Hitman: Absolution

 PlayStation 3
User Score
7.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 615 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 414 out of 615
  2. Mixed: 130 out of 615
  3. Negative: 71 out of 615
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  1. MovieGuys
    Sep 17, 2013
    7
    The story mode is okay, but it's the contracts option that saves this game. The story is a little convoluted and unrealistic, to be honest. I didn't find it that interesting to play, and it took me a long time to figure out what to do in some cases. So as I said before, contracts save this game. They make each chapter in the story have infinite possibilities to kill people, and you can doThe story mode is okay, but it's the contracts option that saves this game. The story is a little convoluted and unrealistic, to be honest. I didn't find it that interesting to play, and it took me a long time to figure out what to do in some cases. So as I said before, contracts save this game. They make each chapter in the story have infinite possibilities to kill people, and you can do whatever you please, basically. I would buy this game, but play the contracts first to get a feel for the game and the environments, then, if you must, play the story.… Expand
  2. Thorshammer7
    Sep 25, 2013
    7
    This game was pretty good. I liked how there were so many ways too kill your target. Best Hitman of the series for sure. I strongly recommend it to anyone.
  3. Leontorres7
    Nov 15, 2018
    7
    The game could have been better and its lacking a lot of elements but still it is entertaining.
  4. yolandivisser
    Dec 17, 2012
    6
    Overall it's really great but I felt as if they used some of the easiest gimmicks of the genre and didn't really use them as much as they could. Also, I guess I expected more action and better plot.
  5. kirkkh
    Nov 25, 2012
    6
    Do believe the bad reviews. It's not awful, just really aggravating. You'll spend a HUGE amount of the game hiding from cops (rather than actually killing people, --looong backstory). Which wouldn't be all that bad, except the stealth is a super quirky and always boils down to a ton of trial and error (rather than thinking your way out). The actual kill-x-guy-missions are a blast, butDo believe the bad reviews. It's not awful, just really aggravating. You'll spend a HUGE amount of the game hiding from cops (rather than actually killing people, --looong backstory). Which wouldn't be all that bad, except the stealth is a super quirky and always boils down to a ton of trial and error (rather than thinking your way out). The actual kill-x-guy-missions are a blast, but there isn't a lot of them. :(… Expand
  6. 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
  7. UnbiasedOutlook
    Dec 29, 2012
    6
    Hitman: Absolution isn't a game changer. It won't inspire game mechanics for years to come. It won't be copied in the way that the likes of Call of Duty and Grand Theft Auto have come to be. It isn't a revolutionary game - but as an evolution of the franchise and Agent 47's story, it
  8. knive87
    Jan 21, 2013
    6
    ill be honest i did enjoy the game a bit. . until i remembered how awesome BM was.. imagine GTA series, that game was enjoyed by almost everyone due its freedom. You can basically do anything you want! wooh! what happens if GTA became this 3rd person shooter with some driving mechanics with very pretty but linear levels. i know fans will rage as this has be done a few hundreds of times nowill be honest i did enjoy the game a bit. . until i remembered how awesome BM was.. imagine GTA series, that game was enjoyed by almost everyone due its freedom. You can basically do anything you want! wooh! what happens if GTA became this 3rd person shooter with some driving mechanics with very pretty but linear levels. i know fans will rage as this has be done a few hundreds of times now in this gen.
    Hitman has turned into a stealth game.. a fricking stealth game with some assassinations. not an assassin simulator with stealth mechanics (which i fricking love)
    In this game you'll be mostly going around beautiful environments (tho smaller than whats seen in BM contracts and SA) and dodging a bunch of walking obstacles all while trying to cosplay. (they specifically told us in E3 that you can "hide in plain sight".. this is a lie. if you played this game you know dang well you cant do that here while attempting to play the game properly.. you know with disguises?)
    attempting to sneak by these walking obstacles while wearing the same outfit as them will result in bullet-to-face-gitis for 47 or punch-to-the-face-o-roids fo the poor guard/policeman/grunt/whatever who has this keen sense of.. 6th sense that can instantly tell you're not really one of "them" even with a mask/helmet, but a pissed off assassin attempting to.. uh. sneak past so.. uh. he can do stuff.. while i know 47 is on the run so this game doesnt really have the "contracts" we usually play around in for the agency but WTF the game is called hitman.. not sneakman.. they could have at least gave us 70% of the 9hrs (i replayed levels that i enjoyed the most.. the ones where you kill people) the game gives us as assassinations.. instead we sneak around the levels and dodge people with the terrible disguise system.
    Contracts was quite enjoyable for the first 2 hours.. then it got boring.
    overall.. 6/10
    idk i just like some parts and the game can be fun tho its not bloodmoney.. sigh. what could have been in the right hands.    … Expand
  9. AnihilatorGamer
    Aug 25, 2013
    6
    Never been a fan of the Hitman games, but Hitman: Absolution changed my mind. Theres a few things that I don't like about it. Firstly, the Hitman: Absolution Sniper Challenge, I don't like the fact that its only one level, so gets boring after the first few goes, Secondly, some of the missions are quiet 'Samey'. Stakeout a place, watch, try not to get seen, don't kill Civ's, kill theNever been a fan of the Hitman games, but Hitman: Absolution changed my mind. Theres a few things that I don't like about it. Firstly, the Hitman: Absolution Sniper Challenge, I don't like the fact that its only one level, so gets boring after the first few goes, Secondly, some of the missions are quiet 'Samey'. Stakeout a place, watch, try not to get seen, don't kill Civ's, kill the target and escape. I do enjoy the story and the challenges people have made, very hard. Visually, I think its awesome, stunning graphics, awesome rag-doll effect of the enemies dying when shot. So with that being said, I give this game a 6/10

    -AG-    … Expand
  10. mattlarkin
    Jan 6, 2014
    6
    I briefly tried some of the PS2 era Hitman games but didn't much care for them. When Absolution was announced, I figured I'd give it a shot. And while I wasn't really bored or frustrated like in the past, neither did I find the experience captivating. In the end, I stopped after around three missions because it just didn't compel me to move forward.

    Graphics The game is good looking    I briefly tried some of the PS2 era Hitman games but didn't much care for them. When Absolution was announced, I figured I'd give it a shot. And while I wasn't really bored or frustrated like in the past, neither did I find the experience captivating. In the end, I stopped after around three missions because it just didn't compel me to move forward.

    Graphics
    The game is good looking with some nice movies. No complaints there.

    Story
    Agent 47 is sent to take out his former handler who has betrayed the agency. After doing so, he begins to feel regret because the woman was helping a young girl escape his fate. It was kind of nebulous, and maybe I would have gotten more out of it had I continued. But I honestly had a hard time caring about the hero.

    Gameplay
    There was a lot of sneaking around, offing guys, and so forth as you'd expect. And while I had no technical complaints with the experience, I also found no particular enjoyment from it. It felt a little like sneaking around in Uncharted or Deus Ex, except not nearly as satisfying.

    The verdict--it was okay. I had other games I'd rather spend my time with.    … Expand
  11. HaseebAhmed
    Apr 15, 2014
    6
    So enlighten me how this Hitman game is the best game ever? This is just a passable game it can't be classified as the Hitman because all the other previous iterations where we played into the open world this game predetermines where the player is going to play and try trace its foot-steps by forcing the gamer to leave the Hitman we all grown to love with.
  12. SAVAGEHENRY
    Jan 10, 2013
    5
    Very much depressed about this, I was expecting much more that I received for my duggets. I have played all of the hitman series. Let's say that games really have come a long way, and I understand that the old ways are still very valid. What I will not say though, is that this game is very good. It is sub par in many areas that it really should be, but all in all still fun. Visually it isVery much depressed about this, I was expecting much more that I received for my duggets. I have played all of the hitman series. Let's say that games really have come a long way, and I understand that the old ways are still very valid. What I will not say though, is that this game is very good. It is sub par in many areas that it really should be, but all in all still fun. Visually it is stunning at times, really lack luster in others. Grievances that have been stated about AI and killing when hidden with all enemies knowing are right on. Why in the year 2012, do we still deal with silly crap game design. Thank you to the people who poured themselves into the game, please read what people say here, and make changes for the better for future 47 enjoyment.… Expand
  13. nascent
    Jan 10, 2022
    5
    Hitman Absolution takes the series in a very strange direction.
    Gone is the beautiful atmosphere and stunning music. Gone are the contracts and the progression as a hitman. And gone is the open-world freedom to do things in any order/method you like.
    Hitman Absolution is a very linear, quicktimey, dark, game, with no in-game saves, and few checkpoints. Absolution is clearly a stealth    Hitman Absolution takes the series in a very strange direction.
    Gone is the beautiful atmosphere and stunning music. Gone are the contracts and the progression as a hitman. And gone is the open-world freedom to do things in any order/method you like.
    Hitman Absolution is a very linear, quicktimey, dark, game, with no in-game saves, and few checkpoints.
    Absolution is clearly a stealth game, as were its predecessors, however, the earlier games allowed you to kill everyone and complete missions as a "mass murderer" if you really wanted to. Absolution punishes you for killing, punishes you for not being stealthy, and punishes for being stealthy too.
    You can no longer disguise and free-roam. Disguises still get you spotted, so sneaking around and hiding is mandatory, whether you like it or not. Besides you can't really free-roam anyway, the levels are sliced up into little pieces and must be completed linearly (go in one direction, along fixed paths, trigger cutscenes to get to the next sections).
    Also, there are MANY enemies in this game, few civilians. No longer can you avoid people and use a single syringe or anesthesia. You can choke out anyone in this game, and as long as you put them in a storage crate (why are there 30 storage crates per level in places that don't even make sense)

    To me, choking out dozens of people and hiding their bodies in creates sneaking and hiding everywhere you go is a VERY different game than other Hitman games. Gone is the freedom and creativity. Hitman Absolution is now just a very different stealth game, more like Theif than Hitman.

    Absolution is the least fun Hitman game and I don't particularly like the story and the direction.
    The game is split into 3 parts, yet the prologue was hours long, was extremely dull, dark, repetitive and boring. It's also longer than the 3rd part of the main story.

    A mess of very linear, dull, dark missions full of quicktime event style interactions and
    I dislike many of the changes introduced in this game, such as the Instinct superpower. I tried to avoid using the Instinct superpower as it totally killed the immersion for me, but the game really wants you to use it. There are times you're surrounded by dozens of enemies that are all constantly detecting you and changing into a disguise makes little difference.

    You can't even close doors anymore such a strange thing to remove for a stealth game. I do like the new improved aiming controls though.

    Some of the worst levels in the series. very liner. For example one level "run for your life" which has horrible quicktimey sections like trying to sneak past armed helicopters. I had to do this tiny piece of the level about 20 times because even sneaking and hugging corners the helicopter still sees you.

    Can now carry rifles inconspicuously, not that it matters, as being unarmed and in disguise still gets you detected.

    Everything is locked behind upgrades, just being able to run fast or carry multiple items, you have to complete challenges (like finding hidden items in levels) to get basic abilities like running fast.

    Additionally, you cannot complete some levels (such as rose wood) with silent assassin, without first completing all the challenges of the level. I feel that locking actual gameplay ranks behind superfluous challenges is a really dick move.

    I found the atmosphere and music terrible, many of the levels are very dark and ugly, and the sound design is horrible. I later found out jesper kyd wasn't hired again by io interactive for absolution and it really shows, the sound in this game is poor. Additionally, apparently, they weren't going to use David Bateson's voice until the last minute either. Shocking.

    I do like the cinematics and story-telling in the game, and the idea of Victoria was a good one, I just found the story messy and poorly told, and anything with Diana or The Agency, very cringeworthy and uninteresting.

    I hope I never have to play this game again. And fear Hitman 2016 is anywhere near as bad as Absolution.    … Expand
  14. riferrari
    Dec 4, 2012
    5
    Pros: 1) its a stealth game, they are rare nowadays 2) the campaign have cool parts such as the terminus hotel and the attack of the saints 3) the contacts mode might give some hours of gameplay too.
    Cons: 1) the disguise system is terrible, cops shouldn't even suspect whether you are a cop or not when you are dressed as one 2) the contracts mode could have been 1000 times better if you    Pros: 1) its a stealth game, they are rare nowadays 2) the campaign have cool parts such as the terminus hotel and the attack of the saints 3) the contacts mode might give some hours of gameplay too.
    Cons: 1) the disguise system is terrible, cops shouldn't even suspect whether you are a cop or not when you are dressed as one 2) the contracts mode could have been 1000 times better if you were able to choose a loadout before going to assassinate your target and if there were more maps than the linear ones of campaing 3) the NPCs aways do the exact same thing when you replay a level, their AI should have been unpredictable 4) the story sucks and have no creativity, I skipped 90% of the cutscenes after the first ones, tell me if I missed something 5) this game was mostly designed for an average gamer, not for the smart audience. This is my opinion, Hitman Absolution is absolutely not worth buying.    … Expand
  15. IronMit
    Nov 23, 2012
    5
    wow just wow.
    universally loved and critically acclaimed Blood money evolved into awesome sandbox set pieces in which for you to use your skills, tools, stealth, disguises, environment and adapting to make your kill/s and/or accidents.
    Absolution on the other hand has multiple sub-levels where you go from A to B..holding your hand 'you must take this lift'. 'you must get caught here and    wow just wow.
    universally loved and critically acclaimed Blood money evolved into awesome sandbox set pieces in which for you to use your skills, tools, stealth, disguises, environment and adapting to make your kill/s and/or accidents.
    Absolution on the other hand has multiple sub-levels where you go from A to B..holding your hand 'you must take this lift'. 'you must get caught here and experience this scripted cutscene'. Most of the sub-levels are linear and when you finally get to kill someone the level is some simple 4 room area, with minimal creativity and overly obvious ways to kill- so it's not even rewarding.

    Sometimes between loading screens my clothes and weapons got reset? what is that all about?

    To cover up this small sub-level mostly linear piece of rubbish they made a ridiculous instinct system which you need to make you disguise work. Which could work. But it runs out in seconds and won't replenish unless you do something the game wants. So you walk past one guard but come across another 10 minutes later and then you apparently don't have enough power to tilt your head away. Furthermore, your disguise can be broken from 20 meters away from the back of your head, in poor lighting and/or in a crowd in about 3 seconds. You can't get immersed in this because it just doesn't make sense. This is done to make this small game longer.

    The story is atrocious. silly kayne and lynch over the top idiot characters that jump up and down and shout 'yeehahh!'& talk about their genitals because that passes as clever dark humour nowadays.

    The irony of a hitman being accused of a murder he did not commit was lost on most people.

    The graphics, the detail, the lighting, the 'lots of people' mechanics of the glacier engine look amazing. But they had to make the levels smaller to accommodate and it shows.

    The AI is great and reacts to you. It could be the best AI I have experienced but the tweaking of the instinct system ruined it.

    I did like the many random tools you can use as weapons, hammers, screw drivers, vases etc

    Why is there a constant radar on the screen. I am not going to bash FPS players. I dabble in them too. We can adapt to no radar, especially when you have an optional see everyone through walls system. You can't even turn the radar off. I had to put a piece of paper on the bottom left of my TV to cover it to try to help with my immersion. Quick time events?! Now I do not like Assassins Creed (though I can appreciate why it is appealing to others) but my brother does. I was making fun of a few QTE features in the latest instalment just weeks ago...then this happens.
    You play a genetically engineered assassin, you can survive being shot..but a policeman can beat you up? MGS has a simple grab button, sneak or infront. I don't like win buttons but it makes sense..if a super soldier can grab them before they call out then that should be it. Not punch, block reversal, kick, judo move.

    You can somehow hide a sniper rifle, assault rifle or spas inside your suit??!?!!?

    I don't care about points. How much stuff do we need on the screen, an annoying live points counter I can't even turn off.

    This game is an insult to blood money
    IO interactive are not the developer they used to be, Hitman is now a template for them to pursue their kayne and lynch fantasies
    I will give it a 5 as if it was not a hitman game, one might be able to appreciate the graphics and the clever AI that respond to everything ''omg I found a pool of blood!''    … Expand
  16. rckstrdave
    Feb 10, 2013
    5
    I am a Hitman purist. I have played all the previous titles many times over. They are fantastic games, flawed for sure, but for the patient, thoughtful, creative, VIOLENT gamer, there is no better series out there. Hitman: Absolution manages to fix a big handful of those flaws, such as the addition of melee combat, a brilliant scoring system, and a user generated contract mode that willI am a Hitman purist. I have played all the previous titles many times over. They are fantastic games, flawed for sure, but for the patient, thoughtful, creative, VIOLENT gamer, there is no better series out there. Hitman: Absolution manages to fix a big handful of those flaws, such as the addition of melee combat, a brilliant scoring system, and a user generated contract mode that will seem pointless for casual players and thrilling for purists such as myself. Unfortunately, IO Games got more wrong than right this time around. In fact, they seem to have lost touch with what made Hitman so great in the first place. What was that fine quality we loved in the previous titles? Well crafted, non linear levels that offered lots of routes to eliminating your target(s); a feeling of total supreme power over the environment, which could come crashing down with one false move; freedom to choose your equipment and approach before ever setting foot in the world; and a story that is subtle yet immersive, interesting but totally unnecessary and easy to skip over if you choose. This is where IO has failed. While there are a spare handful of levels that live up to the series' legacy, much of the game is just hiding for the sake of hiding, with no targets to eliminate and levels that feel more like a long hallway than a sandbox. A long, detailed approach to your target is one thing, but once you've been playing for a couple hours and realized you've just been hiding from the police, the game begins to feel like a chore. The feeling of power is gone. The joy of exploring your environment is replaced by the desire to finish the bad levels to see if IO included any good ones. There are some 20 levels in the game, with perhaps 1/3 of them being enjoyable, 1/3 forgettable, and 1/3 tedious. Gone is the option to choose your own equipment, and the alternate "Contracts" mode allows you to choose from a very spare list of guns, and then only ONE. IO's biggest, saddest, most head shaking/face-palming move in Absolution is the story. Instead of focusing on making really excellent levels and gameplay, IO seems to have focused on making Absolution play like a movie, in the vein of Max Payne 3 (which didn't suit that title, either) or Grand Theft Auto 4 (which only worked in that title because the gameplay has never been a strong suit for the series). Complete with opening credits, B-list voice actors, long and frequent cut scenes, unlikeable and unconvincing characters, and a ridiculous and pointless plot, Hitman strives for Hollywood greatness at the expense of its gaming roots, and fails again. So many great details are missing, such as the safehouse/garden shed, which is now just a menu. Or the sniper case. Or the map. Or doors that can be closed. Keyholes. In many cases, just having a target! I'm glad IO just released the HD Hitman Collection, as I have been yearning for it on PS3 for years. It should keep me entertained long after I get bored with Absolution, probably in another week or two, and before the probably very LONG wait for Hitman 6. I hope IO learns from their mistakes on this title and goes back to what made the series great in the first place.… Expand
  17. MeatyPlasmaBaws
    Feb 22, 2013
    5
    Well were do i start.., Hitman, a series with an epic pedigree, games that just seemed to have got better with every incarnation, until now. This evolution of the series should 've been it finest hour but unfortunately didn't turn out to be the case.

    Lets break it down: Graphics:- For the series, the best so far by miles, very affective lighting, solid character models really quite    Well were do i start.., Hitman, a series with an epic pedigree, games that just seemed to have got better with every incarnation, until now. This evolution of the series should 've been it finest hour but unfortunately didn't turn out to be the case.

    Lets break it down:

    Graphics:-
    For the series, the best so far by miles, very affective lighting, solid character models really quite good physics and generally a pleasant place to spend time.

    Sound:-
    From the streets of Chinatown to the bodies riddled clubs/bars, even the (and i use the word lightly) "open" spaces echo and hum quite nicely with ambient noises. The Plot:-
    Is to say the least, very thin on the ground, i mean it feels like they decided to try a reboot rather than a new incarnation of what was a well established and quite popular franchise.

    The game play:-
    "Cough"..., I'm not saying it's all bad, as a matter of fact some of the sequences/locations do give you that old hitman feeling, a little exploration, a little observation then "whack/pop/bang/boom" or what ever your preferred (noise) means of assassination is but generally, most of the, take your time and plan the perfect "silent assassin" kill, leave the level undetected and even read about it in the paper. Seems to have been left in the mortuary at the end of "Blood Money". It sadly seems to have gone like most games of recent years, as in appeal to a wider audience "ala" Resident Evil, Dead Space Mass Effect, to name a few aiming, for a slice of the Call of Duty pie. The game's multiplayer component isn't bad, i get the impression this was developed for the previous vision in the older games, large open areas to play and explore, decide who your victim(s) is/are going to be, figure out the best or just most satisfying way to eradicate them. However this is a bit of a missed opportunity souly due to the limited playing area in each of the small sections of checkpoint based level design.

    Like most recent update a missed opportunity to hammer home a the fact that this is a series that should be here for many iterationsto come.    … Expand
  18. RLuke103
    Sep 24, 2013
    5
    Watered down rubbish, a disposable game made for our culture of COD style instant gratification. Gone is planning, tactics, timing and subtlety. In is guns blazing, quick time events and stupidity. Anyone who played Blood Money like me should remember a golden age of thinking stealth games, BM, MGS 3, Chaos Theory, these types of games are mostly dead. Remember in BM when you would stalkWatered down rubbish, a disposable game made for our culture of COD style instant gratification. Gone is planning, tactics, timing and subtlety. In is guns blazing, quick time events and stupidity. Anyone who played Blood Money like me should remember a golden age of thinking stealth games, BM, MGS 3, Chaos Theory, these types of games are mostly dead. Remember in BM when you would stalk your target and spend considerable time running through different scenarios on how to kill your victim? Gone. Remember when you would spend considerable time murdering various people for their outfit which would lead to different ways to kill your victim? Gone. Gone is the patients of a proper Hitman, now it's all about explosions and Stephen Hawking-esque A.I. that can see through every disguise you where making that oh so important and iconic element of the Hitman series redundant.

    Much like most developers/pulishers Enix has catered for the casual, pick up and drop gamer that makes the COD franchise so much money. Oh and the much reported save data deletion problem hit me, one level before game completion. Awesome.    … Expand
  19. Deusex
    Jun 14, 2014
    5
    This is the first Hitman game that i've played.
    Pros:
    - Graphics- No one can deny the great use of the Glacier 2 engine. Environments are amazing. characters looks great. - animations- it looks great, facial animations are great too. - level Design- lots of different opportunities, to approach in different ways. good tutorial cons: - Bad gameplay. Agent 47 is no way near as agile    This is the first Hitman game that i've played.
    Pros:
    - Graphics- No one can deny the great use of the Glacier 2 engine. Environments are amazing. characters looks great.
    - animations- it looks great, facial animations are great too.
    - level Design- lots of different opportunities, to approach in different ways. good tutorial

    cons:
    - Bad gameplay. Agent 47 is no way near as agile as Sam Fisher, and would help a lot in its gameplay.
    - Bad boring story that never interested me from the get go.
    - feels to linear.
    - you lose your silver ballers early in the game, and limits ur option to do silent head-shots or point shooting.    … Expand
  20. Timebunt
    Dec 4, 2020
    5
    In itself, Hitman Absolution is very good: excellent storyline, memorable cutscenes, great gameplay, very good gunfights... Unfortunately, he's not a good Hitman. There are no more contracts, replaced by scripted missions. The missions are exclusively based on escape ... the disguises are no longer useful, since we are directly spotted by all our enemies. We find ourselves forced to useIn itself, Hitman Absolution is very good: excellent storyline, memorable cutscenes, great gameplay, very good gunfights... Unfortunately, he's not a good Hitman. There are no more contracts, replaced by scripted missions. The missions are exclusively based on escape ... the disguises are no longer useful, since we are directly spotted by all our enemies. We find ourselves forced to use the instinct system all the time. By being a minimum good at shooting games, we get by all the time. So we either do boring infiltration, or we kill everyone with a pistol (and it's not very hard because the opposing artificial intelligence is zero).… Expand
  21. NT1974
    Dec 31, 2012
    4
    Could have been great, isn't. The game on the joke is pretty good but the little frustrations at the beginning become major by the end. Disguises, pointless, They see you anyway. Stealth, pointless, more fun to shoot them. Missions, not very engaging, you really don't have to think too hard. The worst part is it's too easy. I got the platinum trophy in no time. Once you've done a fewCould have been great, isn't. The game on the joke is pretty good but the little frustrations at the beginning become major by the end. Disguises, pointless, They see you anyway. Stealth, pointless, more fun to shoot them. Missions, not very engaging, you really don't have to think too hard. The worst part is it's too easy. I got the platinum trophy in no time. Once you've done a few contracts tbh they become a little bit on the same side. I loved Blood Money and couldn't wait for this. But this is everything that game isn't. Not a lot of replay value as a lot of the missions are linear to say the least. Blood Money levels had days of replay because of the ridiculous amount of ways you could kill people. All in all, could have been brilliant. Just misses by putting in a main mission so linear it's like playing Final Fantasy 13 all over again.… Expand
  22. Disco_Dave
    Dec 8, 2012
    4
    This is NOT a Hitman game. The levels are small an not really sand box ,the AI is bad, the story is bad, 95% of it is just BAD!!! You spend most of your time making your way from door to door avoiding people down narrow path ways to trigger the story.
  23. McNasty713
    Nov 24, 2012
    4
    I've been an Hitman fan forever an I agree with what a lot of you are saying ur it's still a fun game but shouldn't be named HITMAN, but they missed the mark by far on being a great Hitman game...One thing that bothers me is why even change disguises they notice you just as quick if your a dressed to blend in or if your still in your suit unless your a cook but the list could go on an someI've been an Hitman fan forever an I agree with what a lot of you are saying ur it's still a fun game but shouldn't be named HITMAN, but they missed the mark by far on being a great Hitman game...One thing that bothers me is why even change disguises they notice you just as quick if your a dressed to blend in or if your still in your suit unless your a cook but the list could go on an some have already made those points...You should be able to choose your weapons as a real Hitman as well, I miss that safe house. The game is entertaining if we're named somthing else but I am very disappointed in it, I looked foward to it for a long time, make a patch or an upgrade or a new Hitman to fix this please !!! Jus look at Blood Money an learn, do what you gotta do an fix this ...Did Square Enix even have any Hitman fans workin on this because it's like you didn't have a clue of the old Hitman games or how they were made an what made the games great, all the details that made them the best game ever you've takin out of Absolution???… Expand
  24. gamereaper
    Apr 26, 2014
    4
    Disappointing, just disappointing. when i first played absolution i was too overcome with
    "newgame-syndrome" to realise the issues with this game. for one its short, very short. although it may have the average amount of levels in a hitman game, the actual levels themselves were too short and easy. it gives less choice in how you carry out your hit than ever, and for a stealth game it    Disappointing, just disappointing. when i first played absolution i was too overcome with
    "newgame-syndrome" to realise the issues with this game. for one its short, very short. although it may have the average amount of levels in a hitman game, the actual levels themselves were too short and easy. it gives less choice in how you carry out your hit than ever, and for a stealth game it sure is easier to run in with a shotgun and shoot the place up (thats not a good thing, you're practically bullet proof. i've taken to going around with a screwdriver and gore-ing everyone in my path), also there is no consequence for massacring everyone as once your done in one area, you may open a door to the next section of the level and it is like nothing happened. the AI's are pretty dumb as it is, but im pretty sure they should hear a shotgun going of in the other room. Now i know that this next thing is probably me moaning but when i read "make your own contracts" i thought it would be like far cry 3 create a map mode, not replay the same mission over and over again just lodge a bullet in someone else's head this time around........mode. now on the con side the graphics are good, and hitting the unsuspecting goon in the head with a wrench never gets old, and the mission "end of the road" is a blast. along side that are dual-wielding any pistols, knife (or screwdriver) throwing, the new cover system and taking hostages.

    all in all, despite the cons listed above, Absolution is a buggy, disappointingly short and easy, needlessly cursey mess with a uncaptivating and kinda stupid story ( i mean HIT-NUNS for god sake) and although the online portion of the game is new and fun, it quickly gets old.    … Expand
  25. piuscorvus
    Jun 24, 2020
    4
    I was surprised how linear this Hitman game is. I liked first two Hitman games even though these kind of games aren't my cup of tea. The story of Hitman Absolution didn't manage to hold my attention and I left the game unfinished.
  26. Rockstar1971
    Nov 30, 2012
    3
    So disappointed in this game. Markets itself as a stealth game with so many ways to deal with your enemies, but it is extremely linear and lends itself more to shooting to have fun with it. The disguise component doesn't work. When you take a disguise, you never are hidden. Also, any enemy you deal with, there always is a dumpster nearby to dispose of them; nothing creative here. I am halfSo disappointed in this game. Markets itself as a stealth game with so many ways to deal with your enemies, but it is extremely linear and lends itself more to shooting to have fun with it. The disguise component doesn't work. When you take a disguise, you never are hidden. Also, any enemy you deal with, there always is a dumpster nearby to dispose of them; nothing creative here. I am half way through this game and patience and stealth are punitive, and tedious. So now I am just blasting my way through, trying to finish this to turn in and get a good price for an exchange for Far Cry 3. Major problem is the way they marketed this game. If they wanted a stealth game, give the player the chance to be disguised. But my best advice is to realize this is just another linear shooting game for most players. There's pretty much one way to get through each level and there's nothing innovative here. The game looks nice and the best part about it is shooting people, which it doesn't want you to do. Wish I wouldn't have paid full price for this. Love third-person games and had high hopes for this, but wasn't worth the full price. Just another linear experience.… Expand
  27. GlennLimos
    Nov 30, 2012
    3
    Hitman: Absolution is not by any means a bad game, but you have to compare it to earlier games in the series, and when compared to Blood Money, it's just a game that doesn't cut it. Gone are the smart ways to conceal or smuggle weapons into areas with guards or metal detectors, gone is the freedom of exploration one would have with different disguises (but even then there where restrictedHitman: Absolution is not by any means a bad game, but you have to compare it to earlier games in the series, and when compared to Blood Money, it's just a game that doesn't cut it. Gone are the smart ways to conceal or smuggle weapons into areas with guards or metal detectors, gone is the freedom of exploration one would have with different disguises (but even then there where restricted areas), gone are the customization and load out options before each mission, gone are the biggest sandbox levels with tons of exploration and accident options, gone is the map function (hello instinct), gone is the Hitman we knew and now we have a new Splinter Cellish game.… Expand
  28. Cyper
    Nov 27, 2012
    3
    If you are a CoD fan then you should give this game a try - because it is designed for you. The game will hold your hands through from the beginning to the end and it is designed for a literally dumb audience. With the press of a button you can use wallhack and see where all the gaurds are about to go, and you instantly have hints within the corridoor shooter levels where literallyIf you are a CoD fan then you should give this game a try - because it is designed for you. The game will hold your hands through from the beginning to the end and it is designed for a literally dumb audience. With the press of a button you can use wallhack and see where all the gaurds are about to go, and you instantly have hints within the corridoor shooter levels where literally everything is scripted. If you expect a true Hitman title then you will most likely be dissapointed, though. Absolution shines in graphics, improved stealth system, animations, lightning sound, and a few other features. But it falls short in many other areas and it literally throws much of what makes a hitman game a hitman game - out of the window - while it embrace and directly copy and paste features and even partly formulas from batman AA, splinter cell conviction, and even Red Dead Redemption with its 'draw gun' minigame and other games. The storyline is uninteresting, uninspired, contains a lot of childish and rather idiotic characters telling a lot of cliché lines. (exmple: Dexter Blake, the great villian, had a masterplan to sell genetically superior kid assasins for 10m bucks each.) The levels in the game is often very small and streamlined and you often have to sneak in pre-defined, corridoor-like paths. Weapon, dumpsters, gaurds, cover - all of it is place at convinient places. More focus on stealth and kills, and almost no focus on strategy and creativity. The type of gameplay has more in common with Splinter Cell Conviction than Hitman. Disguise system is broken. Gaurds can see through walls at times. Your cover gets blown all the time because everyone - and I mean everyone - for some reason raises suspicion against you. You can't choose what type of equipment and weapons you want to use. You can't pick locks anymore. You can't look through keyholes. You can't open or close doors. You can't save the game manually. Sniper rifles and other weapons are magically drawn out from thin air. Weapons and dumpsters are placed at very obvious places. Gameplay is extremely linear and offers almost no challange. In terms of innovation this game does not impress me. They've copied and pasted features from other games, such as xrayvision (Batman Arkham Asylum), draw-grun function (RDR) and many aspects from Splinter Cell. They abandone the unique hitman formula and made it to another generic game. This game shines in the visuals, but lacks in many other ways, and its pathetic to see how much it lacks in innovation compared to previous titles.… Expand
  29. camron12
    Nov 21, 2012
    3
    A hitman game where you spend 80% of the time not assassinating people, and 15% of the time watching the people you're supposed to assassinate get killed in cutscenes. Nice linear piece of crap. The creativity aspect of other hitman games is mostly gone. Contracts mode is the only redeeming factor. It's interesting that the best part of the game is the part with no story and just killing.
  30. Chris_DK
    Nov 24, 2012
    3
    Hitman Absolution is a big disappointment, they had so many years to make this game and improve it, so that it would surpass it's predecessors. Hitman Absolution is to me, the worst Hitman game ever made. The storyline is bad, the game is way to short and the gameplay is awful. In the Hitman games you are an assassin taking care of contracts, in Absolution are are a runaway from the lawHitman Absolution is a big disappointment, they had so many years to make this game and improve it, so that it would surpass it's predecessors. Hitman Absolution is to me, the worst Hitman game ever made. The storyline is bad, the game is way to short and the gameplay is awful. In the Hitman games you are an assassin taking care of contracts, in Absolution are are a runaway from the law playing a babysitter for a girl named Victoria. I thought they would have gone beyond their predecessors after so many years but they haven't. The game also forces you to blow your cover from time to time and engage enemies and it is unsatisfying eliminating enemies in this game. When you shoot them the bullets does not leave any bullet holes only some red marks on their bodies. Also, when you shoot them they fall to the ground like marionette dolls that has recently gotten their strings cut off. The game doesn't even offer you the luxury to close a door.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

29
#29 Best PS3 Game of 2012
15
#15 Most Discussed PS3 Game of 2012
22
#22 Most Shared PS3 Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
83

Generally favorable reviews - based on 30 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 25 out of 30
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 30
  3. Negative: 1 out of 30
  1. Worth Playing
    Jan 24, 2013
    85
    Hitman: Absolution proves to be another notable entry in the series. It may house a ho-hum plot, and you'll hate just about every character you come across, but the open nature of the approach is good enough that you'll overlook those blemishes.
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  2. D+PAD Magazine
    Dec 16, 2012
    70
    When playing to its strengths, Hitman: Absolution is a genuinely great game. Overall, though, it feels slightly disappointing, simply because it doesn't spend enough time playing to those strengths.
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  3. Eurogamer Spain
    Dec 6, 2012
    70
    It's easy to recommend Hitman Absolution, a game that provides chills and emotion although lacks the charisma and polish that you expect from this kind of production.
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