Hitman - Episode 6: Hokkaido

This map put everything I’ve learned playing Hitman to the test. That, and the surprisingly well-done cliffhanger ending, are what made this episode my favorite of the season. The level of detail and density of each map, and the continually deepening narrative, kept me coming back for each new content release, whether it was new elusive targets or new challenges.

The final chapter feels even harder because Hokkaido is teeming with people, and trying to remain quiet is the biggest challenge of all. While it’s easy to forget given that we’re over six months removed from Episode 1, this is still considered the ‘last’ level in a game that’s been ramping up its difficulty since the start.

A great finale to a series that wasn't always as convincing as it should be, this sixth episode combines everything that made the Hitman games great and puts Agent 47 back on the map.

Hitman Episode 6 is a worthy ending to a great first season. Hokkaido is a breathtaking place with lots of diverse methods to kill your targets. While the ending does give us soms answers storywise, it also leaves room for more future content.

Hitman bows out with a strong finale in game terms, if not in story. A fine balance of claustrophobic level design and Hitman’s signature murder opportunities make for a fitting personification of all Hitman is and was.

As a series finale, Hokkaido manages to succeed in almost every way, even if the story has a weak and unsatisfying end.

A calm and restrictive level on first glance, episode six of Hitman is teeming with poetic kills, intricacy and intrigue as it sets up a subtle tease of things to come in future seasons for Agent 47.

The map itself is very good, the atmosphere is excellent, and the hits are challenging. Tricky and more than a little James Bond-esque (the snowed-in private clinic has a real SPECTRE / On Her Majesty’s Secret Service vibe to it), Hokkaido is vintage Hitman at its most creative.

Situs Inversus also ties the season together excellently by not only being a satisfying mission on its own, but by featuring several callbacks for longtime series fans. Some of the assassination options mirror those from older games, and thorough players might notice some special cameos. IO taking the time to provide these little nods to fans was great.

A fantastic end to a fine season of assassination. [Issue#130, p.93]

Now that the season is complete, we can conclude that the latest Hitman was one solid stealth adventure, providing huge open levels for players to explore on their own. Agent 47, although quite old, is still alive and kicking.

This sixth chapter of Hitman is a really good ending for this first season. In this chapter, the stealth is highly important and is more rewarding than complete and total action, just like in the old Hitman games.

The Season Finale of Hitman demonstrates that this is probably the best title of the entire franchise. Despite the skepticism, the episodic formula works and IO Interactive has a great basis to develop in further seasons.

For a season finale, Hokkaido is exceptionally crafted.

Hokkaido may not be the perfect grand ending that many Hitman fans wanted, but it's a nice swansong to signal the end of a successful experiment. Episode 6 is the most atmospheric and creative of the bunch, and is right up there with Sapienza as one of the game's best levels thanks to its design.

A much better map than the last two and amongst the best of the season, while still leaving you wanting even more from Hitman’s episodic exploits.

Hokkaido closes the first season of Hitman. The sixth chapter offers a wide variety of situations and and well-diversified engagement, enhanced by a location that won us over from the first moments.

Hokkaido's map is solid and rich, but not as inspired as Sapienza (or as big and artistically strong). It's still a good closure to Hitman's first season though. Particularly recommended for those who love contracts.

Episode 6 sums up Hitman’s 2016 season: great level design, some good assassination opportunities, and a minimal story.