cover system, the point shooting, the combat mechanics etc. are all good advancements. As for controls, there's no first-person view any more and there are a few too many buttons rather than scroll menu like in Blood Money, but at least in the PC version you don't have to hold down a button to do something everything has a unique button assigned to it. To sum up, Absolution is very different from previous games and it's quite clear that Square Enix's agenda was to heavily promote it as a stand-alone game rather than trying to please hardcore fans. However, Contracts mode is the place to go for competition as it allows you to create your own missions within each level. The essence of Hitman is still here, but much less about level design and more about a game which anyone can easily pick and play to their taste.… Expand
  67. Xon
    Mar 17, 2013
    7
    Hit and Miss Man.
    This was my first Hitman game.
    Positives -The graphics are amazing, with lots of config options. I turned bloom off, the flowers were blindingly bright! -The NPC are mostly detailed and unique. -Important characters are edgy and quirky -Multiple playthroughs possible. Negatives - The game can be frustrating. I played it on the easiest setting because I just    Hit and Miss Man.
    This was my first Hitman game.
    Positives
    -The graphics are amazing, with lots of config options. I turned bloom off, the flowers were blindingly bright!
    -The NPC are mostly detailed and unique.
    -Important characters are edgy and quirky
    -Multiple playthroughs possible. Negatives
    - The game can be frustrating. I played it on the easiest setting because I just couldn't be bothered with the trial and error that underlies gameplay.
    -Often stuff happens to your character during cut-scenes that "develops" thee story but which feels like a setback.
    -The campaign is quite short.

    I got it on special on Steam. I got more than my money's worth. Solid game if you can avoid the frustrations.    … Expand
  68. dprkforum
    May 12, 2013
    7
    I did not play the older Hitman series, but decided to give this one a go when it was on sale. My very first impression was a very nicely rendered playable cut scene. The levels are very linear, and was hoping for a more sandbox style of game play. All the same, the levels are challenging, and allows for several ways to take targets out. The storyline is fun, predictable, and cheesy atI did not play the older Hitman series, but decided to give this one a go when it was on sale. My very first impression was a very nicely rendered playable cut scene. The levels are very linear, and was hoping for a more sandbox style of game play. All the same, the levels are challenging, and allows for several ways to take targets out. The storyline is fun, predictable, and cheesy at times, but is still fun to watch it unfold. If this is on sale, give it a try too, you will have a good time. tldr: Great graphics, average and linear game play.… Expand
  69. RealMuthaF
    Jul 5, 2013
    5
    Absolution could've been a good game, but it's a wasted potential in so many ways. The main premise the Hitman is on the run, he's got no backup from the Agency, and it gets personal is pretty cool by itself, BUT the realisation is very, very poor. Firstly, the story barely making sense, with dialogues evidently written by a fifth grader, and plain stupid, boring grotesque, clicheAbsolution could've been a good game, but it's a wasted potential in so many ways. The main premise the Hitman is on the run, he's got no backup from the Agency, and it gets personal is pretty cool by itself, BUT the realisation is very, very poor. Firstly, the story barely making sense, with dialogues evidently written by a fifth grader, and plain stupid, boring grotesque, cliche characters. The gameplay also varies from the previous iterations, In theory, it's a game about Hitman relying solely on his skills and instincts. Hence the lack of map and any pre-mission briefing in theory, you have to improvise. On practice though, it's not the case. The game doesn't encourage any kind of improvisation any non-silent actions, including killing common henchmen are punished by lowering your score. So you will still find yourself wandering around your target, making some kind of a plan, as in the previous games. Only this time you won't be able to save at will for some reason, which is freaking annoying. As for the disguise system (you can be recognised only by NPCs wearing the same disguise as you do) it's kinda-realistic alright, but on practice it's also pretty damn frustrating, there's hardly need for such realism in a game where you can change clothes in under 5 seconds and store sniper rifles in your jacket. To sum up, Absolution tries hard to be a good game, to present itself seriously, but ultimately fails and becomes a step (a few steps, actually) back comparing to its predecessors.… Expand
  70. Orctownorc
    Aug 24, 2013
    6
    Hitman Absolution is a mixed bag. While basically an OK game and worth buying on sale (for under $10) it suffers from a few tragic weaknesses, which are unfortunate, because it had the potential to be a classic: THE GOOD. This game boasts great cinematics and cut-scenes. The story is interesting and the graphic fidelity in the game levels is solid. The UI and the unlockables are alsoHitman Absolution is a mixed bag. While basically an OK game and worth buying on sale (for under $10) it suffers from a few tragic weaknesses, which are unfortunate, because it had the potential to be a classic: THE GOOD. This game boasts great cinematics and cut-scenes. The story is interesting and the graphic fidelity in the game levels is solid. The UI and the unlockables are also solid. As a console port it is one of the better ones. Replayability is there because of how easy it is to mess up stealth. THE BAD: The levels are too small and too linear. Controls. While we understand that this is supposed to be a 'stealth game', why does agent 47 walk so damned SLOW? Sticky cover is problematic. A lack of jumping and environment destructibility are both fails in a game based around mastering an environment. In short, the controls feel sticky and clumsy. Since veteran gamers have played dozens of these games, we quickly get a feel for the level of nuance in the controls and hear they fall short of what they should be for an 'assassin' game. Despite my qualms, buy it and try it yourself. There are things like, if you can master the controls and the levels.

    THE GROT REVIEW CRITERIA: After a long time writing reviews like an anus, think its time to set a few bad habits straight: Stop insulting designers. Show some respect for the design process and getting games in circulation. Hence (1) No Red scores. (2) Game scores as follows: Bad Game 5/10. Poor Game 6/10. Mediocre Game: 7/10. Good Game 8/10. Great game 9/10. Stella Game 10/10. To get 10/10 it must be a game that can be (theoretically) play-able for 1000+ hours. Not only great but near endless fun. Games may be bad or poor but making them should earn respect. Thus even the worst POS will still be a 5/10. 0/10 no longer exists in my vocabulary. Yellow is the new red. For the sake of accountability: you can reply if needed: Orctowngrot: Tim Rawlins: timtimjp@yahoo.com    … Expand
  71. iseeall
    Jul 30, 2013
    5
    Indeed this is now more like Splinter Cell with its linear corridor-type levels. No real disguises (the thing which really made Hitman so fun!). Sometimes I expected to come up with hands up (X button) but the guard was already shooting at me. This all just feels too inconsistent. Cmon devs haven't you ever worked as janitors or similar in your life, perhaps as students? Those guys neverIndeed this is now more like Splinter Cell with its linear corridor-type levels. No real disguises (the thing which really made Hitman so fun!). Sometimes I expected to come up with hands up (X button) but the guard was already shooting at me. This all just feels too inconsistent. Cmon devs haven't you ever worked as janitors or similar in your life, perhaps as students? Those guys never fully know everyone else working with them, new people come, also there are these temp work firms who lease personel in that respect disguises would work in real life almost like in previous Hitman games. And you just took away the whole experience. You see, Hitman was not a Deus Ex Human Revolution style game where you play hide and seek and shoot tranqualizer darts, it was a game about dressing as servants, guards and janitors.. Absolution is probably not a bad a game by itself, it's just that I don't wish to play it because I like Hitman and not Splinter Cell.… Expand
  72. sleeplust
    Jul 21, 2013
    7
    Very sophisticated and beautiful game.
    But it is not of enough amusing.In-game ranking,records and score system ruin a good game.
    Someone may say that ”high difficulty distinguishes bad gamers".I guess that everyone who is earnest "plays" this game firstly will experiance a process of "endless" restarting or reloading. Ironically 47's favourate guns:Silver Ballers are just seldomly used    Very sophisticated and beautiful game.
    But it is not of enough amusing.In-game ranking,records and score system ruin a good game.
    Someone may say that ”high difficulty distinguishes bad gamers".I guess that everyone who is earnest "plays" this game firstly will experiance a process of "endless" restarting or reloading.
    Ironically 47's favourate guns:Silver Ballers are just seldomly used in the game.
    Wish that the designers improve the gameplay of the series.    … Expand
  73. CrowHorse
    Nov 10, 2013
    7
    I must say I really enjoyed the game. It was not out and out amazing, but I had fun. For me it was the best Hitman game I have played. I was never that much of a fan of the series, but I liked this one. It was a solid 7.
  74. Oppression
    Jan 16, 2014
    7
    Hitman: Absolution took its time to be released.

    The gameplay seemed dull and linear, especially with the lack of planning potential and almost no content from the previous games. The abilities that Agent 47 gains are nice (movement prediction of the hostiles + an enhanced aim then shoot mode), however i get mixed feelings about the disguises. In some environments, you can blend with    Hitman: Absolution took its time to be released.

    The gameplay seemed dull and linear, especially with the lack of planning potential and almost no content from the previous games.

    The abilities that Agent 47 gains are nice (movement prediction of the hostiles + an enhanced aim then shoot mode), however i get mixed feelings about the disguises. In some environments, you can blend with the surroundings which is great, but in others, you have to require stealth in order to get undetected, disguise or not.

    An argument against the linearity of the game would be that each mission is divided in many sub-missions, which allows you to "plan" your moves.
    You should also take note of the challenges (Or achievements, sort of.) that makes the game even more challenging, and encourages you to re-play missions taking many different approaches. Grinders would love this.

    The selections of firearms is disappointing. Only the legendary Silverballers remain, and they don't possess any sort of important power, since most enemies should die in one shot. You can still play with guns blazing, but the lack of upgrades makes this particular game style real boring real fast. I recommend playing in stealth and using melee silent take downs, where you get a variety of eliminations.

    The storyline is good. I don't want to spoil the review, just take my word on it. You will most probably enjoy the story and the generous range of characters.

    Graphics are also good. Nothing to add there.

    Finally, the multiplayer mode is new to me: it's a sandbox mode where you get to pick targets to assassinate, then murder them. This will record the time it took you to kill your targets and which weapon you used (or if killed by triggering an "accident") You later post that murder recipe and other players on the net can try and assassinate the targets the same way as you do. It can be enjoyable if played in a competitive spirit with friends.

    You shouldn't go out of your way to get this title, but at the same time you will not regret buying it.    … Expand
  75. tsakiym
    May 15, 2015
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I do not have to say anything more. But i need to write one hundred and fifty characters. i think my score can describe it............................… Expand
  76. Karlsefniy
    Jul 21, 2022
    7
    The first Hitman game I've played. Story doesn't make much sense but it's okay because of funny stealth gameplay. I would recommend to get Hitman: Absolution in sales. It's a good time-killer.
  77. moifoi
    Nov 2, 2013
    5
    The games gunplay was boring, and yes i like doing stealth runs and rampage runs, both were ordinary. hitman silent was the best game it combined them both so well.

    No loadout to select your weapons before a map this time either, goto use cheats just to have some fun on maps.
  78. GregA
    Nov 16, 2013
    5
    After playing Blood Money, and loving it, I was excited to hear about Absolution. Then I played it...
    No sniper rifle in the briefcase
    No custom weapons for each level Can't aim down the sight on the guns THAT HAVE OPTICS Lose points for anyone that isn't a main target, even if you just knock them out. The tutorial at the start teaches you how to sneak, use your fibre wire, point    After playing Blood Money, and loving it, I was excited to hear about Absolution. Then I played it...
    No sniper rifle in the briefcase
    No custom weapons for each level
    Can't aim down the sight on the guns THAT HAVE OPTICS
    Lose points for anyone that isn't a main target, even if you just knock them out.
    The tutorial at the start teaches you how to sneak, use your fibre wire, point shooting, etc...but all are useless since it'll just count against you...

    I found it far too easy to just run and gun, since this game plays like a shooter, not a stalker. If I'm going to lose points, might as well go big and kill everyone...    … Expand
  79. ns0l
    Aug 11, 2014
    5
    Really boring and disappointing after two years of pubs and all these stuff and no matter how years of work. Very unpleasant and doesn't worth even to talk about. There's no fun in playing this, it can only gives headaches. When I watched gameplay videos I thought: Wow, really impressive. Hitman 2 is miles better than this crap. Even though this game worth a 7 on score, but I won't give itReally boring and disappointing after two years of pubs and all these stuff and no matter how years of work. Very unpleasant and doesn't worth even to talk about. There's no fun in playing this, it can only gives headaches. When I watched gameplay videos I thought: Wow, really impressive. Hitman 2 is miles better than this crap. Even though this game worth a 7 on score, but I won't give it after all this long expectation.… Expand
  80. Turtle16
    Dec 27, 2013
    5
    I was looking forward soo much for this game. Huge disappointment. I expected fun and nonlinear game like Blood Money was. What I got is next gen hide and seek simulator. Game has good potential bud it is killed by numerous ill-considered game-breaking changes to game mechanics. Using up instinct when in costume is the worst one. You can't go trough the level and plan your strategy becauseI was looking forward soo much for this game. Huge disappointment. I expected fun and nonlinear game like Blood Money was. What I got is next gen hide and seek simulator. Game has good potential bud it is killed by numerous ill-considered game-breaking changes to game mechanics. Using up instinct when in costume is the worst one. You can't go trough the level and plan your strategy because you have to be hidden nearly all the time. Need to recharge instinct forces you to kill non-targets which is huge downer for us clean killer folks. It is also very stupid and unrealistic. Same goes for need to knock out every other guy so you can move around freely at least a little bit. I seriously doubt that worker in the huge factory can instantly recognize all of his 500 colleagues at glance. I also really miss customizing your weapons. Nothing compares to smuggling your lightweight heavily customized w2000 through security. That was big part of fun for me and it's sad to watch it being dumped out of the game. All in all every single change of game mechanics from BM is game-breaking. There may be many hidden ways to kill your target or get upper hand but game actively forces you to take the most boring and most obvious road.… Expand
  81. Budget_Security
    Oct 29, 2015
    6
    A good story with some great characters and humour, but gameplay is a bit mixed - rigid stealth mechanics with an arcade/consolitis feel. Sometimes you get detected for something that you would get away with in real life and vice-versa. Confusingly, enemy eyesight is matched to their torso instead of the direction their face is looking towards. The challenge is annoyingly increasedA good story with some great characters and humour, but gameplay is a bit mixed - rigid stealth mechanics with an arcade/consolitis feel. Sometimes you get detected for something that you would get away with in real life and vice-versa. Confusingly, enemy eyesight is matched to their torso instead of the direction their face is looking towards. The challenge is annoyingly increased artificially by over-populating levels with guards. To get past them you take things slowly and memorise their pre-defined patrol routes - which can get a bit tedious. The mechanics have a “puzzle game” feel to them. There is little room for improvisation. At least you can always go the guns blazing route if stealth gets too annoying. The gameplay does offer good replayability though, if you want to improve your score for each level and beat the scores of your friends.

    Levels are on the small side and too linear, but many have nice detail and feel very alive with huge crowds of AI. Some also have funny things and some great easter-eggs. On a technical level though, the graphics are just average (aimed at xbox360 limitations). levels also take unreasonably long to load.

    The control scheme feels a bit cumbersome. Shooting mechanics are acceptable, but melee combat is poor - clumsy and harsh quick time events that break the flow of the action. The screen FOV is low by desktop standards. The lack of frequent checkpoints or a manual save system can be annoying if you slip up and have to start from the beginning of a level. Also, your gear and outfit are not saved between levels. Even worse, if you reload a checkpoint, some enemies are alive that you killed before reaching that checkpoint.

    So, gameplay is arguably not quite as good as in Blood Money, but I did find the story in Absolution much more entertaining. Other than some minor issues like very slow loading levels, a few bugs and glitches (once an AI spotting me through a floor), the game runs stable.

    Overall it is a decent game to get when on sale.    … Expand
  82. WATCHAMACOLITE
    Jul 27, 2013
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Hitman absulution is the newest game in the series, albeit not the best. The game itself was fun, but had very low replayability due to the fact that they redid everything.
    THE GOOD~
    What i really liked about this game was the fact that you could go sneaking about and strangle people. Its brilliant. Thats like all the other games though, so ill skip that. The graphics are amazing, and when you finish the game, you can play other user-made "Contracts" that make you kill certain people with certain weapons, and costumes, etc. There is a vast majority of melee weapons and guns, and the story is somewhat fascinating. (Not really, but who listens to the story anyway?) Throughout the game, they really emphasize that the bad guys ARE the bad guys, and i liked that. It keeps you going.
    THE BAD~
    In my opinion, Blood-Money was better. They really took a linear approach this time. Sure, you can choose if you want to kill your target in the left hall or the right one, but in blood money, you could choose the left, the right, the roof, the kitchen, in public, with a gun, a knife, in the bathroom, with a plunger, etc. They really took out the sandbox feel that most of the series has. The replayability is low due to this fact, so once you beat the game, its pretty much done. Also, they penalize you for killing civilians with score. I didnt like that, especially since in BM i would have "Kill everyone" missions, just for fun. They also REALLY butchered the disguises. If you wear a disguise, and a police officer sees you (Lets say you were wearing a PoPo uniform) He would get gradually more suspicious until you were "arrested", in which case you would take his gun and get into a hostage situation. THAT'S NOT STEALTHY. I like stealth, but Hitman: Absolution butchered that.    … Expand
  83. beatstar
    Sep 1, 2013
    6
    When I first saw the unveiling of Hitman: Absolution, I was optimistic to see our favorite nefarious assassin make it to the current generation of gaming. What I was not optimistic for was the Hollywood cast, or the introduction of “magic pockets” (that is, the ability to carry a sniper rifle in your coat pocket). In the faux pas words of Max Scoville, who interviewed IO Interactive staffWhen I first saw the unveiling of Hitman: Absolution, I was optimistic to see our favorite nefarious assassin make it to the current generation of gaming. What I was not optimistic for was the Hollywood cast, or the introduction of “magic pockets” (that is, the ability to carry a sniper rifle in your coat pocket). In the faux pas words of Max Scoville, who interviewed IO Interactive staff after a preview of the game, my worries were “assured”.

    It is true that Absolution retains its stealth ethic (and arguably with as much rigor as Silent Assassin), but it is greatly downplayed by an obnoxious point system ever present in the upper left corner. Every misstep you perform is noted here, and it cannot be disabled unless you play on purist. I assume that this is the IO’s snide reply to those who complained about mystery witnesses at the end of the level in previous games.

    Speaking of AI; it has definitely improved to some extent, there are no longer telepathic NPCs who know who you are just by hearing a guard lift up a radio without saying any words in it. At one point, I was amazed how the AI suspected I was behind them when I reloaded my gun, or when I knocked out a guard and his radio made some kind of interference. But it is still not perfect. Unless you yourself make noise, guards never look behind themselves, even when you throw something right in front of them from 5 feet away. I found this AI was most comparable to Silent Assassin, since I still remember being shot in St. Petersburg for running.

    The story in itself is one of question. Although it lines together with the conclusion of Blood Money rather well, it goes into a whole other direction with the inclusion of a plot device, a 14 year old genetically modified girl given superhuman abilities with an isotope in her necklace. A dying request by one of 47′s former employers is to protect her prized innocence, and seek out and kill those who wish to do her harm. The initial casting of William Mapother and recasting of David Bateson has 47 speak more lines in this game than arguably any of his previous titles. Yet 47 doesn’t babble, his newly founded areas of dialogue include briefing the player, found on by pressing the F1 key when on a level.

    Regarding level design, the developers have largely abandoned that open world feel in favor of a more linear theme. The open world concept is still alive in some levels such as the Chinese New Year and Hope missions, but is by no means to the same extent as Blood Money was, which was way more consistent. I do admit, though, that they were far more generous in sheer number with 20 levels.

    Graphically speaking, the visuals are stylistic, but too many filters and post-processing are applied in the name of artistic direction. It was almost reminiscent of Battlefield 3 in a way, knowing that the visuals already looked just fine 5 filters ago. Luckily, you can turn off the bloom in the settings.

    The depth of field is incredibly flawed, however. Even at the highest setting, you have a severely myopic camera that will unexpectly blur out even the most important things in your field of view. It is especially bad when 47 is coming out of a dark tunnel in a mission to enter Dexter’s Industries, but perhaps it is intentional. If so, it was not a good decision to include it within the game.

    With the absence of Jesper Kyd, the sound design is left extremely sporadic and often random. The music will often cease or begin without any cue, and the action music, when 47 is discovered and NPCs turn hostile, is uninteresting and bland compared to the orchestral/electronica mix we’ve come to know and love.

    In conclusion, Absolution is probably one of the most polarizing titles in the Hitman series since its conception in 2000. Now approaching its adolescence, it has lost most of its innocence and changed its state of mind in order to fit in with the in crowd. That means no more map, no more first person point of view, and no more “stop and smell the roses” missions. Is it a good thing? I’m not so sure at the moment. Usually, when a game gets a mixed rating the critic suggests that only true fans pick up this title, but I suggest the exact opposite. If you’re new to this series, playing this first can give you a taste of the gameplay so you can work backwards to the core of the series and see what was the true aim of the series was all about. That is what I believe Absolution, after 6 years in development, seems to be lacking.    … Expand
  84. kavinh
    Oct 18, 2013
    6
    new generation of graphics better looking characters more graphics and a total and unnecessary revamp of a perfectly fine system. The new disguise system is almost a joke and pointless, the episodic missions just ruin the fun of having a big map to roam around in as it essentially cuts it up into 3-6 different sequences where even if you screw up in a previous one it has 0 impact on thenew generation of graphics better looking characters more graphics and a total and unnecessary revamp of a perfectly fine system. The new disguise system is almost a joke and pointless, the episodic missions just ruin the fun of having a big map to roam around in as it essentially cuts it up into 3-6 different sequences where even if you screw up in a previous one it has 0 impact on the next at least we got our fan service… Expand
  85. Mahdiar
    Dec 17, 2015
    7
    Gameplay : 6
    Graphics : 7
    Story : 7
    Sound : 8
    **********************************************************************************
    Overall : 7
  86. yooara
    Oct 21, 2013
    5
    The map is toooo small,please don't split it in to small parts. I can't choose weapon before starting a mission. And the enemy is really annoying, i hate this game, i want my old hitman game backkkkkk
  87. Fieldbert
    Feb 19, 2014
    6
    Despite the same decent levels of gameplay you are used to with Hitman this one feels lacking in cohesion. The missions seem like cookie cutter stuff spliced with cut scenes to hurriedly push along the story. The end is also FAR from an "Absolution"
  88. Potarto72
    Mar 8, 2014
    7
    I will admit I was not a fan at first. I enjoyed the first two levels, with the King Of Chinatown being brilliantly designed to introduce you to the variety of killing options in this game. However, it was missions 3-6 that really turned me off to the game. Luckily, after writing my previous mixed review, I pushed on, and I'm so glad I did. The gameplay really picks up after that, as doesI will admit I was not a fan at first. I enjoyed the first two levels, with the King Of Chinatown being brilliantly designed to introduce you to the variety of killing options in this game. However, it was missions 3-6 that really turned me off to the game. Luckily, after writing my previous mixed review, I pushed on, and I'm so glad I did. The gameplay really picks up after that, as does the story. Once you tame the beast that is the stealth engine, missions open up, remaining just as challenging but becoming LESS frustrating. The disguise system starts to work better with the opening up of levels, as do the other mechanics. Weapons are fun. Stealth is fun. Tools and mechanics are just so satisfyingly FUN! Great game. Not much I can complain about, besides the mission 3-6 stretch.… Expand
  89. Datian
    May 27, 2014
    6
    Mit is kéne mondani a 47-esről? Szerintem NEM kaptuk meg a régi hitman érzést azt hogy úgy oldod meg a pályákat ahogy akarod. Se a zenéket, Se a hangulatot.. Itt ott még saját magából is poént csinál a játék. A karakter viszont iszonyatosan el van találva, a játék menet úgy szintén (előző részekhez nem viszonyítva) DE ez nem Hitman játék szerintem.. Jó próbálkozás, de nem, ez nem az aMit is kéne mondani a 47-esről? Szerintem NEM kaptuk meg a régi hitman érzést azt hogy úgy oldod meg a pályákat ahogy akarod. Se a zenéket, Se a hangulatot.. Itt ott még saját magából is poént csinál a játék. A karakter viszont iszonyatosan el van találva, a játék menet úgy szintén (előző részekhez nem viszonyítva) DE ez nem Hitman játék szerintem.. Jó próbálkozás, de nem, ez nem az a játék már. Talán egyszer visszakapjuk...… Expand
  90. necrodancer
    Oct 4, 2014
    5
    A much dynamic version of previous Hitmans. But actually it hurts the game a little. More levels can be more dynamic but, it's also making it repetitive. How many times have you said something like, "Oh **** do I have to run down those guys again?". I said a lot.

    Another thing is, the AI. Yes the AI is much more clever, but a gain they are blind. I don't know how would us play this game    A much dynamic version of previous Hitmans. But actually it hurts the game a little. More levels can be more dynamic but, it's also making it repetitive. How many times have you said something like, "Oh **** do I have to run down those guys again?". I said a lot.

    Another thing is, the AI. Yes the AI is much more clever, but a gain they are blind. I don't know how would us play this game if they weren't, I simply don't care this a lot.

    The checkpoint system is **** By far the worst feature of the game. Why can't you save like older Hitman games man, it's just, full retard. I killed or strangled all those pricks and they respawn after the checkpoint? What is the point of the checkpoint then.

    The new score system is a lackluster. Not needed, thanks.

    There are some good features like cover changing, instincts (for n00bs), environmental weapons... You can actually kill a man using a ****ing bong! Awesome. But because of the score system, kills count negative, so...

    Do I have to say that it has a surprising ending? This is Hitman game ffs.

    Too bad that this requires much less effort to solve. Even my dog can, and I don't even have a dog.    … Expand
  91. Smilingcookie
    Mar 31, 2015
    5
    After Blood Money, which was a great comeback for the series, my expectations were high for number 5. Hitman: Absolution, unfortunately is more of an interactive movie than a hitman game. The graphics are impressive, but they come at a high price. The design is more colorfull and less stylish compared to the original games. It takes away from the atmosphere and makes everything lessAfter Blood Money, which was a great comeback for the series, my expectations were high for number 5. Hitman: Absolution, unfortunately is more of an interactive movie than a hitman game. The graphics are impressive, but they come at a high price. The design is more colorfull and less stylish compared to the original games. It takes away from the atmosphere and makes everything less convincing. Levels are cut up in different sections with checkpoints and autosave. This is for me a capital crime. In the old Hitman games you had to plan your entry, the hit and your escape. If something went wrong, you had to improvise to make it out alive. Doing this, you could go back and foreward at will. Checkpoints destroy this game mechanic and the suspense it generated.

    Few of the missions were actually interesting, "attack of the saints" with the cornfield being one of the exceptions. That was probably the highlight in this mediocre game. For my taste, this game brought too much flash to Hitman, while not capturing enough of the essence.    … Expand
  92. AbeMC
    Jul 18, 2016
    6
    Ever play a game that just drips with high production values and class, but you still don't like it? That's how I feel about Hitman: Absolution. I realize that it's something plenty of people will enjoy. I just didn't. Do I think it's worth picking up? Sure, if it's on sale. And you're bored.

    If that sounds like I'm getting ready to drop some grade-A hate, I'm not. At least, I don't    Ever play a game that just drips with high production values and class, but you still don't like it? That's how I feel about Hitman: Absolution. I realize that it's something plenty of people will enjoy. I just didn't. Do I think it's worth picking up? Sure, if it's on sale. And you're bored.

    If that sounds like I'm getting ready to drop some grade-A hate, I'm not. At least, I don't want to. There is so much about Hitman: Absolution that just reeks of care and attention. The graphics are amazing. Not necessarily a reason to buy a game, but they are. The voice acting is superb (Keith Carradine and Powers Boothe? Hell yes!). The soundtrack works incredibly well, giving an almost Bond-esque ambiance without ever getting too loud. While some levels are occasionally re-used, there are a lot of different locations and settings. And as far as the story goes, I felt incredibly close to Agent 47 (he's quite sympathetic, despite his stoicism). Sneaking from cover to cover feels fluid and natural. Weapons are deadly (headshots are a breeze with the Silverballers).

    So what's my problem?
    Most of the levels are claustrophobic (the opening Chinatown level and the cornfield level are exceptions). The paths through the levels are restrictive. And some levels don't even bother to hide their linearity (final rooftop level, among many others). There's no way to level-up Agent 47. Upgrades are unlocked based upon how high of a score you received upon completing a mission. But the points system clearly favors a specific path – even penalizing for non-target knockouts. I was never a fan of the Assassin's Creed games' “full synchonization” mechanic either, but this just ticked me off. There is no loadout customization; you start every mission with choke-wire and (after you unlock them) the Silverballers. Other weapons are acquired by finding them or picking them up from dead enemies – but it doesn't matter, because you'll be back to the piano wire and Silverballers once the next mission starts.

    Disguises are actually not a problem; there are plenty of them around. Using them is sometimes strange, though. If planning to ghost through a police station, DON'T try to use a police uniform as a disguise. Why? Because if a cop gets too close to you, he'll detect that you're not a real policeman. Makes sense, I suppose. But in a level crawling with police, disguising as a police officer becomes a questionable strategy – which seems counter-intuitive to me. Much better to knock out a homeless person and take his disguise, since the officers won't detect you. But then, dressed as a homeless person, you won't be able to enter restricted areas without attracting attention anyway. Several times I just lost patience and started taking innocent people out to facilitate progress – and several times got embroiled in a full-on gun battle. Which actually wasn't that bad. If you're careful, 47 has a ton of health, and headshots are 1-hit kills. Add in the deadly Instinct combat mode, which has elements of the VATS system from Fallout, and 47 becomes an absolute wrecking ball of death.

    There were some great moments, though. Ghosting through the flaming warehouse while troopers searched the premises was a thrill. Heading deeper underground through a mining facility with guards everywhere was a delicate game of cat-and-mouse. And trying to take out three henchmen in Chinatown with throngs of people everywhere was easily the most enjoyment I had. Somehow I thought every level would feature that amount of variety and detail, and I'm disappointed that (to me) it didn't. Hitman: Absolution is polished and does what it sets out to do, but ultimately it's only a mediocre game that is sprinkled with some great levels.    … Expand
  93. frhanhanif
    Nov 24, 2020
    6
    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.
  94. FacundoCritics
    Jul 10, 2016
    7
    Buena historia, divertido, interesante de completar al 100%,buenos gráficos, la jugabilidad lo mismo de siempre. Un poco corto y se hace pesado a la larga, pero es un muy buen juego para pasarse una vez y dejarlo.Vale su precio en ofertas realmente por su poca cantidad de contenido.
  95. Melgacius
    Apr 17, 2017
    7
    1 – GENERAL

    Hitman Absolution it's a stealth action third person shooter where strategy still plays a major role in your gameplay. As usual 47 is the main character in this game. The story is well set together. Most of the main characters are well built, but there's a lot of sideckicks in the plot that are simply forgettable. I understand their purpose in the game, but for me that's    1 – GENERAL

    Hitman Absolution it's a stealth action third person shooter where strategy still plays a major role in your gameplay.

    As usual 47 is the main character in this game. The story is well set together. Most of the main characters are well built, but there's a lot of sideckicks in the plot that are simply forgettable. I understand their purpose in the game, but for me that's a fact, I do not know why and from where they got into the story.

    Graphics are very good and detailed for a game with 5 years. It has aged very well.

    Sound is very well put together, and it makes the game a joy to play. It helps a lot with immersion.

    2 – GAMEPLAY

    Stealth plays a major role in this game, but as usual, for me, being stealthy means that I am able to hide the pile of bodies that usually leave behind. This doesn't means that the game is very hard, just that I am very impatient. Well, on the contrary the game usually offers more than one solution to the problem that we face at any given time, but even so most of the fans of the series say that this game is very linear... I think I have to play the others, since I could always see different choices that I could make.

    When we got all stuff right, we feel like a ninja, and that's very rewarding. The feeling of a clean kill, no suspicion to be made is impressive and addictive, and that make want to progress so I can meet my next challenge and see how I would perform. There's no difficulty curve whatsoever. I've found some of the last missions surprisingly easy, and some of the middle ones incredibly hard. But that doesn't mean nothing.

    If we join all this with the well written plot, we can imagine that the replay value is huge!

    On top of that the game also offers a major sandbox, the contracts. In that mode you can play contracts made by other players, create your own or even invite friends to play your contracts and try to beat them. It's a very interesting mode!

    3 – CONCLUSION

    Absolution was my only game of the Hitman franchise and I've liked it a lot. It took me about 12h to get through the campaign, but at some point I have lowered the difficulty. This game worth the asked price, but try to get it in a sale and enjoy!    … Expand
  96. dandalis
    Jul 17, 2021
    6
    A decent stealth game, a bit too streamlined though, even for my liking, aswell as held back by some truly obnoxious gameplay mechanics.

    Absolution looks pretty nice maxed out even quite a bit of years after it's original release. The action movie feel in how the game's story progresses may not be to Hitman series purist tastes, but i liked it as it delivered a fun story and interesting    A decent stealth game, a bit too streamlined though, even for my liking, aswell as held back by some truly obnoxious gameplay mechanics.

    Absolution looks pretty nice maxed out even quite a bit of years after it's original release. The action movie feel in how the game's story progresses may not be to Hitman series purist tastes, but i liked it as it delivered a fun story and interesting characters. The performances of the actors were pretty well done too, with 47 especially standing out as a mythical, relentless force of nature.

    If you crave a challenge then disabling the x ray vision and enemy paths is a must, otherwise the gameplay remains too hand holdy. When enemies spot you, instead of rushing your cover, they tend to shoot at empty space beside you, which just looks comical. The one mechanic that really drags down the entire experience is how fast enemies see through your disguise. I understand when you take a disguise of someone who's profession has very few members in the area and they make you out pretty fast since they by logic should know each other, but even when there are a lot of members of the same profession, they make you out so fast that it just feels like total BS. Like when you get a Chicago PD uniform, all the cops make you out like they're all cousins or some crap, it makes no sense.

    The game environments offer quite a bit of diversity, both in look and feel, in traversal, aswell as they give you a decent amoount of options in how to take out your targets, then again that's what Hitman should be all about i assume.

    Absolution was overall a fairly alright experience, but boy oh boy how lame that easy to be made disguise mechanic is.    … Expand
  97. CAHEKCT
    Oct 8, 2018
    7
    Вполне себе годная игра
    Плюсы:
    1) Графика 2) Стелс 3) Сложность (лёгкий уровень сложности здесь действительно лёгкий) Минусы: 1) Слишком часто повторяют кадры из начала игры, где гг убивает Диану (со временем приедается 2) Отсутствует разнообразие    Вполне себе годная игра
    Плюсы:
    1) Графика
    2) Стелс
    3) Сложность (лёгкий уровень сложности здесь действительно лёгкий)
    Минусы:
    1) Слишком часто повторяют кадры из начала игры, где гг убивает Диану (со временем приедается
    2) Отсутствует разнообразие
  98. GenuineBruv2021
    Oct 29, 2018
    6
    HITMAN ABSOLUTION feels like a big step back, this game is very linear compared to the previous 4 games. There is an actual story in this game which is really bad and doesn't make sense a lot of the time. The gameplay feels smoother but I don't like the inclusion of instinct, it makes the game too easy. There aren't many choices when it comes to how you want to kill your target and theHITMAN ABSOLUTION feels like a big step back, this game is very linear compared to the previous 4 games. There is an actual story in this game which is really bad and doesn't make sense a lot of the time. The gameplay feels smoother but I don't like the inclusion of instinct, it makes the game too easy. There aren't many choices when it comes to how you want to kill your target and the game feels really rushed.… Expand
  99. BulgarianCritic
    Dec 9, 2019
    7
    This game was alright.The story was pretty average with a more of a comedic overtone and there were some pretty funny parts so don't take it seriously. also who even plays Hitman games for the story i always though the gameplay was first and the story secondary i just wanna be a creative hitmen baby.The gameplay was pretty great but sometimes didn't offer that much of a variety to killThis game was alright.The story was pretty average with a more of a comedic overtone and there were some pretty funny parts so don't take it seriously. also who even plays Hitman games for the story i always though the gameplay was first and the story secondary i just wanna be a creative hitmen baby.The gameplay was pretty great but sometimes didn't offer that much of a variety to kill your targets.The gunplay was **** awesome everytime there was a shootout i was super thrilled to just gun enemies down.Voice acting was also solid overall a pretty ok game.… Expand
  100. VincentVegan
    Mar 4, 2019
    7
    Kein schlechtes Stealth Spiel, welches dazu auch noch eine gute Story hat.
    Ich habe sowieso das Gefühl, dass die meisten negativen Kommentare von Leuten kommen die Absolution mit den alten Hitman teilen vergleichen.
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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

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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.
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  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.
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