Hitman: Absolution First Look

Developer: IO Interactive / Publisher: Square Enix / Release Date: TBA 2012 / ESRB: Not Yet Rated

You do certain things in life just so you say you’ve done it. That 64 ounce steak may ruin your digestive tract, but that’s a badge of honor you wear for life. I earned my gaming stripes by playing all the Hitman games back to back, and while I enjoyed them, I’ll admit there’s a lot about the series that repels new players. The developers at IO Interactive know this better than anyone and have decided to try the impossible: make a game that provides the same punishing satisfaction to series veterans while giving newcomers a more forgiving experience. The future will decide whether or not they’re successful, but the way they’re going about it is fascinating. Rather than rework the entire experience a la Splinter Cell: Conviction, they’re giving players the freedom to choose how they want to play.

This was driven home in our demo of the game, where the developers played through the same level in two very different ways. The first was classic Hitman – all stealth, tension, and all the calling cards that I remembered from the series. Agent 47 begins the level standing on top of a stalled elevator in an orphanage, tasked with locating a girl in the orphanage while another group of armed thugs ransacks the place, trying to find this mystery girl first. The demo wastes no time proving to you that Absolution is just as twisted and evil as previous games. As if watching the thugs gun down nuns wasn’t enough (you can hear them gargle and choke on their own blood as they die), you soon come across a room where the thugs are mercilessly torturing a security guard, who screams with agony and pleads for mercy. Just like previous games, Hitman: Absolution looks like it will be a window into an extremely fucked up world.

Since this is the stealth run, 47 merely tosses a toy robot down the hall to distract the torturers, and silently slips through the room without incident. From there, 47 worked through the orphanage using the same instinct abilities from the E3 trailer. By triggering the skill, you can see the silhouettes of enemies through walls, as well as their path of travel. Just like previous Hitmans, playing a perfect game of stealth is symphony in motion. Watching 47 snake neatly through a crowded room without being noticed is as cool as it ever was, and even more tense thanks to the game’s dynamic soundtrack. At one point, 47 hid inside a closet to avoid a passing patrol. As the patrol drew closer, the music grew louder and louder, until cutting out completely when the guard was right outside. Even though I wasn’t playing, I could feel the tension… then broken as the player triggered instinct to reveal the guard’s silhouette taking a piss just outside.

So far, those are the hallmarks of a classic Hitman experience that series veterans will appreciate, but IO is also opening the door to new players. Yes, that does mean cover-based shooting, but this game isn’t Gears of 47 by a longshot. After restarting the demo, 47 now approaches the same situations in a very different way. Instead of using a toy robot to slip by the torture room, he grabs a fire axe off the wall and buries it in the nearest thug’s head. The subsequent gunfire from the two remaining goons would’ve wiped 47 out in any other Hitman, but in Absolution he has a little more bullet padding, giving him the time to whip out a firearm and pop the two remaining guards. This time, the appreciative guard thanks 47 for the relief and tells him about a shotgun located downstairs. This hits on one of the developer’s goals — they want to make Absolution playable in different ways, but also rewarding in different ways. If you take the stealth route, you don’t save the guard, but you get the satisfaction of a clean run. Go violent and you’ll get a sloppier run, but you’ll get little nuggets of story that will change the experience.

47′s gun play abilities are more beefy than just absorbing damage too. As previously mentioned, 47 can now snap to cover and drop enemies using the same peekaboo techniques that have been popularized in shooters since Gears. Now, 47 can go toe-to-toe with a room full of armed gunmen this time around, which feels weird as hell. The first time 47 ran headlong into a room full of armed thugs, I was mentally preparing to load my save already, but he made it through just fine. Duck and cover isn’t 47′s only gun play tool either — now he can trigger his instinct skill to slow down time and paint targets in a room, similarly to Splinter Cell: Conviction. After cleaning out one room with traditional cover-based gunplay, 47 kicked in a door to the next room, slowed down time, tagged two gas canisters, and wiped the room clean with a quick explosion. He then calmly walked through, leaving six dead guards behind. It was badass as hell, and a completely new to Hitman.

The larger story has been revamped as well. Until now, Agent 47 has largely done what he’s told. His handler Diana Burnwood points him in the direction of a target and gives him a slap on the ass, and then it’s up to you to take out the trash. However, as revealed by a video montage before the demo, 47 is actually tasked to kill Burnwood early in the game. While the developers are playing close to the chest in regards to whether or not she actually dies, she’s no longer guiding 47 this time around. 47 has to make his own decisions now, and as the title implies, find absolution for (maybe) killing his longtime companion. The plots of previous Hitmans have mostly revolved around conspiratorial elements regarding The Agency and 47′s past, so it’ll be interesting to see a more personal take on the character.

Of course, IO hasn’t forgotten about all you little masochistic bastards out there that just have to get the “Silent Assassin” rank on every level. That evaluation is still in the game, and just as hard to get as it ever was (the only kills in a stage are the targets, for reference). Additionally, Absolution will have a “Hardcore” mode that removes all the UI elements from the game. No minimap, no ammo counters, and no alert indicators. If you’re worried about the game’s lack of difficulty, it sounds like you shouldn’t be. Just because they added a bunny hill doesn’t mean the mountain still isn’t there. Whether you’re a series veteran or a newcomer, Hitman: Absolution looks like it’ll be what the series never has been — fun for everyone.

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