Hitman Absolution proves that 47 has some new tricks up his sleeve.
Hitman Absolution strays away from some of the gameplay elements of blood money, instead opting for a larger level that is split into three or sometimes four mini-segments, each with their own objectives. Before players baulk at this mechanic too much however, know that it never loses the immersive feel of the classic hitman games. Each mini-area has multiple ways to kill a target or navigate through, and you may spend countless hours in each section trying to complete one of the many challenges posted to you in the games notebook, which in turn give permanent score multipliers upon completion. The game has 5 difficulty levels, which scale nicely. People with little experience with Hitman will find themselves at home with Normal difficulty, which gives them an instinct boost, and standard enemy count and detection time, while those more experienced may find Hard or Expert to their fancy. With each increase in difficulty, instinct becomes more of a rarity, and enemies increase in number, along with an increase to their reaction time. For those that scoff at anything less than the best, there is still the Purist difficulty, which removes all HUD except for a crosshair, but that mode is not for the faint of heart, be warned!
The levels within Absolution are gorgeous, often bursting with people, and covered in a layer of grime that fits the wretched characters that inhabit them. The locales you will crawl, shoot, and punch your way through include places like strip clubs, underground fight rings, an orphanage, a country town, and even an abandoned library. These locations, in turn, are often filled with multiple targets, numerous improvised weapons, and any number of possibilities. While the game mechanics may have changed, the level design keeps things fresh, and you never feel shoehorned into taking a certain route through the level.
Mechanics wise, the game is different than some fans may remember from previous hitman games. Gone is the "Notoriety" system of the previous game Blood Money, and instead it is replaced by more complex A.I, and a new game mechanic called "Instinct". Instinct is a new meter that you have, that is used to see enemies through cover, view movement patterns, or to "Blend" with your disguise, something I will go into detail on later. All of these helping options can be toggled on or off at will, so worry not if you are a hardcore hitman fan. Although useful, these new abilities never seem overpowered, and often, almost seem too limited. You'll find that in blending, your instinct meter will drain alarmingly fast, and instinct is a precious commodity that is hard to come by. Therefore, the game encourages its use as a last resort, rather than a crutch, and overall, it works.
Disguises have changed in hitman as well. No longer can you grab a disguise and be immune from enemy detection, free to wander the levels as you please. Now, enemies that are wearing the same uniform as you will begin to notice you if they see you. Wait too long, and your cover, and disguise, will be blown. This can be avoided however, by using precious instinct and slipping away from their view quickly, in an action the game calls blending. Blending however is costly, and impossible to maintain for more than a few seconds. For this reason, the disguise system in Absolution is less about just grabbing the closest disguise and hoping to sneak through the level, and more about careful planning for what disguise you will take, and when is the right time to take it. For example, some areas in Absolution are decidedly easier in your suit, rather than a disguise. If you take a Chicago P.D uniform when many cops are around, you'll find that while they did not notice you in your suit, they will grow suspicious of you in your new outfit, making for a much more difficult time. Choose your disguises carefully, and know when the right time to use them is. While the disguise system suffers from its occasional bug, overall it works very well, and is a big step up from the invisibility of the past.
Weapons in Absolution can no longer be picked from the start. In Absolution, what you see is what you get. However, look hard enough, and all manner of weapons are available within a level, even if they are a bit out of place sometimes. (i.e: A sniper rifle in a doughnut shop upper level). While some fans may feel this is a downside, it works well within the story of Absolution, and never feels all that missed. Non-Stealthy players will be pleased to note that Absolution can be played as a third person shooter. Granted, it will not have the depth of some of the other games, and you will miss out on quite a bit of content, but shooting is now a viable, and sometimes quite necessary approach to a level.
Part of the reason for this is the improved A.I system. No longer do the A.I have the "hive mind" of the older games. Now, the A.I will react according to 47. If 47 alerts a guard, but kills him before he can radio for help, the other guards will not be alerted. Instead, they may only be suspicious, and hunt for the source of the noise. On the other hand, if an enemy gets away, he will run through the level, alerting more and more guards as he goes, which will fan out and search for you, a tactic which they are quite good at. My attempts to hide in a corner went sour when they swept a room and found me. If the A.I gets caught in a shootout, they will attempt to set traps for you. They will barricade themselves in a room for example, and wait for you to come to them, or try to flank you up a different flight of stairs. This makes for quite a challenge, should you rile the A.I up into a frenzy and then attempt to escape.
On the inside though, this game is a stealth game at heart, and encourages play as such. There are countless lines of dialogue for the stealthy person to overhear, and numerous places and events that can be seen when sneaking through a level, that will not happen if the enemies are alerted. Also, the game has its traditional modifiers at the end of a level, judged on how little you were seen, and how few enemies you killed besides the main target. Getting the Silent Assassin rank should prove a challenge difficult enough to keep most people replaying the levels numerous times hoping for the perfect run.
The controls are smooth, mostly executed with a simple button press, which can do things from kill a target, to knock him down a dark hole, or into an open sewer grate. All are simple, and fun to do. 47 himself handles seamlessly, never having any twitches, or otherwise sloppy performance. Like the killing actions, using instinct is as simple as a single button press. It is a simple control scheme that works wonders for keeping you immersed in the bloody world that is Hitman Absolution.
For the multiplayer inclined, Absolution offers a Contracts mode, where a player may go into a story level, and mark a random target for execution. After killing the target, the game tracks exactly how he was killed, and the disguise you were wearing at the time. Up to three of these kills can be stored at once, and then upon exiting a level, a contract is created for the online universe, who are able to compete to see if they can replicate the hit, or maybe even outdo the player. Completion of a contract earns money, which can be used to purchase weapons or upgrades for the contracts mode. Overall, it's a wonderful edition to a Hitman game.
In closing, Hitman Absolution looks good, and plays even better. Though some hardcore fans may at first be put off from its move away from the "traditional" hitman formula, the game is a blast to play and explore. Players that give the game a chance will more likely than not spend hours replaying levels attempting the perfect hit or the high score, and have fun while doing it. Absolution is extremely accessible to new gamers, while still being enjoyable for veterans of the series. Whether or not you decide to play the role of our beloved bald assassin, one thing is certain. Hitman has never looked better!