Hitman is quite possibly the only game of it’s kinda, allowing players to mix a combination of stealth and brutal violence, culminating in an art form known as Assassination. With 16 minutes of the first level revealed, this game looks amazingly promising.
It strikes me as odd that is has been so long since the last release in the Hitman series, almost six years, and it seems like only yesterday I was carefully making my calculated movements to get the “Professional Hitman” on every single level of Hitman: Blood Money. That’s just how I play games like this (including Splinter Cell and Deus Ex – Foxiest of the Hounds and Pacifist achievements, anyone?), and this games looks to be taking a turn in a different direction, though. Just from watching these short sixteen minutes, it seems that this game is going to force players to take out a lot of NPCs in the game. While the old games gave you the highest ratings for only taking out who was necessary, the person playing the game for this video seems to be mercilessly taking out some NPCs, though this almost seems to be a necessity.
***SPOILERS FROM THE FOOTAGE BELOW***
While it could just be the play style of the player, the game seems to almost force him/her to kill the bountiful amount of NYPD towards the end of the footage. While this isn’t a major complaint (everyone enjoys a little carnage every once in a while, and this most likely is just one instance of this), a big issue that I have is this red beacon of sorts. This trail that shows you where the NPC is going to go. Excuse me, when did 47 get schooled in the arts of black magic and psychic mind reading? Apparently in between the six years that were in-between the last game and this one. Hopefully this is something that can be turned off (should be removed, in my opinion), because part of the fun was studying the movements of the NPCs and figuring out when you could do what. It wasn’t that simple though; some of it was chance. Nonetheless, hopefully I don’t need to Navi following me around telling me what to do (anyone get that reference?), I’m a big boy.
Other than that slight issue, the game looks amazing. Visually, stupendous. Audio sounds stunning (audiophile here), though 47s voice sounds… well maybe he just needs to quit the Lucky Strikes for a few years… With a bit more polishing, this game will be amazing, and I cannot wait for it’s release in early 2012. Until then, check out Assassin’s Creed – A 2012 Release and the End of Yearly Releases!