Review: Hitman Absolution

Platforms: Playstation 3, XBOX 360, PC
Release Date: 20/11/2012
Genre(s): Action-adventure, Stealth
Publisher(s): Suqare Enix
Developer: IO Interactive
PEGI: 18+

At its core, Hitman: Absolution isn’t about killing people. While that’s what the developers want you to believe, the fact of the matter is that Absolution is, at its icy, film noir-inspired heart, a puzzle game.

Sure, the premise has you in the suit and tie of the world’s most dangerous contract killer, but you’re really a guy trying to find the most effective solution to go from one room to another. The method of doing so just so happens to involve ending the lives of one or more people in order to progress. For the 15 to 20 odd hours of gameplay, you’ll be skulking around crowded markets, jails, and secret laboratories, taking down specific targets as you see fit.

Would you subtly suffocate them with your trademark fiber wire, or would you prefer killing everyone in the vicinity and then a few more? Of course, these are just two extremes. Along the way, you’ll learn to fabricate fatal accidents, rig explosions, and indulge in some other diabolical ways to ensure your safe passage from one level to the next. An integral part of doing so is the game’s system of disguises. You can render NPCs unconscious (or dead) and use their uniforms to allow you to move from one area to the next undetected. Just hide their bodies and blend in.

For a world renowned killer, it’s hilarious that blending in involves putting your hand on your face (think of the myriad facepalm pics on the web and you have an idea). You see, doing so expends instinct. It’s a feature that combines Batman’s Detective Mode, Assassin’s Creed’s Eagle Vision, and Splinter Cell’s Mark and Execute. Having said that, instinct isn’t just useful for camouflaging oneself, you can use it to track down targets as well as slow down time to shoot foes with deadly accuracy.

While instinct is quite helpful, you’re not completely dependent on it due to the variety of ways available to finish a mission. Opting for stealthier, quieter methods with a low or no body count fetches a higher score and greater unlocks (in terms of skills and weapons). Decide to go out guns blazing, and you can even end up with a negative score and close to zero skills or weapons to add to your arsenal.

Throw in a save system that makes midlevel saves available only when you find the checkpoints in an area, and you’re basking in a heady mix of tension and exploration that few titles can match. Yes, it’s not your usual auto-save fare that we’re used to, but it gives the game a sort of urgency and pacing that’s unique. The end result is a rather addictive experience that will have you wondering how to clear a stage with minimal fuss.

All of this would be useless without a purpose, and absolution gives you one almost immediately. Early on, you find yourself killing your former handler, who has gone rogue. In her care is a young girl called Victoria. She’s a valuable asset to the agency you’re a part of, and you’ll spend most of the game trying to rescue or protect her from unsavoury elements who make up the rest of the game’s cast. It’s a straightforward tale that forsakes being overtly grand for a more human approach and a hugely satisfying plot.

And speaking of satisfying, the presentation goes above and beyond what you’d expect. Graphically, this is one of the best-looking games this year. From cornfields to towns, every inch of this game is pure pixel perfection. This is based on the Xbox 360 version, which means if you have a good enough PC, it would look even better, thanks to the proprietary Glacier2 engine. It doesn’t just deliver in the eye candy department. There’s a sense of scale to it all, too. Absolution manages to look good and play smoothly even when you have a hundred or more NPCs peppering the environment, coupled with fireworks to boot. Stunning doesn’t even begin to describe it.

Furthermore, the game’s dark tone is accentuated thanks to some fantastic voice acting that drapes its characters in a blanket of sleaze all while seeming perfectly believable. to the point where you’d probably cringe at how twisted some of them can actually be. The moody score blends bits of electronica, punk, country, and orchestrated genres wisely enough that the presence of the series’ usual composer, Jesper Kyd, isn’t missed.

Once you’re done with the campaign, check out the Contracts mode. Here you can pick from the game’s motley assortment of maps, pick a random target for your friends to kill, and add some conditions along the way to make it a lot more interesting. Want your pals to wear a chicken suit and use a knife to stab a stripper in the middle of a crowded nightclub? All it takes is a few clicks. It’s a novel option that adds seemingly infinite replay value to a game whose main draw is its campaign.

Absolution is worth your time and energy, regardless of whether you’re a newbie to the series or a hardened veteran. We’ve had to wait for nearly an entire generation of consoles to end for the next instalment in the series after 2006’s Blood Money. I/O Interactive have taken their own time to make it, but the final outcome is pretty damn sweet. One of the most fun and subversive games we’ve played this year.

WHAT’S ILL

• Moody atmospheres exploring some of the darker themes.
• Fantastic production values.
• Well designed, unique levels.
• Just that feeling of being dressed up in suit and tie, waiting outside a church, to carry out an assassination.

WHAT’S NOT

• Odd use of instinct to get disguises to work.

RATING

• Gameplay Progression: 9/10
• Graphics: 9/10
• Sound: 9/10
• Unique Selling Proposition: 9/10
• illFactor: 9/10

Final Score: 9.1 – illGaming Certified