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7.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 1732 Ratings

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  1. Dec 21, 2012
    8
    I have played and own all the Hitman games and love them all. From the go I could not wait for this game to be released, constantly excited for it! So when it did finally come out I installed it and got playing it at roughly 1am.

    First thing to hit me was the Graphics. I run a i5 2400k, 2GB 460GTX, 8GB ram PC. I can play it on High if I want some frame rate drops or on normal/med if I
    I have played and own all the Hitman games and love them all. From the go I could not wait for this game to be released, constantly excited for it! So when it did finally come out I installed it and got playing it at roughly 1am.

    First thing to hit me was the Graphics. I run a i5 2400k, 2GB 460GTX, 8GB ram PC. I can play it on High if I want some frame rate drops or on normal/med if I want it smooth. Either way, the game looks stunning. The environments, the setting, the atmosphere, Agent 47s barcode all done to an amazing detail. Everything looks amazing and polished. However, the bloom effect were slight over-powering, with the bloom bouncing off Agent 47s shiny head being a slight distraction, but you get used to it.

    The music is great! Fits the scenes perfectly and extremely adaptive to how the current situation plays out. Sneaking through the level? No problem, here some suspense background music, oh wait, you just strangled a guy with fibewire - here;s a sudden 5 second dramatic piece to add to that tension. Oh look, your blasting your way out of a firefight! Here is an dramatic action music piece to match the scene. So whatever your play style, the music fits with it perfectly.

    The biggie, Gameplay. What the previous Hitman games have are still here. Some parts are more up to scratch and actually improve on the originals while other are either dumbed down or actually don't seem to work. Lets start with the negatives, and the most easily look at one. The disguise system. So in past Hitman games, you could easily walk around with people like you and blend in and out of a scene. However, not so with Absolution. Now the game assumes all police officers know all police officers. If you are in a police mans outfit and another policeman spots you, you get a suspicion indicator slowly grow. This make the disguise system, especially on the difficulty Hard or above, broken. Sometimes it easier to just use cover throughout the whole level or simply kill everyone with your weapons. With such interesting disguises I was looking forward to playing about with them, but it felt more trouble than it was really worth. Now my second kind-of negative point is the instinct. Or at least it was a negative point when I first heard about it. Then I remembered that in the old Hitman games there was a thing called a map showing where everybody was. Instinct is a great feature to replace the map with as it makes the game more difficult and challenging while also being a helpful tool to predicting enemies movements and, as a last resort, run away/gun everybody down.

    Onto the more positive gameplay aspects. Its still Hitman. You still get assigned targets in most missions and still have many ways on taking that target down. And man is it fun taking down those targets, either with a sniper **** or by making it look like an accident and exploding a gas cooker. The crowds, well, this is where it aces the previous Hitman games. The crowds are amazing. Remember in Blood Money, that level with the crows? The Murder of Crows? The crowds in that was impressive. Now in Absolution they are spectacular. And they feel so alive. Most of the crowd interacts with each other, and you cxan just stand idle listening to them gossip which in actual fact can turn out to help you. One time I was in chinatown and over heard these couple of bystanders talking how the target gets his usual hit from a drug dealer who lives on the 2nd floor. So right then I had a window of opportunity, just by listening to the crowd. There were also a large number of hilarious moment I **** at while listening to people. It can be funny but it certainly makes the world feel much more alive and living.

    There are hundreds of challanges and unlockables to get. Things such as going through a level wearing just a suit, but to get another challenge called Chameleon which is to put on every suit in that level, warranting another playthrough. Then there's Contracts mode. A fantastic multilayer edition to the game. The creator of the contract has played through the level and targeted selectable people who are the contracts, the creator then kills these targets in a way he wants then makes for one of the few exits scattered across the level. This ends the contract and then it gets uploaded, allowing players to try and beat the score or the leader-boards. It is a lot of fun to play and to create contracts.

    Quickly the mention the story. Yes, there is one and play a significantly bigger role then in previous games and It actually is good. A good story with great characters and settings you can't go wrong with that, and absolution doesn't.

    Overall, Hitman is still Hitman. It may feel different in parts and with a core mechanic of the previous Hitman games broken in most places, the game does set itself apart from the previous games but only slightly. Its a welcome edition to the series and its glad to have Agent 47 and his red tie bac
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  2. Apr 4, 2013
    8
    This game was fun and full of action, but it did have some problems. The worst part of this game is probably the lack of manual saving. I've had this game crash THREE times in under 30 minutes, but nothing else after that. The disguise system works, but was sometimes annoying because people would notice you anyway, but it can be saved by using the Instinct key. The points system was alsoThis game was fun and full of action, but it did have some problems. The worst part of this game is probably the lack of manual saving. I've had this game crash THREE times in under 30 minutes, but nothing else after that. The disguise system works, but was sometimes annoying because people would notice you anyway, but it can be saved by using the Instinct key. The points system was also very tedious, as I always wanted to do the best I could, but I'd have to start over if I made a mistake. However, it doesn't ruin this entire game full of explosions, gun kills, silent kills and more. Expand
  3. Nov 20, 2012
    8
    Whilst the transition to more modern gameplay elements does skew the Hitman formula to a degree, it still all works quite nicely. Disregard what others say about the game being "Agent 47 on the run", that's literally exclusive to the first chapter of the game and even then it's broken up between standard missions that you'd expect to see in Hitman.

    Sure, the developers made it feel
    Whilst the transition to more modern gameplay elements does skew the Hitman formula to a degree, it still all works quite nicely. Disregard what others say about the game being "Agent 47 on the run", that's literally exclusive to the first chapter of the game and even then it's broken up between standard missions that you'd expect to see in Hitman.

    Sure, the developers made it feel rather different by having the plot progressed by 47, but I personally feel this engages the player more, not just practically random missions connected by news reports and briefings. It's still Hitman, but the developers wanted to try something new.

    As for the people complaining about frame rates, I've had zero issues with an AMD phenom ii x4 995 BE, AMD Radeon HD 6970 and 4GB RAM (on high settings). Computer optimization people!
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  4. Jul 24, 2013
    8
    Blood Money is the best Hitman game to date, no doubt about it. The thing people fail to realize is that Absolution isn't entirely a Hitman game. The story is not about 47 being a hitman, it's about Agent 47 as a human being, fending for himself and being the hunted instead of the hunter. I think a lot of the design choices reflect this, and it only enhances the realism and immersion.Blood Money is the best Hitman game to date, no doubt about it. The thing people fail to realize is that Absolution isn't entirely a Hitman game. The story is not about 47 being a hitman, it's about Agent 47 as a human being, fending for himself and being the hunted instead of the hunter. I think a lot of the design choices reflect this, and it only enhances the realism and immersion. Sure, some of the levels are linear and others are ridiculously short, but there are some pretty sweet set-pieces in this game that are both original and creative, albeit repetitive and less-enjoyable, gameplay wise, when compared to Blood Money's levels. Even if the gameplay falls short in places diehard Hitman fans would consider crucial to the series, the level of immersion and storytelling is leagues above any previous Hitman game. NPCs feel alive, environments have ridiculous amounts of detail and the game is rocking a sweet sound-track to boot. Of course, the absolute best aspect of this game is the voice acting. This game should win awards for its voice acting, it's THAT good. Almost every character in each level has something to say as you walk by them. You'll want to stop and hear what they say, too, because they usually have some interesting things to say, like how there's a toxic barrel of waste on the balcony, or that they get a serious allergic reaction when they eat peanuts. You know, just gossip. Expand
  5. Jan 24, 2013
    8
    This game reminds me of like when bands release an album that part of the fans dislike... No.. Hitman Absolution is not a lot like the previous games when it comes to gameplay and such. But F*** IO Interactive can construct a game with awesome non-liner missions, awesome detailed, rich maps unlike a lot of game etc. Farcry 3. It has likable and dislikable characters as every good gameThis game reminds me of like when bands release an album that part of the fans dislike... No.. Hitman Absolution is not a lot like the previous games when it comes to gameplay and such. But F*** IO Interactive can construct a game with awesome non-liner missions, awesome detailed, rich maps unlike a lot of game etc. Farcry 3. It has likable and dislikable characters as every good game should have. If you like story-driven intense singleplayer games this is for you! Wait a second i forgot to mention the beautiful, rich and dense graphics. It's been a long long time since anything looking this good, besides BF 3 and to some extend The Witcher 2. There are minor bugs but really nothing serious, and as every game it could be better optimized but what the hell. As of right now i'm proud to be a dane!! Expand
  6. Nov 20, 2012
    8
    This game is an excellent addition to the franchise. Yeah, some of the older favorite options are gone (purchasing guns pre-mission, open world maps), but I think the pacing of the game was handled very well. I can see how not liking the story could make the game blah for some people, but I was hooked from the start and had a blast all the way through the game. It felt great taking controlThis game is an excellent addition to the franchise. Yeah, some of the older favorite options are gone (purchasing guns pre-mission, open world maps), but I think the pacing of the game was handled very well. I can see how not liking the story could make the game blah for some people, but I was hooked from the start and had a blast all the way through the game. It felt great taking control of 47 again, and after a few clumsy take-downs I was able to sneak/blast through whatever situation I found myself in. I plan to re-play the game, and would recommend it to newcomers and silent assassins alike :) Expand
  7. Mar 28, 2013
    8
    Agent 47 is back, and now he’s out for revenge. Hitman: Absolution focuses on the infamous unknown killer himself as he travels through an emotional story of regret, anger, turmoil and despair. The storyline of Hitman: Absolution revolves around the assassin and his plight to save Victoria from living the same harrowing life as 47. Being created within a laboratory, Victoria was engineeredAgent 47 is back, and now he’s out for revenge. Hitman: Absolution focuses on the infamous unknown killer himself as he travels through an emotional story of regret, anger, turmoil and despair. The storyline of Hitman: Absolution revolves around the assassin and his plight to save Victoria from living the same harrowing life as 47. Being created within a laboratory, Victoria was engineered for one purpose, to become the next level of high grade assassin out for hire. Follow 47 as you stealth your way through shadowy side streets and abandoned hotels seeking revenge upon those who would force such a gruelling lifestyle upon another living being. Hitman: Absolution is for audiences of 18+. Hitman: Absolution is a game in which you can kick your feet up and enjoy, allowing yourself to soak in the storyline and have huge amounts of intense fun with, the number of possible takedown manoeuvres are truly fantastic, whether you’re making your assassination look like an accident, going for the critical headshot with a sniper rifle, or closing in for the kill with 47’s signature silent assassin fibre wire, you will never be stuck for possibilities or new and fresh ideas of how to advance onto your target. Hitman: Absolution is a game for the critical thinker, promoting further brain functionality into strategic thinking, problem solving, as well as time and risk management, requiring the player to think before acting. Players will have to deal with the consequences of their actions, whether that’s killing extra targets or escaping and trying again, the smarter gamers will find that they are just as at home within this environment as they would be within any other strategy based game. The many different levels of the game each have their own theme and background, making for a large library of interesting possibilities and hugely detailed level design, boasting incredible graphics allowing the characters to look incredible, as does the level design, weapon sprites and the locations. The characters each have their own distinct personality and capabilities allowing you to really believe in their existence. As well as a highly in depth and griping storyline, you also have a creation feature, in which you can walk the streets and assassinate your own targets however you see fit, whether you want to blow a hole in Chinatown and your targets along with it, or you want no-one to know you were even there, you decide how to proceed in your assassination attempts. After designating your own targets you can upload the assassination contract to allow your friends and enemies to compete, allowing you to see who’ll be the next best assassin in the online leader boards. Will you step up and accept the contract? I give this game 8/10, the graphics are amazing everything within each level is absolutely beautiful. The level design allows for a huge number of possibilities, the storyline is a perfect ending to a well known and hugely loved series, and the game play and controls fit the game extremely well. The only problem I have with this game is the fact that the replay-ability of the game is lacking but the overall experience of the initial play through easily makes up for this minor pitfall. Expand
  8. Nov 23, 2012
    8
    First off, let me just say that the graphics are absolutely stunning. Environments are well detailed and the crowds look so realistic. This is a very polished game and i would recommend it to anyone looking to have a fun time. There are several flaws though being that this isn't really going the same path as the other hitman games so some fans might be disappointed.
  9. Nov 22, 2012
    8
    Get your sporks ready cause dinner is done. Spicy creole cooking to make you sweat. Sure, it's gritty and sticks to your teeth like a mix of sand and bugs and you'll be convinced that your tounge is going to melt but that's the kind of cooking we love. That down home, mom is trying to kill you style.
  10. Nov 21, 2012
    8
    Hitman Absolution gives a challenge for sure. The play style and updated graphics make it an overall appealing game to play. Although there are a few changes to the game like tossing a coin, there are plenty of other things to toss around. The one thing I will say about the game is it's difficulty. The missions are quite a challenge to get through and sometimes downright annoying, so IHitman Absolution gives a challenge for sure. The play style and updated graphics make it an overall appealing game to play. Although there are a few changes to the game like tossing a coin, there are plenty of other things to toss around. The one thing I will say about the game is it's difficulty. The missions are quite a challenge to get through and sometimes downright annoying, so I guess it's the incentive to want to play it more. Overall I gave it an 8 as its not a game that's keeping me glued to the computer but if you're thinking of buying it and have enjoyed the previous hitman games then I think overall you will like it. If you're not up for a challenge and just want a game to walk through don't bother with it. It's going to take you some time to play. Great job Square Enix on a great title! Expand
  11. Nov 20, 2012
    8
    In my opinion,this game is brilliant. BUT if you're expecting a true Hitman,you're in for a shock. Disguises are no longer almighty,where in all previous games,once you've changed your clothes,you were practically invisible,in Absolution enemies actually know each other,that means if you disguised yourself as a cop,the cops will quickly see through you,but guards won't,unless you startIn my opinion,this game is brilliant. BUT if you're expecting a true Hitman,you're in for a shock. Disguises are no longer almighty,where in all previous games,once you've changed your clothes,you were practically invisible,in Absolution enemies actually know each other,that means if you disguised yourself as a cop,the cops will quickly see through you,but guards won't,unless you start acting suspiciously,forcing you to sneak a lot more than in Blood Money for example. Whole game is a lot more cinematic and story driven (however I found the story to be a bit generic,similar to a lot of Hollywood high budget flicks,but for me it's just a binder for the next levels) ,there are a lot of missions in which you just have to get to a specific point (personally I didn't like them,but it's not like they're badly made). I think that Absolution is also a bit more realistic,thanks to the AI changes,enemies can finally spot blood (they could in Blood Money as well IIRC,but that didn't seem to work most of the time),as mentioned before,they know they're colleagues and generally,they seem a lot more human. Also the fiber wire is the only completely silent weapon,so if,for example,you'll stab a cop and there's another cop nearby,he'll hear it and investigate. Using firearms was improved,they actually have individual feeling,enemies react to wounds and they're simply more fun to use now. There are 5 difficulty levels,I'm playing on expert right now and the game is hard,it's almost impossible to boldly go in,all guns blazing,on a group of enemies and walk out alive,unlike in Blood Money,where it was as easy as hiding behind a doorway and shooting the s:):)t out of your enemies. Now let's move on to the flaws. There are some quite annoying restraints,I'll explain that with an example. In one of the first missions,you have to first get to the upper floors,after which you get a checkpoint and it's a one way road,you can't go back to ground floor. Aside from that,I absolutely HATE some of the animations,even though I stopped paying attention to them after a few hours. If you take out a pistol,there will be a really fast animation of taking it out of the holster,but if you want to conceal it,it will miraculously disappear from your hand,same goes for all the objects. Also walking animation seems a bit strange at first and I didn't like that fact that you can conceal large firearms like assault rifles or even sniper rifles,I think it would be great to patch that up and give the players a suitcase,which could hold one large firearm,instead of putting it in an amazingly deep pocket somewhere inside 47's suit. And I didn't like the animation of shooting one pistol,which is one handed and seems very unprofessional (but that's just my deviation : D). So,to sum it all up,this game differs from the previous installments by putting a lot more weight on the sneaking,instead of disguising and going up to your target,more limited freedom,partially caused by the fact that enemies can actually see through your disguise and smaller levels. But it still requires you to think,I'd even say that a bit more than in the previous games (especially on higher difficulty settings) and is really enjoyable. Oh,I almost forgot,gun upgrading,which was great and detailed in Blood Money and actually had an impact is nonexistent in Absolution. So basically,as a standalone game I give it a 9,but as a part of the Hitman franchise,I'd say 6+,maybe 7 is more appropriate.

    EDIT: I decided to change my mark after a few more hours. I still enjoy the game very much,but disguises are lot less useful when compared to previous games,some would even say they're useless :D I wouldn't agree with that,but the whole detection system should be toned down a bit because enemies are eagle-eyed and can see through your disguise at quite a distance in a record time even on normal difficulty,forcing you to go in blind quite a lot since you can't practically do any reconnaissance.
    And I thought I'll add a few words about how well the game is optimized. My PC: GTX 260 216 OC,4 GB RAM and a quad core Intel Q9400 @ 2.66 GHz can dish out an average of 30 FPS on high to ultra settings (with trilinear filtering though),so,considering the quality of graphics,is quite astonishing
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  12. Nov 23, 2012
    8
    I was a fan of Hitman series a long time but with Absolution they made a huge backstep. They removed essential features like customizing weaponloadout before a mission, modifying weapons (only available in contracts mode now), looking through keyholes. The new level design is awful! It's too linear and you dont have freedom like in previous hitman games. Also the new disguise-system isI was a fan of Hitman series a long time but with Absolution they made a huge backstep. They removed essential features like customizing weaponloadout before a mission, modifying weapons (only available in contracts mode now), looking through keyholes. The new level design is awful! It's too linear and you dont have freedom like in previous hitman games. Also the new disguise-system is pretty **** - enemies blow your cover in 2-3 seconds thats not fun. Of cause they brought a bunch of new features and improvements: graphics are very nicely, the glacier2 engine is also a lot better than glacier1. Also the new contracts mode provides additional gameplay and especially with friends it is really fun. But all in all IO turned the classical tactical hitman into a pure action game. As a hitman game it sucks but it is a nicely done action game. My review: 8 out of 10 points (if i had reviewed it as a hitman game it would have got only 4/10 points). Expand
  13. Nov 23, 2012
    8
    Pretty nice game. I have to agree with the rest of the players, the instinct bar is a huge game design blunder and should never have entered the Hitman universe. The engine however is great and it fits perfectly for the Hitman-genre. The levels could be bigger with more freedom, however, I think the levels are pretty cool because they really do award exploring before planning anPretty nice game. I have to agree with the rest of the players, the instinct bar is a huge game design blunder and should never have entered the Hitman universe. The engine however is great and it fits perfectly for the Hitman-genre. The levels could be bigger with more freedom, however, I think the levels are pretty cool because they really do award exploring before planning an assassination. Great game, not on par with game of the year contender Dishonored though. Expand
  14. Nov 24, 2012
    8
    It seems like once this game came out, everyone, including PC Gamer, just wanted to complain that it wasn't Blood Money 2. This is a fantastic game, great graphics, an engaging story, loads of ways to take out your targets (when you have them, a lot of the game is simply stealth action) or general enemies, disguises and improvised weapons, and multiple routes through each mission. TheIt seems like once this game came out, everyone, including PC Gamer, just wanted to complain that it wasn't Blood Money 2. This is a fantastic game, great graphics, an engaging story, loads of ways to take out your targets (when you have them, a lot of the game is simply stealth action) or general enemies, disguises and improvised weapons, and multiple routes through each mission. The game rewards you for utilizing every possible option as well, so it screams replayability. Let me tell you something, if you enjoyed Conviction for what it was even though it didn't follow the same exact formula, then you will highly enjoy Hitman: Absolution. Expand
  15. Nov 25, 2012
    8
    Hitman: Absolution provides an experience that is rich in action and on the edge of your seat suspense. Of course, it's not without it's flaws. Everyone automatically thinking you're suspicious gets a little irritating at times, and it constantly feels linear. Though it has some rough spots, Hitman: Absolution is enjoyable experience, but may be a let down for hardcore fans of the series.
  16. Nov 26, 2012
    8
    Though filled with Splinter's Cell -like sneaking, the real fun is after completing the game, when you really get to dig into the Contracts mode. 8/10 for the overall, but 10/10 for the Contracts.
  17. Dec 30, 2012
    8
    Easily the best hitman in the series and ive played them all. I do agree however with a few of the nagative things people are saying. No case for sniper rifles? Where does 47 hide those big guns, not to mention the baseball bat? It does take some of the fun and realism out of it and could be potentially painful for 47's rear. Also the disguises, i think theyre good but i agree you shouldntEasily the best hitman in the series and ive played them all. I do agree however with a few of the nagative things people are saying. No case for sniper rifles? Where does 47 hide those big guns, not to mention the baseball bat? It does take some of the fun and realism out of it and could be potentially painful for 47's rear. Also the disguises, i think theyre good but i agree you shouldnt have to go into absolution mode just to walk past some dingbat NPC guard, particularly true when wearing a disguise that covers 47's face. But at the end of it, the graphics and the gameplay are a severe improvement upon the older games in the series and despite its faults, Absolution is a joy to play. Im not sure why people are saying the game is on rails, im almost at the end, there have been a few linear sections but in most cases the player has a lot of freedom in the way they can take out their target and navigate the level, although i also do wish they allowed us to save anywhere in level as used to be the case. In my opinion this is the best hitman game yet and i give it 8/10, penalised for the flaws mentioned above. Also, im running a GTX 570, i7 quad core and the game runs on ultra settings with no noticeable frame rate drop in most places even with all those NPCs walking around the joint. A very very nice game to look at indeed. Expand
  18. Jan 5, 2013
    8
    This is a step back in the series from Blood Money. It's a good game, but not up to par in terms of the Hitman series. I'm not a complete fan of the way the new disguise system works. It's a realistic feature to have members whatever disguise you're wearing recognize you when you're too close, but not for all disguises. For example, a police disguise. There are hundreds, if not thousandsThis is a step back in the series from Blood Money. It's a good game, but not up to par in terms of the Hitman series. I'm not a complete fan of the way the new disguise system works. It's a realistic feature to have members whatever disguise you're wearing recognize you when you're too close, but not for all disguises. For example, a police disguise. There are hundreds, if not thousands of police officers in a big city and there is no way that every officer would recognize every single one of his fellow officers to know that you're not who the outfit suggests the hitman is.
    How powerful they made hitman in this game is also disappointing. Seeing through walls and whatnot. Also, the point system is a little strange to see in a Hitman game.
    To rate this game a 0, like many are, is completely unfair. It's definitely not a complete fail by any means, but didn't live up to my expectations.
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  19. Feb 6, 2013
    8
    A good game in it's own right, but too linear and simplified compared to it's predecessors. Loses points for elements of linearity, unappealing storyline, awful save-system, overuse of pre-rendered cinematics and un-enjoyable disguise mechanics. Gains some points back for great performance and graphics, solid gun-play mechanics and beautiful (albeit overly linear) level design. AnA good game in it's own right, but too linear and simplified compared to it's predecessors. Loses points for elements of linearity, unappealing storyline, awful save-system, overuse of pre-rendered cinematics and un-enjoyable disguise mechanics. Gains some points back for great performance and graphics, solid gun-play mechanics and beautiful (albeit overly linear) level design. An underrated game, because it is not loyal to the original fan-base. Expand
  20. Feb 24, 2013
    8
    I enjoyed playing this game. Hitman Absolution is a stealth game. Lots of sneaking around and different ways of killing your target. There are parts in this game that can frustrate, like there being few checkpoints in a mission. I died a lot and would sometimes have to repeat certain sections over and over again.
    Even though I was frustrated at times, I enjoyed the story and wanted to
    I enjoyed playing this game. Hitman Absolution is a stealth game. Lots of sneaking around and different ways of killing your target. There are parts in this game that can frustrate, like there being few checkpoints in a mission. I died a lot and would sometimes have to repeat certain sections over and over again.
    Even though I was frustrated at times, I enjoyed the story and wanted to see it through to the end.
    The graphics were excellent, really nicely done.
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  21. Mar 3, 2016
    8
    At first I thought this was awful game, but during the game I started to like it. Even that I am very annoyed that even in the first Hitman game, when you had a sniper you needed a case to carry it. And once you put it together, only way to to "hide" it was to throw it away. Now you can put the big sniper rifle into your pocket.. hocus pocus. There are few other things that ruins theAt first I thought this was awful game, but during the game I started to like it. Even that I am very annoyed that even in the first Hitman game, when you had a sniper you needed a case to carry it. And once you put it together, only way to to "hide" it was to throw it away. Now you can put the big sniper rifle into your pocket.. hocus pocus. There are few other things that ruins the immersion, but others didn't mind me so much. I liked the mission very much, and they were very well designed and I played most of the missions many times. After all very decent game. Not a flawless diamond, but good. Expand
  22. Mar 29, 2014
    8
    Hitman: Absolution is the absolute direct successor to Blood Money, with enhanced mechanics and much-improved graphics (Tons of lens flare).

    I really don't understand the mainstream hate on this game, i've completed the storyline (warning: isn't really that great) like any person around the world. Which means it is possible, but probably a little challenging at times, depending on the
    Hitman: Absolution is the absolute direct successor to Blood Money, with enhanced mechanics and much-improved graphics (Tons of lens flare).

    I really don't understand the mainstream hate on this game, i've completed the storyline (warning: isn't really that great) like any person around the world. Which means it is possible, but probably a little challenging at times, depending on the difficulty you are playing on.

    Really recommend getting the Hitman franchise if you want to feel like a complete badass, Blood Money and Absolution did not disappoint me, at all.

    Area(s) to improve on:

    - Perfect, or Better Story-telling
    - Pretty flawed A.I Behavior

    Improving on 2 of these issues (the might be more that i've mistakenly excluded from this list) could result in more people actually willing to finish the game and decrease the amount of retries, which can be god-awful during some levels.

    UPDATE (29/1): After hearing from the recent news disclosures of Hitman 6 from IO interactive, i was very pumped! Go IO Interactive!!
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  23. Oct 21, 2013
    8
    This game is quite fun. Ive never played a Hitman game before this so i cant compare, but it holds up on its own. Its fun to wonder the areas and find an interesting way to kill your target. Ill never get tired of killing people in a chicken suit.
  24. Mar 29, 2013
    8
    This game is a lot of fun, great graphics, the game-play and story could use a bit more work they could have made the game a bit longer as well. But other than that this game is really fun and it is worth the money.
  25. May 2, 2013
    8
    I really enjoyed this game. I have not played any Hitman games before until this one so I am not sure what the others are like but this one was a lot of fun from my perspective. The graphics were good and the objectives were fun. I didn't follow the story too well but from what I gathered it was pretty good. No bugs or issues. The one criticism I have is that the "disguises" you wearI really enjoyed this game. I have not played any Hitman games before until this one so I am not sure what the others are like but this one was a lot of fun from my perspective. The graphics were good and the objectives were fun. I didn't follow the story too well but from what I gathered it was pretty good. No bugs or issues. The one criticism I have is that the "disguises" you wear almost never work. There were too many instances were I was wearing a disguise that the people saw that it was me and then a giant gun fight occured that either resulted in me dying or me getting a really low score. I might just suck at the disguises but it happened far too many times. So in general this was a good game I would reccommend it. Expand
  26. Aug 19, 2013
    8
    This is a good game. It is completely different (but good different) to the previous installments yet that shouldn't put you off giving it a try. There are times when proceedings move in the on-rails direction though this is generally handled with finesse. The quick-time melee system is kind of cool in my opinion, it makes you a bit more vulnerable and forces you to plan your sneak attacksThis is a good game. It is completely different (but good different) to the previous installments yet that shouldn't put you off giving it a try. There are times when proceedings move in the on-rails direction though this is generally handled with finesse. The quick-time melee system is kind of cool in my opinion, it makes you a bit more vulnerable and forces you to plan your sneak attacks precisely. Guards are overly alert and if you hang around too long or move too quickly past other guards then you will be outed in a flash. Absolution is a lot more challenging than Blood Money. What is completely retarded however is when you take a disguise that has a mask and 47 opts to not wear it....?! Somewhat reminiscent of Hitman 2 where dressing up in full firefighter gear (complete with gas mask) did nothing to avail suspicion.

    Many have said that Absolution has done for Hitman what Conviction did for Splinter Cell... This isn't true since Absolution is undoubtedly a well-crafted (albeit different) gaming experience whereas Conviction was a total disaster.

    However:

    - Checkpoint system is clumsy
    - The various uses for Instinct are rendered worthless since you will use up most of the ability getting past other guards
    - Performance issues (e.g. the infamous Absolution appcrash error, it took me 2 hours to fix it before I could even begin playing the game)
    - Straight to DVD plot
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  27. Jul 14, 2013
    8
    Well it's not the best maybe but definitely not the worst at all... Do not understand the crowd tried to crucify this game. It maybe lacks some of the depth gameplay-wise or such but just flows nice and smooth.

    Well the only thing that bothered me was the achievement system, which is built like a regular arcade game that makes you play just hit the top score with "already given!"
    Well it's not the best maybe but definitely not the worst at all... Do not understand the crowd tried to crucify this game. It maybe lacks some of the depth gameplay-wise or such but just flows nice and smooth.

    Well the only thing that bothered me was the achievement system, which is built like a regular arcade game that makes you play just hit the top score with "already given!" assassination styles as you see in the very names of the achievements. That blew whole magic out of it...

    But other than that, game is just fine. If you've already played all of them, play this one too, not that bad at all...
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  28. Jul 23, 2013
    8
    The story was surprisingly delicate. There was actually some personal motivation of the hitman to assassinate most of the targets. But at some point things became a bit predictable...
    However, it was great fun having so many creative options as how to kill the targets. Some of these ways were really funny and it was very satisfactory if a cunning, twisted plan worked out with wonderful
    The story was surprisingly delicate. There was actually some personal motivation of the hitman to assassinate most of the targets. But at some point things became a bit predictable...
    However, it was great fun having so many creative options as how to kill the targets. Some of these ways were really funny and it was very satisfactory if a cunning, twisted plan worked out with wonderful deadly results!!
    As a player you will get to feel the console port in the controls and this combined with the system requirements made things a bit frustrating to navigate at times.
    This game can be played several times for sure as there's so many options when it comes to completing one's mission. The story was surprisingly cinematic and I liked the characters quite a bit.
    Overall a solid entry.
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  29. Jul 23, 2013
    8
    Great game. I've played Bloodmoney(great game too!) but Absolution it's definetly better. A few minor let-downs that are more perceptible for the old fans.Excellent graphics and gameplay mechanics, good variety ways to do the missions and the score system makes you wanna replay missions just to get a silent assassin score. If you like to play in a true stealthy way that punishes slothGreat game. I've played Bloodmoney(great game too!) but Absolution it's definetly better. A few minor let-downs that are more perceptible for the old fans.Excellent graphics and gameplay mechanics, good variety ways to do the missions and the score system makes you wanna replay missions just to get a silent assassin score. If you like to play in a true stealthy way that punishes sloth (loosing points) this is the game for you.
    The Bad:
    - Disguise system is better but still has lot to improve
    - 47 still a litte bit robotic
    - Concealing big weapons is a step back from Bloodmoney like sentosasam wrote.
    - New qicksave system discourages experimentation and respawn all enemies.
    Still a great game for the stealth genre fans.
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  30. Sep 11, 2013
    8
    Great AAA game. The stealth mechanics are pretty good, the action gameplay has been improved, the difficulty is high, and the graphic and sounds are very polished.

    The instinct mode has been well implemented, without ruining the gameplay. I don't know if this one is actually better than the Blood Money. Honestly i didn't like this "new" character of 47 as in the past. But the story
    Great AAA game. The stealth mechanics are pretty good, the action gameplay has been improved, the difficulty is high, and the graphic and sounds are very polished.

    The instinct mode has been well implemented, without ruining the gameplay. I don't know if this one is actually better than the Blood Money.

    Honestly i didn't like this "new" character of 47 as in the past. But the story it's still quite good, and the longevity is around the 25 hours.

    I suggest this new Hitman game to all the fans of the series, and to those who love stealth games.
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Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 26 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 26
  2. 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. 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.
  3. 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.