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
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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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