Hitman: Absolution

 Xbox 360
User Score
7.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 533 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 326 out of 533
  2. Mixed: 123 out of 533
  3. Negative: 84 out of 533
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  1. HuskHusky
    Dec 21, 2012
    7
    The game was okay.. I prefer to Blood money more than this though. I don't like how disguises do S*** in the environment. The game was a bit too story based compared to the prequels. No Loadout = No custom weapons = No fun.

    When you're making a contract and steam goes down for maintenance, you're kicked from the contract which is S*** as well..
  2. GoodTasteGamer
    Dec 21, 2012
    6
    R.I.P my beloved Hitman. Other hardcore franchise that became casual. My worst nightmare came true. Where should i start ? Well, EVERYTHING in this game reminds me of SC Conviction. "I need to save my daughter" - says Sam Fisher. "I need to save Victoria" - says Hitman. " I'll hide behind crates and jump over them"' - says Sam Fisher. "I'll do that too!!" - says Hitman. "I'll escape fromR.I.P my beloved Hitman. Other hardcore franchise that became casual. My worst nightmare came true. Where should i start ? Well, EVERYTHING in this game reminds me of SC Conviction. "I need to save my daughter" - says Sam Fisher. "I need to save Victoria" - says Hitman. " I'll hide behind crates and jump over them"' - says Sam Fisher. "I'll do that too!!" - says Hitman. "I'll escape from people of the government while trying to save my daughter that was arrested by strange people" - says Sam. " I'll escape from people of the Agency and Police while trying to save Victoria that was arrested by strange people" - says Hitman. The franchise lost it's personality (so as the main character's charisma). Hitman now is a clone of Bruce Willis, not even resembles the methodical and cold killer that we all love. The graphics are pretty good (the stages SADLY aren't sandbox anymore now) but the gameplay is SC Conviction with disguises. A disguise system that f#cks your ass without vaseline. Everytime you use the disguise to fool someone, it requires a LOT of instinct. Instinct is difficult to gain so... yeah, you play Eidos's way (crawling around and taking down ordinary thugs like a f#cking spy or something) or you don't play at all. There's no more fun in killing people because the game gives you too much hints! I tried to up the difficulty a bit but i got f#cked by the stupid disguise system that destroys any strategy. Oh i forgot one more thing! The "instinct" mode works as the detective vision from Batman Arkham Asylum! That's awesome, right ? We have hot nuns exploding hotels and the Agency putting armed soldiers on the streets, causing panic and taking over the motherf#cking country! WOW! The missions where i can, actually, assassinate people are so few that i don't even remember them! There is also a mission where you are FORCED (that's right man, "on rails" style) to shoot things! Oh guys, I miss so much a FPS option to play with Captain Price and Robin while i'm riding on a horse with bazookas on a Third World War against the Agency and Makarov! Just what i expected from a Hitman game! Time to cry, fans of the old Hitman, he will be remembered. God bless his soul.… Expand
  3. LongLiveCHIEF
    Dec 18, 2012
    4
    This just can't be called a Hitman game. I like how some disguises will get you caught by others wearing the same thing, but when you dress as a chicago police officer and get recognized by another chicago police officer... that's insane. Or when wearing a MASK, still recognized... that's insane. As a result, this game is really just sneak, sneak, sneak. One thing I like about the oldThis just can't be called a Hitman game. I like how some disguises will get you caught by others wearing the same thing, but when you dress as a chicago police officer and get recognized by another chicago police officer... that's insane. Or when wearing a MASK, still recognized... that's insane. As a result, this game is really just sneak, sneak, sneak. One thing I like about the old hitman games was the ability to choose what you bring to each level. That's gone. You don't even get to carry the iconic silverballers a lot of the time. No "different" environments like past hitman games, it's all the same area, and the levels seem to just force you down a path, instead of letting you explore. This game got tedious and repetitive FAST.… Expand
  4. moviefreak11
    Dec 16, 2012
    0
    This game is horrible. No more huge open sandbox. Disguises dont work. Stupid plot. Wallhack mode. Everything which made hitman good has been killed so that little kiddies can play this game. Well done, another once brilliant game destroyed.
  5. thx4thc
    Dec 14, 2012
    8
    I prefer Silent Assassin from whole series. Except Codename 47, I played every hitman. I thing every game is excellent. This game is like Hitman in danger, without his suitcase... Deal with this, moaners...
  6. AlexIII
    Dec 13, 2012
    9
    The best Hitman title since Silent Assassin. It's always hard to see a great work receive negative comments due to the respondents being of a limited mindset. Hitman Absolution offers a vivid, creative and highly enjoyable experience which I am very glad to have had. Despite a few easily patchable problems with enemies re-spawning where they shouldn't after a stuff up and reload, theThe best Hitman title since Silent Assassin. It's always hard to see a great work receive negative comments due to the respondents being of a limited mindset. Hitman Absolution offers a vivid, creative and highly enjoyable experience which I am very glad to have had. Despite a few easily patchable problems with enemies re-spawning where they shouldn't after a stuff up and reload, the game-play is consistently varied and engaging. The title does not compensate for the player's incompetence, and that's exactly why it has received some negativity: people get upset when they can't have their health regenerate or reload their save from a second before they last screwed everything up. Hitman Absolution is a true Hitman game and not a modern-day hand-holding five hour jaunt like most releases of recent years. Absolution is at very least the second best game in the franchise, and anyone who says differently is kidding themselves.… Expand
  7. AOLfloppydisk
    Dec 11, 2012
    8
    This game is amazing, the gunplay is fun, shootouts are fun. Love the cover mechanics and the options to make the kill. The story is okay, not the best, but Hitman has never been about the story.

    My only gripe with the game is that there are no loadouts, which I understand don't fit with the story. But after you play it through once, they should allow you to choose what arsenal to take    This game is amazing, the gunplay is fun, shootouts are fun. Love the cover mechanics and the options to make the kill. The story is okay, not the best, but Hitman has never been about the story.

    My only gripe with the game is that there are no loadouts, which I understand don't fit with the story. But after you play it through once, they should allow you to choose what arsenal to take into each level like in Blood Money. This just adds to the replay value of the game being able to try it numerous different ways.    … Expand
  8. AliGSix
    Dec 10, 2012
    7
    A good game. I love how you can interact with anything in the environment and either use it as a weapon, a distraction or pretty much anything else you want it to be. It does a get a little bit frustrating crouching around all time because if you get spotted you
  9. Keoki
    Dec 9, 2012
    10
    This game was great in all aspects. Obviously the plot of Blood Money was so good that was nearly impossible to make it better, but this game it's so good. Don't trust anyone that say he liked the previous ones and give this one a score less than 7... The most of the complains here are just ridiculous or fake.
  10. denkmit
    Dec 7, 2012
    3
    Having loved the previous Hitman games, I was frankly completely disappointed by Absolution. Gone are the awesome sandbox levels of Blood Money and Silent Assasin, repleaced by narrow levels a la Splinter Cell, and action movie cut scenes/set pieces, a la Uncharted. The heart of the game has been ripped out.

    Visually, the game is very pretty, but I'm disgusted that what I got is so    Having loved the previous Hitman games, I was frankly completely disappointed by Absolution. Gone are the awesome sandbox levels of Blood Money and Silent Assasin, repleaced by narrow levels a la Splinter Cell, and action movie cut scenes/set pieces, a la Uncharted. The heart of the game has been ripped out.

    Visually, the game is very pretty, but I'm disgusted that what I got is so different from what I was expecting.    … Expand
  11. Cyper
    Dec 4, 2012
    3
    As an old Hitman Vet, I have to say that this is the worst game in the franchise. Redicilous, childish story, not any freeroaming, extremely streamlined maps (gaurds, dumpsters etc is placed at very convinient places). This is not the hitman I used to love. Its a mix between hitman, splinter cell, and various other games.
  12. Peter_2010
    Dec 2, 2012
    1
    Hitman Absolution was made by the people who make Kane & Lynch and NOT the people who made the Hitman games. The people who made Hitman left IO Interactive in 2008. Once you know the makers of Kane & Lynch made this game you realise what went so badly wrong and why it is such a huge f**k up of a game! The creators of Kane & Lynch are obsessed with trying to write a cool edgy HollywoodHitman Absolution was made by the people who make Kane & Lynch and NOT the people who made the Hitman games. The people who made Hitman left IO Interactive in 2008. Once you know the makers of Kane & Lynch made this game you realise what went so badly wrong and why it is such a huge f**k up of a game! The creators of Kane & Lynch are obsessed with trying to write a cool edgy Hollywood movie but they suck at it so badly. Look how poop both Kane & Lynch games were, they are basically 1% of a Grand Theft Auto game but yet still the same price tag, run shoot wave of enemys, run a bit further and shoot some more waves of enemys, repeat for 4 hours untill over with a crap story bolted on to it. They failed with Kane & Lynch twice so should of taken that as a huge hint that maybe their not so good as this game making lark as they thought and that fans dont want a linear poop story driven game, but no, they went for third time lucky, but this time they tried their luck with one of the greatest game franchises ever,Hitman! They either completely failed to understand what made Hitman games so great or just didnt care and were focused on their weird obesession of trying to create a Hollywood action movie type game, as Absolution has had everything that made Hitman great taken out of it to make way for another poop Kane & Lynch type story. There are only really 2 sanbox levels out of 20, i would of said 3 but you visit China Town twice. Then these 2 sanbox levels are very small and split up with checkpoints and can be completed very very quickly (Im talking a matter of seconds here) Sure you can replay them but the levels are so heavily scripted and dull you just wont want to bother like you did previous Hitman games. IO Interactive really need to wake up and stop with all these Hollywood movie story driven games and give us back the big open sandbox playgrounds of Hitmans gone by. Far Cry 3 is a massive success and looking to be Game of the year, why? because its a huge sandbox where people are dropped in and left to go about it as they please, this is exactly what previous Hitmans were and what made the so great. If you want to write a Hollywood movie IO then you should go to Hollywood and make a film or write a book , not destroy a much loved franchise. Remember IO, you wont fool people twice! If people get even a slight whiff that the next Hitman game will be linear or smaller or have checkpoints they wont be buying it. Only reason i bought this game was beacuse im a die hard Hitman fan, i had my worries way before launch after i heard Absolution would be story driven with smaller sandboxs, yet i bought it because im a huge fan and wanted to see for myself. I wish i hadnt gone anywhere near it and deffinitley wont be rushing out to buy or preordering the next Hitman after this terrible addition to the franchise.… Expand
  13. SpyNanner
    Dec 1, 2012
    10
    Time to wake up, people. Take off those Last Gen Hitman pants off and accept the future. The last entries to the series were good, for the first 3 times you complete it. There was no replayability in the past games other than playing the levels over and over. I'm a huge Hitman fan and i'm happy to see they made changes to the franchise. The gameplay is more organic, responsive and lessTime to wake up, people. Take off those Last Gen Hitman pants off and accept the future. The last entries to the series were good, for the first 3 times you complete it. There was no replayability in the past games other than playing the levels over and over. I'm a huge Hitman fan and i'm happy to see they made changes to the franchise. The gameplay is more organic, responsive and less stiff. The visuals are gorgeous and i can't wait to see the next gen Hitman game use Glacier 2 on the next gen consoles. When it comes to the value and replayability of Hitman: Absolution, fear not. The singleplayer campaign takes you around 15 hours if you explore and think of new ways to dispose of your target. There are 20 levels to do your murdering in and these levels can also be utilized in the new ''Contracts'' mode. (To be honest the first time i booted the game up and saw ''Contracts'' i thought the game came with Hitman: Contracts, which was the third entry to the series) In ''Contracts'' you can make your own hits and put them up for others to play. These contracts can have specific weapons used to dispose of your target and by killing the target with that specific weapon, you get bonus cash as a reward. The game is all around a Hitman game. The people that moan about it ''not'' being a Hitman game because it's not Bloodmoney are a bunch of morons. Times change, game engines change. Hitman: Absolution is not only a stellar Hitman game but also a great stealth/action game.… Expand
  14. Gamer44
    Nov 30, 2012
    9
    Epic game this is for me the best hitman game yet the story keeps you hooked from start to finish.The stealth game play is awesome and makes you think really hard on what to do next to accomplish the mission.The rest of the game is just as epic.The controls are smooth and really easy and quick to learn.The graphics is very impressive and the entire game put together is fantastic
  15. NapalmCola
    Nov 30, 2012
    1
    I created an account just to review this game. Did you love Splinter Cell? Well then this is the game for you!

    Did you love Hitman Blood Money? Did you spend hours playing it, and eagerly await a sequel? Well then to you, IO throws up their middle finger with a laughing **** you!". Now I know what you're thinking. This is the internet. People are always nasty and negative. I shouldn't    I created an account just to review this game. Did you love Splinter Cell? Well then this is the game for you!

    Did you love Hitman Blood Money? Did you spend hours playing it, and eagerly await a sequel?
    Well then to you, IO throws up their middle finger with a laughing **** you!". Now I know what you're thinking. This is the internet. People are always nasty and negative. I shouldn't take this too seriously. But let me make this very clear to you. You should NOT spend your money on this game. I tried really hard to like this game. I honestly did. But the whole time I played, I felt this sick feeling of disappointment in my stomach. I so very much wanted this game to be good. But it's not.

    You know everything that made Blood Money fun? Yeah, it's gone. Completely taken out. Sandbox levels? Gone. Setting clever traps and watching them work? Gone. Wearing disguises to get into restricted areas? There, but so terribly broken that it's useless. Fun? Definitely gone.

    The whole game is getting from point A to point B, all the while hiding behind corners and low walls, and trying to sneak by the enemy without being spotted. The whole thing. Gone are the days of choosing your weapons, being dropped in a big map, being told who your targets are, and the game saying "Have fun!". Now, you sneak to the next door. And then to the next door. And then the next door. And then maybe you get to kill someone. Then you sneak to the next door.

    I give this game a 1 instead of a zero on graphics alone. I almost gave it a 2, but I have to offset these RIDICULOUS 9s and 10s. Even if you did enjoy the game, it's CERTAINLY not 9 or 10 material. Those people obviously have never played a Hitman game before.

    I'm bringing it in to Gamestop for their $30 within 30 days thing. And I'm getting a deal on that. Anyone who would spend a dime on this game is an idiot.    … Expand
  16. moremodestthanu
    Nov 30, 2012
    1
    47 is MIA. This isn't Hitman. IO has succeeded in making a linear, get-to-the-door simulator, but everything that made Blood Money awesome has been replaced with QTE's and over-the-top set pieces. No Weapon selection going into missions, no escape from mandatory cut-scenes where your target gets away, no way 47 can hide a Kazo TRG in his suit. Most missions do not feature a Target that you47 is MIA. This isn't Hitman. IO has succeeded in making a linear, get-to-the-door simulator, but everything that made Blood Money awesome has been replaced with QTE's and over-the-top set pieces. No Weapon selection going into missions, no escape from mandatory cut-scenes where your target gets away, no way 47 can hide a Kazo TRG in his suit. Most missions do not feature a Target that you can kill, and the ones that do are much more flat than even the worst Blood Money Missions. If you are a fan of the series, then you'll have to find a new video game franchise to like, because Hitman will never be the same if this game is a sign of things to come.… Expand
  17. 0jerunchin805
    Nov 30, 2012
    0
    THIS IS NOT A HITMAN GAME BE WARNED!
    I already traded this garbage in for 25$ and feel kinda bad for them like i completelly ripped them off but not bad enought to keep this S%#$ of a game.
    like many people i was eagerly awaiting the new hitman game since my favorite game of all time BLOOD MONEY,i was deceived by IO they showed streets of hope and with a straigth face said that was just    THIS IS NOT A HITMAN GAME BE WARNED!
    I already traded this garbage in for 25$ and feel kinda bad for them like i completelly ripped them off but not bad enought to keep this S%#$ of a game.
    like many people i was eagerly awaiting the new hitman game since my favorite game of all time BLOOD MONEY,i was deceived by IO they showed streets of hope and with a straigth face said that was just the peak of the iceberg for the assassinations to come i became giddy with anticipation,how misplaced my faith would be as that turned out to be easily the biggest "sandbox" level in the game made out of 2 checkpoints, all in all the game has 20 missions divided into 53 checkpoints(i think) and only about 12 checkpoints are assasination missions wich are either extremely tiny or verry linear in execution in my opinion only about 6 checkpoints could be more legit hitman levels even if they are extremely tiny.The rest.... well lets just say i wouldnt call it hitman per say more like H I D E M A N: d o o r s o l u t i o n since thats what you do in most missions OPEN DOORS with splinter cell gameplay. Doorman takes everything great and unique from hitman and turns it into dumbed down linear call of duty type garbage.Most levels all you do is go from door to door "evading" police with prescrypted chopper chases,Huge explosions,burning buildings, etc basically your average call of duty type sh@!.
    All in the name of what ?? appealing to the lowest common denominator?? $$$?? it may be because of those reasons but its also because of its HORRIBLE STUPID STORY! like WOW how bad at storytelling can you get?? plus since you are on the "Run" from the police thats the excuse the developers TERRIBLE story uses to keep sending you from door to door to door to door to door to door to door to door to door to door then pathetically small "assaination" mission. then rinse and repeat...so much wasted potential,stupid kane and lynch developers were jelaous that theyre own series wasent as loved by hardcore fans like hitman that not even a dogs crap gave a sh@# about that horrible series that they decided to say a big FU%& YOU to the former IO hitman developers who have since left the company... i cant imagine why.

    To anyone out there if you are on the fence about this game go with your Gut instict not your love for hitman like i did and for a more legit review look at PC GAMERS review of the game its SPOT ON.
    the last thing you want to do is give these kane and lynch a%$holes a reason to keep making this sh@# by buying it,if you have to buy it used.The thing i regret the most is buying the game new since i gave those idiots my money what a fool i am.
    Well thats it thanks to anyone who waste their time reading this with horrible grammar and everything,me?? im back to playing blood money.    … Expand
  18. Smashsoul
    Nov 29, 2012
    8
    Hitman: Absolution is a great game that is held back by some tedious and boring level design, but it always balances it out with the gameplay we know and love. I
  19. DunleerUK
    Nov 28, 2012
    7
    This game has divided Hitman fans, some think it's a bold new step for the series while others think it has ruined it. I am a fan of the past games and while I think it is a more than competent game in its own right there are several things that have left me feeling disappointed. On the whole it is a good game, the glacier 2 engine gives the visuals a much needed overhaul, the levels areThis game has divided Hitman fans, some think it's a bold new step for the series while others think it has ruined it. I am a fan of the past games and while I think it is a more than competent game in its own right there are several things that have left me feeling disappointed. On the whole it is a good game, the glacier 2 engine gives the visuals a much needed overhaul, the levels are entertaining and diverse so that each place feels different and interesting to play, and the different levels of difficulty offer an experience for new comers or real Hitman veterans. There is no multiplayer which is a good thing, as this really isn't the type of game that fits multiplayer or needs it. In its place is Contracts mode that allows players to create and play each others custom missions, as a creator you choose who the targets are, how they should be killed, which weapon to use, along with many other parameters. The best thing about it is that the creator must be able to complete the contract them self before it is created. It's very well done and provides a lot of scope for players that want to make challenging contracts for each other. I would have enjoyed the game a whole lot more than I did if it wasn't for the following things: (1). The disguise system is mostly redundant - In previous games you could don a disguise which allowed you access to restricted areas, if you did anything strange or you hung around too long near an enemy they would become suspicious. In Absolution, anyone wearing the same outfit as you is immediately suspicious of you. Now this is understandable if you happen to take out a security guy on a small manned team, they would know you were an impostor. But when you are street vendor or police officer in a crowd of over a hundred people, you think "How the hell do you know I'm not a real cop? Do you know EVERY cop in the city?" On the harder difficulties you might as well not bother at all as the disguise will grant you barely 2 seconds of anonymity before you are clocked, the system also contradicts itself at times to. One level places you in a courtroom mid-trial, you can halt the trial, knock out the judge and wear his clothing then resume the trial. No-one even notices you are a completely different person. (2). The game has a great variety of weapons, but unlike previous Hitman games you cannot choose your load out before a mission. Now this does loosely tie into the story, but it just feels like another method that the game design quashes your creativity in how you approach missions. (3). Methods of killing or subduing NPC's which should be silent or almost soundless will still be heard. This isn't a major problem but you will have some times where you have just shot someone with a silenced pistol or choked them, then random NPC #12 who was in the next room with music blaring supposedly heard what happened. These are picky issues but they really do spoil what could easily have been my favorite Hitman game to date. The game is still enjoyable to play and far above many other games released around the same time, should they patch the disguise system issues I'd easily give this game a 9.… Expand
  20. xMacorA
    Nov 28, 2012
    9
    I had to register in order to write a review appropriate for this game that I've yet to read. Hitman: Absolution offers a linear story that is much more story driven than previous iterations. Whether or not that is a different approach for earlier Hitman games is irrelevant due to the fact that IO interactive knew what they were going after and nailed it. The intensity of 47's role asI had to register in order to write a review appropriate for this game that I've yet to read. Hitman: Absolution offers a linear story that is much more story driven than previous iterations. Whether or not that is a different approach for earlier Hitman games is irrelevant due to the fact that IO interactive knew what they were going after and nailed it. The intensity of 47's role as Victoria's protector makes it all the more engaging in my mind. I find that some of the missions, Hunter and Hunted for example, were far too long to be a single mission but the way they broke them up by parts that all have individual scores makes replaying them sound a lot better. One other legitimate complaint is the disguise system; I know they attempted to create a "third party" factor for optimal incognito but it took it a little far. Dress as a cop, fellow cops call you out almost instantly if you don't instinct prior to being in their line of sight. Dress as a goon or any disguise that is part of a group of people and they'll be suspicious of you and the only way to solve that is by either "hiding" by doing a task that fits that identity or using instinct. While it makes sense, seeing as you should know the people in your clique, it got a little out of hand during some missions. Back to the key points, Contracts mode is a perfect addition to Hitman, much better than a limited multiplayer like other stealth based games attempt. I don't know if it's just me, but I love being able to queue other peoples contracts and figuring out ways to do it better myself. I will admit a true downfall is only being able to purchase upgrades for your safe house is via an offshore account that is funded for completing contracts. That's no issue for me, but for people that lack internet connections would really get old of grinding IO's contracts for money I'd assume. Now I'm currently on mission 15 out of 20 on Purist, and I've not found nearly any glitches or unusual bugs, contrary to people claiming so. The only problem I've had was on mission 14, I had a hard time getting the QTE for subdueing to proc on a goon. Overall this game is phenomenal and I sincerely recommend it.… Expand
  21. THE_KONGONATOR
    Nov 27, 2012
    8
    This game has sparked quite a lot of controversy among the Hitman fans. There is logic behind their negativity, no doubt. But this is still a great game. This is not a TRUE Hitman. Why? The original crew left IO in 2008. This new crew got rid of Jesper Kyd's wonderful musical talent. They even considered not hiring David Bateson to voice 47. This "new crew" obviously had no intentions toThis game has sparked quite a lot of controversy among the Hitman fans. There is logic behind their negativity, no doubt. But this is still a great game. This is not a TRUE Hitman. Why? The original crew left IO in 2008. This new crew got rid of Jesper Kyd's wonderful musical talent. They even considered not hiring David Bateson to voice 47. This "new crew" obviously had no intentions to stick this game to its roots. Does that back it bad? Not at all.

    Let's start with the pros. Visually, Absolution is stunning. Everything is looking fantastic, it really pushes current-gen console graphics to its limit. The cut-scenes also look very decent.

    Game play wise, Absolution is a whole lot of fun. There are still multiple ways to take out targets, from brutally throwing a tomahawk into the back of their head or activate an electrical fence for them to talk into and fry to death. This game offers a lot in terms of assassination methods - hence the huge amount of re-playability this has. The cover system is standard, the gun play is fresh and the stealth mechanics all work well apart from disguises.

    The disguise system is a good concept but heavily flawed. You can be disguised in a fully covered up scientist suit, and other scientists will notice something fishy from just being able to see your mouth. If other people are suspicious, you will need to use instinct for them to ignore lose suspicion.

    Instinct is shown in a bar, and it is limited in supply. You gain instinct with assassinations and completing objectives. Instinct depletes when you use it, it depletes differently depending on which difficulty you are on. The highest difficulty does not even have instinct.

    Instinct is generally a bad feature. It is flawed and its purpose is to make 47 put is hands by is face so other people won't notice him. So apparently 47 can only put his hands by his face a limited amount of times? Strange.

    Instinct also allow you to see through walls, and enemies will be highlighted in red. Similar to Assassin's Creed's eagle vision. This is useful, and a good part of this feature.

    Story-wise, Absoluton isn't solid. But it is good, considering the previous games had no story or little emphasis on one. 47 opens up more as a character, and we can finally warm to him as a human being, rather than as an emotionless clone. He is still as bad ass as ever, and he is definitely up there with my favourite characters in gaming. He still has little to say, but whatever is does speak it sends chill down your spine every time. David Bateson does an amazing job, and I hope he stays as 47's voice for as long as the Hitman series lives for.

    The villains are also extremely entertaining and... well... evil. Blake Dexter is the main bad guy, and he is simply FANTASTIC. As a gamer, you really want to kill him. Which is a wonderful feeling. All those associated with Dexter are strong characters too. Travis, is the second villain, the leader of the ICA. He is not a strong character, but he is still evil enough for us to want him 6 feet under. The main flaw with Absolution, however, is the missions. Only a couple of missions have "sandbox" zones in them. The rest of the missions are purely linear, and we are left we no freedom like the other Hitman games gave us. We only get one path through the missions, and it does not feel right for Hitman fans. We are used to the great, big levels where we got to control our own fate within the area. This is a big shame, and like I said earlier, it was clear that IO did not want to stick Hitman to its roots. Maybe they will release some sandbox missions in DLC to cater for their enduring fans.

    All I will say is, a second Hitman looks very possible. I hope that they will return the classic sandbox maps. Let me put it this way, if this game had sandbox maps for 90% of it, I would have given it a 10/10.

    Absolution is disappointing for Hitman fans, but for new players this will be refreshing. If you have never played Hitman before, I implore you to get your hands on it. If you are a long time Hitman fan, I still recommend this. BUT, don't expect a classic Hitman game. Otherwise, you will be disappointed.    … Expand
  22. frugal_frogger
    Nov 27, 2012
    6
    I liked the previous hitman titles a lot more than this. Sure, the graphics are great and the gameplay is pretty good, but honestly there's nothing new about this game. It's kind of like the same old thing with a couple quirks here and there.
  23. MattNasty
    Nov 27, 2012
    8
    Great Game. Some of the Hits were Cutscenes which really pissed me off to say the least. Contracts mode is very cool as it grows with time. The graphics are very good on the PC version. It was a great addition to the Hitman Family and I feel like some people like Matty2012 are just trolls. This game is a HITMAN game and its a fun one.
  24. bane004
    Nov 27, 2012
    10
    Let me just say I love the hitman series. This is not hitman Blood Money 2. It does take parts from the previous hitman games and combine it into one game. For me, i wouldnt want a blood money sequel with improved AI and new storyline. It then would be a COD game where you just change little things in sequels. I believe the story is really good. I find it keeps me into the game more thanLet me just say I love the hitman series. This is not hitman Blood Money 2. It does take parts from the previous hitman games and combine it into one game. For me, i wouldnt want a blood money sequel with improved AI and new storyline. It then would be a COD game where you just change little things in sequels. I believe the story is really good. I find it keeps me into the game more than blood money. The design of the levels are amazing along with the graphics that go along with them. The gameplay is fun. It is not like blood money but it is still good. You need to be sure to look at the notebook and look at the many ways you can kill your targets. Contracts mode is a plus. People are so creative with their assassination missions. I give the game a 8 out of 10 but because it seems like people gave it a 0 out of 10 because the game isnt a blood money sequel, i gave it a 10/10… Expand
  25. arajand
    Nov 27, 2012
    9
    I am registering to metacritic to write a review for this game - just because there are too many weird negative reviews that do no justice what this game is. Have people lost their minds?

    The game is excellent. I recently bought and played Dishonored, Max Payne 3, Mass Effect 3, Skyrim and Fallout 3. Max Payne 3 was a boozed-out slugfest, and very formulaic. The game missed the spirit    I am registering to metacritic to write a review for this game - just because there are too many weird negative reviews that do no justice what this game is. Have people lost their minds?

    The game is excellent. I recently bought and played Dishonored, Max Payne 3, Mass Effect 3, Skyrim and Fallout 3. Max Payne 3 was a boozed-out slugfest, and very formulaic. The game missed the spirit of the earlier Max. But still, not a disaster. But not great. Mass Effect 3 - I had fun playing it. Don't care for the save the galaxy crap, but like a true fan, liked the first few levels, especially the one on the Turian planet, and a few characters. Wasn't 'outraged' by the ending. Skyrim - didn't care for the dragon crap, but had some fun playing the main mission. Fallout 3 - was too grey and monotonous. Dishonored - was the game I liked the most of the lot, but thinking back, there are parts which didn't move me much. What was great about Dishonored were the character models, the artwork and the level design esthetics. I liked the climb-back from Corvo's downfall, where he gets dumped in the Flooded district amidst the Weepers.

    Hitman, I would place at the top of this entire pile. As a gamer, you'd always think how unrealistic many of 3D FPS settings always have been. How most worlds we saw shorn of detail, had no objects you could interact with, had all kinds of HUD hand-holding interface elements. In short, the lack of realism that would cruelly distract from the gameplay one enjoys as a gamer, but can yet not convey to the casual onlooker because what confronts him or her is the stark unconvincing unrealism. All that is gone with Hitman. Imagine bustling crowds as far as the eye can see, or imagine rustling corn shoulder-high in a field, or a mid-western US small town junkyard - you'll be there. One can only imagine a Deus Ex set in such a world.

    Of course, there are small glitches and distractions. But you have throw yourself into a game and enjoy it first. Your rating score is useless otherwise. That is what most of these low scoring reviews here represent. Bunch of insincere, complaining seekers of nostalgia, if anything else at all.

    Hitman is a landmark game that deserves gamers' appreciation. It has its flaws - perhaps the weird save system (can be downright frustrating if you goof up and get yourself killed) and the structuring of the story narrative where control is taken away from the player on occasion. But who gives a damn if the game works? The 'cinematicism' does not, and cannot detract from the game.    … Expand
  26. Cheesie_Wotsit
    Nov 25, 2012
    1
    I liked Hitman Blood Money so much i bought it twice, once on Playstation 2, then again on Xbox 360, still play it today. I bought Hitman Absolution on day of release and traded it in already it was that bad. All they needed to do was take Hitman Blood Money and improve the AI. Instead they took all the fun of Hitman out. Last game i ever buy from IO.
  27. Mazmorrero47
    Nov 25, 2012
    7
    Finally, Hitman is back! Now in Absolution, we can see this franchise enjoy all the goodness of the 7th console generation. The environments feel more alive, the graphics are quite impressive and the animations are more fluid, therefore, more comfortable for the controls; specially the shooting, which in the previous games needed to be avoided at all costs because it would most likely costFinally, Hitman is back! Now in Absolution, we can see this franchise enjoy all the goodness of the 7th console generation. The environments feel more alive, the graphics are quite impressive and the animations are more fluid, therefore, more comfortable for the controls; specially the shooting, which in the previous games needed to be avoided at all costs because it would most likely cost you your life. 47 looks better than ever. The work regarding his creation is simply fantastic. He looks very sinister and David Bateson did a magnificent voice acting as always. Not only that, we now see a different side of 47: a man who is not only a ruthless killer, but someone who actually has some personal interests and complex moral dilemmas. The gameplay feels more Splinter Cell (Conviction to be more specific) than Hitman, which may disappoint Hitman's most purist fans, but if you liked Splinter Cell: Conviction you will most likely enjoy Hitman: Absolution. One of the reasons the gameplay seems more SC than Hitman is that the disguise system is extremely complicated to use, because getting a disguise causes more harm than good to the point where it becomes pointless since guards will discover you anyway, forcing you to sneak by them. The saving system could have been better since it won't save your progress in certain checkpoints, so you'll have to get to the next mini-cutscene if you want to stop and play later without loosing what you've done, and since advancing may be quite difficult, it becomes frustrating. The story starts great, but as it goes on, you can notice that the writers struggled to keep it moving, so they used the same plot device over and over again getting old quickly. The other flaw in terms of story are some of the main villains, who are too cartoonish to be taken seriously (a group of women dressed in silly fetish outfits headed by a Lil' Kim copycat, a Texan stereotype and Machete on steroids). Not to mention their cringe-worthy dialogue and the fact that they are so fool they can't be feared. They would be Ok for a Robert Rodriguez movie, but in this case, they take you out of the otherwise creepy and dark atmosphere of the game. Jesper Kyd's music is deeply missed since it really got you immersed into 47's universe. Not saying that the music in Absolution is bad, it's just not as good as Kyd's. Overall, I'd say Hitman: Absolution will have fans very divided in terms of gameplay. You'll enjoy it if you like stealth action in general or you won't if you expected the classic Hitman formula.… Expand
  28. gsn
    Nov 24, 2012
    7
    I am a big Hitman fan, played the first Hitman: Codename 47 when it first came out way back before the rating system and you can killed everybody in the box (just not the civies). Ever since then, I have owned every single Hitman game, including Contracts and this Absolution. It was not until Blood Money where a coherent story line was put into place, you know, in the form of theI am a big Hitman fan, played the first Hitman: Codename 47 when it first came out way back before the rating system and you can killed everybody in the box (just not the civies). Ever since then, I have owned every single Hitman game, including Contracts and this Absolution. It was not until Blood Money where a coherent story line was put into place, you know, in the form of the wheelchair guy telling 47's story to his own death while attending the funeral of a "dead" 47. Absolution ramped up the story telling department, involved more voice-acting for more characters (no more "Alarm, alarm!" or "backup, I need backup"), fancier graphics that would strain your i7 cpu/ Physix core, and a "multi"-single player mode that serves as a bragging right, sort of. I will start on THE BAD. THE BAD: A semi-working challenge and checkpoint system that would choke the living fibrewire out of the perfect hitman. This is especially horrible for those "stacking" challenge where you have to kill this many goons in this certain ways. Some are easy to stack but some are just hard. To make things worse, it is bugged to reset itself halfway through the challenge ALTHOUGH once you complete one challenge to a full bar, it stays completed. Speaking of choke/checkpoint, it resets the AI routine to the beginning of the level and some AI activities have to be triggered by 47's proximity to the AI(s). So, you might find yourself in an infinite waiting loop like me waiting for the AI to finish his phone conversation just to realize that I did not trigger the speech. THE BAD 2: AI detection skill. More like 47 detection skills by AI. Since you no longer look at the lovely map to know the place, you have to rely on either A) killing everybody and burn the blueprint of the level to your mind, or B) acquiring disguise to scout the patrol or the death/accident walk of the target(s). Except you sort of cannot do it like how you have done it so many times in Blood money. If the level is swarming with patrols, you have better to just stick with your suit because you arouse and accumulate suspicion meter every second that any patrol maintain line-of-sight with you. THE WORST part is when the game forced you (not a boss fight chokepoint but a regular design oversight chokepoint like the one in Descent level) to a chokepoint that stands between you and the person that you must drop, and you are torturing yourself with the Professional difficulty. To sum up the BAD, the entire game plays like Splinter Cell (yea, 47 can now run while bending his back and bending his back to stealth mode is not any slower than his walking speed). Also, THERE IS NO LOADOUT FOR 47!!! At least in campaign mode which is definitely a big upset to do funny business by starting with a sniper with case. Now THE GOOD: The new "Multi"-single player mode is basically identical to the gameplay of Hitman-Contracts. If you blame the specific contract is too linear, then blame the creator of the contract because he/she chose the setup (i.e. which level, who is/are the target, disguise or which killing weapon, etc). Personally, I think it is a good way or at least give you a good reason to explore the parts of the level if you have missed it while trying to play a perfact campaign playthrough. Also, this is the only way you can earn "real" blood money to "upgrade" your collected weapons (that's right, even the collected weapons can be improved) and subsequently start a mission/contract with it. So, in every sense, the Contract mode is more faithful to the previous Hitman games than the campaign. THE GOOD 2: Improved graphics and gameplay**. I am thankful enough to own a rig that can throw out a decent FPS and Hitman has set a benchmark like how it did in the first game when it came out (the time when overall graphics was worse than your first xbox games). The rating system was in real time and you would know immediately if you have been seen. I have had good times playing knives only missions and if the AI "works"***, it works (i.e. no more easy funneling/camping in the store/restroom like blood money) minus the detection flaw mentioned above. Oh, you can no longer distrupt any AI routine by walking behind them and making them turn around, you cannot do that anymore to get easy exploit. While we are on subject, the AI is much more harder to exploit than in Blood Money. This is simply because they can see through your disguise like in Hitman: Silent Assassin when you were standing there doing nothing. OVERALL: Hitman: Absolution is fun to play. The campaign itself does not have the same replayability that it does in Hitman: Blood Money but the Contract mode is extremely addictive. Blood Money is a sandbox but Absolution has this leading levels like in the first and the second Hitman games that lead on to the major target level. However, if you are like me, it would take at least 10 hours for the first playthrough in Absolution with the broken "save" system. Thank you for reading.… Expand
  29. fryzee
    Nov 24, 2012
    10
    Perfect Hitman game. You'd be silly to think otherwise, it's a masterpiece from start to finish and with contracts mode added there is always even more replay ability over the constantly changing world around you.
  30. monkeylion
    Nov 23, 2012
    2
    Update: My first review was just with a couple of hours of gameplay, now after finishing the game I can tell you that there are 3 or 2 missions segments that are old classic hitman style, the others however suck, and suck bad, let e put it like this, if I could get my money back I would
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Awards & Rankings

58
#58 Best Xbox 360 Game of 2012
15
#15 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2012
23
#23 Most Shared Xbox 360 Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 51 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 38 out of 51
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 51
  3. Negative: 2 out of 51
  1. Toronto Sun
    Mar 6, 2013
    80
    Ultimately, Hitman: Absolution marks a faithful, gorgeous and only occasionally maddening return for a series that’s been gone far too long. It may have trouble finding fans among twitchy gamers with short attention spans, but guns and brains should never be mutually exclusive. And those kids can get off my damn lawn.
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  2. Game Over Online
    Dec 21, 2012
    88
    Absolution is a fantastic addition to a series that defined a genre last generation, and I can't wait to see what they come up with for our favorite bald assassin moving forward.
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  3. Hyper Magazine
    Dec 17, 2012
    90
    A meticulous, engaging game and accomplished sequel that improves upon its predecessors in an organic way series fans will appreciate. [Jan 2013, p.55]
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