Hitman - Intro Pack

 PlayStation 4
User Score
5.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 274 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 122 out of 274
  2. Mixed: 35 out of 274
  3. Negative: 117 out of 274
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  1. JOHNxEIRE
    Mar 19, 2016
    5
    Absolution had ideas; like a good title that suggested an interesting continuation of this big franchise and it fulfilled that with some really cool stages but the first next gen release is simply a stripped down back to basics 'Hitman'. This first stage being a yuppie bash at a Parisian mansion where in an attempt by the developers to spice things up our Hitman takes a turn as some kindAbsolution had ideas; like a good title that suggested an interesting continuation of this big franchise and it fulfilled that with some really cool stages but the first next gen release is simply a stripped down back to basics 'Hitman'. This first stage being a yuppie bash at a Parisian mansion where in an attempt by the developers to spice things up our Hitman takes a turn as some kind of zoolander..... I dunno man it's some boring stuff that feels like a real step back to basics. Feels like the recycling of a franchise rather than a reinvention. Doesn't seem properly optimised at all, also its online menus are clunky and when it finally loads blacks are washed out shade of grey

    I suppose this is what they get for releasing episodically, beginning with a fairly bland and generic stage arrogantly titled 'The Showstopper' but then they charge €15 for this one stage probably knowing people will not be returning so that's a good 1/4 of the full game price secured at least.......    … Expand
  2. MrTibster
    Mar 11, 2016
    7
    Hitman 2016 is the Hitman game I've been waiting for since 2006..... and I'm still waiting for it. Now don't get me wrong, I love this intro pack, the gameplay is a blend of Blood Moneys slick tactical play and kills, with Absolutions combat and cover system, and it looks gorgeous to boot.

    Its a great start to an episodic series... but its a game that shouldn't be episodic. There are    Hitman 2016 is the Hitman game I've been waiting for since 2006..... and I'm still waiting for it. Now don't get me wrong, I love this intro pack, the gameplay is a blend of Blood Moneys slick tactical play and kills, with Absolutions combat and cover system, and it looks gorgeous to boot.

    Its a great start to an episodic series... but its a game that shouldn't be episodic.

    There are issues with the game though, some major sound issues are present and the A.I can sometimes be the worst its ever been, but I do love this starter, I'm just still waiting for the main course. Overall a great game that you should pick up.

    Pros:
    Gorgeous
    Great level design
    Great cutscenes
    Back to the ways of Blood Money
    Awesome shooting combat

    Cons:
    Quick time punching
    Sound errors
    A.I can be terrible
    Some minor graphical errors
    Episodic    … Expand
  3. rckstrdave
    Mar 14, 2016
    5
    Let's have a thoughtful review about the new Hitman, instead of pure fanboy love, or full on GamerHate. Hitman has some serious problems. It gets a few things right, but is that enough to make up for its sometimes monumental, game-killing failings? So, what did they get right? The expansive and detailed sandbox level design (at least in the one real level that comes with the introLet's have a thoughtful review about the new Hitman, instead of pure fanboy love, or full on GamerHate. Hitman has some serious problems. It gets a few things right, but is that enough to make up for its sometimes monumental, game-killing failings? So, what did they get right? The expansive and detailed sandbox level design (at least in the one real level that comes with the intro pack) is excellent. Lots of options on your approach and execution of targets (not mention actual targets this time around!). Similar to older Hitman titles, there is an interesting but vague story that is wisely kept in the background. Contracts Mode is back, which was the best part about Hitman: Absolution. Improved movement and melee combat options (though 47 is still a little stiff, not to mention reliant on quicktime events rather than good mechanics and hit detection). The guns feel good. It's certainly the best looking Hitman game so far. Some basic fixes are a welcome change: having a map, the ability to close doors, AI that doesn't turn paranoid just because you have the same outfit. In a lot of ways, the new Hitman is a solid improvement over Absolution. However, the developers really dropped the ball in a few areas. The biggest problem is optimization; the underlying structure of the game is disturbingly bad, like seeing a new mansion being built on a flimsy old cinderblock foundation. Load screens are really, really long, and even though there is only one real level to load so far, you must completely reload the entire level each time you load your previous saved game. Even just pressing pause and sifting through menus creates surprisingly long loads. This is a killer for a game built around experimentation and stealth--one wrong move, or an experiment that doesn't pan out so well, and you'll be forced to load your game. If you know that's a two minute ordeal, it actually encourages you not to experiment, just because it means staring at a load screen instead of playing. There are some framerate issues as well, but this is a minor complaint compared to the load screens, which is pretty much a game killer. The online nature of the game is the next biggest issue. Though you can play offline, a significant amount of very important features are disabled, like detailed reports, challenges, Contracts Mode, and unlockables. However, I haven't been able to complete a mission while online yet, as I seem to lose connection within 3-8 minutes of logging on. The game launched to server issues, par for the course these days, and I'm writing this during the first week of release, so one would assume they will fix these issues. However, the real problem is that a lost server connection boots you from your game. Which means another really long load screen and lost progress. Which all seems completely unnecessary. There is no need for constant connectivity, as there are no other players in your world; when you finish a level, you could just as easily upload the raw data results of your playthrough with a very brief connection. I finished the first mission offline, but missed out on all the in game rewards because of the connectivity issues. What a huge disappointment, and some serious face-palming over the game design. However, the biggest problem with Hitman is the release strategy. It boils down to: release a shell of a game, with very limited content and serious structural problems, for full price, with the promise of fixing/adding to it over the next 1-2 years (Destiny, anyone?). This forces anyone who buys the game during the first year to pay full price to do beta testing. Assuming the company actually fixes the game during that time, those who buy in at year 2 will usually get to pay a discounted price for a finished game. This allows developers to get games to market quicker and sell them at full price for longer, but it basically screws their loyal fans--like me. The previous Hitman games all had issues, but by the same token, all have been highly polished, completed games. This new Hitman title is neither polished nor completed. I paid my $60 out of loyalty to the series, but I'm feeling a bit cheated so far. Calling a game like Hitman "Episodic" is not quite honest. It's just unfinished. And that really sucks. The developers have set themselves up for a very tricky gambit. Will they actually fix this game? Will the promised content be good? Will they reduce the load screens so I can actually experiment in this cool sandbox they built? If they succeed, then at best, their loyal fans are bitter over their tactics. If they fail, they've alienated the fanbase of a hugely successful IP. Maybe in six months, Hitman will get better reviews? I hope so, as I'd still like to play it. At this point, it is a mostly unplayable beta. I hope the increased sales are worth it for the publishers, but it seems very short sighted and damaging to the brand to sell half broken, unfinished games.… Expand
  4. zkg03mjmk
    Mar 15, 2016
    6
    I'm fan of Absolution, so I preordered this game on PS4. There were some unpleasant moments after the pre-order, and luckily Sony found a way out.
    If only look at the gameplay and the graphic, I think it's fine. I don't agree with some reviews saying the graphic is unlike 2016. There is visible improvement comparing to Absolution. I actually like the opportunity system, though many    I'm fan of Absolution, so I preordered this game on PS4. There were some unpleasant moments after the pre-order, and luckily Sony found a way out.
    If only look at the gameplay and the graphic, I think it's fine. I don't agree with some reviews saying the graphic is unlike 2016. There is visible improvement comparing to Absolution. I actually like the opportunity system, though many players criticize it. Absolution is more linear compare to this one, and I would give Hitman 6 a plus for that.
    However, I do think the episode idea is bad. Only one mission is added after beta is awful. It breaks the whole story. Won't recommend this to others until all episodes are out.    … Expand
  5. Arcastian
    Mar 12, 2016
    7
    Hitman intro pack does not disappoint but neither does it impress.
    The plot seems to be headed in the right direction and catches my interest easily. I am not really bothered by the episodic nature. Though it is quite true the episode seems devoid of content. But remember that this episode includes the beta missions. If every episode has two massive maps like the Paris one it would be    Hitman intro pack does not disappoint but neither does it impress.
    The plot seems to be headed in the right direction and catches my interest easily. I am not really bothered by the episodic nature. Though it is quite true the episode seems devoid of content. But remember that this episode includes the beta missions. If every episode has two massive maps like the Paris one it would be acceptable. The gameplay however can see some improvements. The gave is holding your hand way too much. You don't feel like you are jumping into a stealth sandbox where you can test your creativity. It feels more like putting together the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle the developers played out for you. I only hope they capitalize on the episodic nature and improve the upcoming chapters.    … Expand
  6. geoff86
    Mar 12, 2016
    5
    This game is like just putting the tip in.. Its good but won't make you climax. This business model sucks. I want to play some hitman, but instead im stuck replaying a single level.
  7. Leahlou
    Mar 13, 2016
    5
    Pretty much prompts you through the whole thing, you don't need to think about anything. Brilliant game if you're a perfectionist and like to play the same thing over and over. However my personal opinion... If a game isn't finished, push it back and wait until it is. 2 hours of my life I'm never getting back.
  8. blopho
    Jun 4, 2018
    6
    I'm going to focus on the game itself, and ignore the controversy surrounding the episodic release of this game.

    I'm reviewing "Hitman: Season 1" here since I can't seem to find a metacritic page for the Steelbook edition of season 1 that I bought. I should clarify that I'm a huge fan of the previous games. So, I "gave this game a chance" more than I would most games. Hitman: Season    I'm going to focus on the game itself, and ignore the controversy surrounding the episodic release of this game.

    I'm reviewing "Hitman: Season 1" here since I can't seem to find a metacritic page for the Steelbook edition of season 1 that I bought.

    I should clarify that I'm a huge fan of the previous games. So, I "gave this game a chance" more than I would most games. Hitman: Season 1 advertises itself as more of a return-to-form than "Hitman: Absolution", the previous title in the series. While it IS true that this game is a more traditional Hitman game that the previous title, it's not as fun as before. If anything it will make you appreciate the gameplay changes that were made to Hitman: Absolution.

    (I'm going to be comparing this game to Absolution a lot, since it's the most logical game to compare it to)

    First of all the levels....they're huge and teeming with activity. This sounds like a positive aspect of the game, and in most games it would be, but somehow this works against the fun of this game. Mostly because more than any other Hitman game, you're surrounded by witnesses. In Absolution, most levels were sparsely populated. That is how it should be imho. In Hitman: Season 1, the levels are absolutely congested with people. It just makes the game that much harder (and dips the framerate too, if we're honest)

    Second of all, the combat. In previous incarnations of the Hitman series, if you found yourself in a tight jam or you got too frustrated with tailing a target you could use blunt force to beat the mission. You'd lose points for doing so, but the option was there. However, in Hitman: Season 1, Agent 47's health bar is tiny. I don't even think there IS a health bar. I'm guessing that they wanted to make the game as realistic as possible, but that was one of the ways they went too far with the realism. Another way was making the levels so densely populated that Agent 47 couldn't even sneeze without 18 people noticing.

    Another thing I should mention is the AI, which is again, way too realistic. In previous Hitman games the NPCs had varying levels of predictability and followed these scripted "paths", so the player would usually have a good idea of where certain guards/targets/civilians would be at what time. Knowing roughly where the enemies would be at what time did make the games a bit easier, but there was still some challenge there.

    In Hitman: Season 1, the non-target NPCs are far less predictable than any other Hitman game. Your target will have a somewhat predictable scripted path he'll take, but the other NPCs move at complete random. It just makes the game that much harder. Also making the game harder is the fact that you need certain tools to perform certain actions to kill your target. EXAMPLE: You see something that can drop on your target, you go to drop it (because it says DROP ITEM ON TARGET, etc) and it turns out you need a crowbar to do so. EXAMPLE 2: You walk over to poison your targets drink (because it says POISON DRINK) but you can't because you need poison to do it. This game really seems to love to tell you about the kills you could be making if you had the missing items.

    I'm kind of in a rush, so I'll try to sum up my feelings on this game in a paragraph.

    This game takes what made Hitman good, and **** it all up. The levels are too big, the AI too unpredictable and too eagle-eyed, the levels too crowded, there's no plot to speak of, and the frantic combat that ensued after a noisy or botched assassination attempt (which was so fun in the previous games) is just gone. This game is like a turd wrapped in gold--you think it's going to be a great Hitman game but then you realize it's just kind of **** And boring. This game is boring if you play it they way they want you to.

    EDIT: 6-4-2018 I should note that this is the game that made me finally decide to tell my PS4. Not that it would have been any better on xbone.    … Expand
  9. Jim222001
    Mar 28, 2016
    7
    Only get 3 practice missions and one real mission. The missions are cool but I rather just have the full game now lol.
    I agree with other reviews that don't like only a little released at a time.
  10. Maxreviews420
    Jun 2, 2016
    6
    The only Hitman game I have played was Blood Money but I saw a bit of this on YouTube and it looks pretty decent but there is one thing wrong. Why is it an episodic release seriously this is a game about killing certain people and the adrenaline you get from finally killing your target is going to wear off before the next level is out. Also this is broken because attacking a guard suddenlyThe only Hitman game I have played was Blood Money but I saw a bit of this on YouTube and it looks pretty decent but there is one thing wrong. Why is it an episodic release seriously this is a game about killing certain people and the adrenaline you get from finally killing your target is going to wear off before the next level is out. Also this is broken because attacking a guard suddenly alerts EVERY guard in the level. Honestly just wait a year for the disc release… Expand

Awards & Rankings

52
#52 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2016
78
#78 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2016

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 69 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 50 out of 69
  2. Mixed: 19 out of 69
  3. Negative: 0 out of 69
  1. Games Master UK
    May 18, 2016
    83
    A perfectly formed bite of Hitman action, set in a rich location and full of murderous opportunity. [May 2016, p.68]
  2. Playstation Official Magazine UK
    May 8, 2016
    80
    Future levels offer better value for money, but this Intro Pack is a confident first chapter containing the ultimate Hitman experience. Scrub Absolution's nightmares - the series is back to its prime. [May 2016, p.84]
  3. Play UK
    Apr 22, 2016
    90
    Hitman strips the series back to its satisfying, and winning, formula. A few technical issues aren't enough to ruin a strong start to Agent 47's new episodic campaign. [Issue#268, p.68]
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