Be Excellent To Each Other

That's a fair point I suppose. The gameplay still worries me though. They're chasing the dudebro third person shooter dollar. I bet it isn't at all like Blood Money, which was fantastic.

I refuse to judge it on a cutscene. If I were to do that I'd say Final Fantasy XIII-2 is about twirling around with your arms outstretched while singing hideous Celine Dion-esque songs.

I'm not judging it on a cutscene. That's just one more log for the fire. There's gameplay footage out there, as discussed at the beginning of this thread. Along with previews in mags and on websites. Everything I've read and seen about Absolution points in a bad direction.

It isn't?

The most worrying thing about this game is that IO keep showing bits of it off and they're still yet to show anything like what Hitman fans would consider Hitman gameplay. Either they believe for some reason that it's best not to show that (but it's in the game), or they're making a third person shooter. That's my concern. I hope it's the former.

For the sake of comparison, here's a trailer for Hitman Contracts:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0w86x1YaapU

And for balance here's the first absolution trailer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RL5VdUDN ... ata_player

The gameplay tells the real story. Let's just wait and find out, eh? I hope you're right.

Hitman Shitman Titman.

Are we forgetting this gameplay trailer as well?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFnCan12 ... ata_player

I wonder if the Hitman fans in the forum think this looks like traditional Hitman gameplay?

Yeah the explosions and the killing loads of police!

Lots of cheese wire stuff as well though.

Yeah definitely. I remember seeing that and it restored my faith a little, but the gameplay demo with all of the shooting still worries me. The thing with that trailer as well is that it just shows various stealthy takedowns out of context. They could well be takedowns in a traditional stealthy Hitman gameplay or they could just be fancy takedowns in the midst of ploughing down dozens of enemies a la Gears of War.

Showing Agent 47 tiptoeing around isn't going to shift many units. Remember that trailers can be misleading (and not just for games).

Looks fine to me. Even the narrator is outlining how it's your choice as to how you approach the mission. Hiding bodies, dragging them out the way, taking clothes, silent assassinations were all present and correct.

I've read quite a lot in the rags about how you can use environmental items now. I like the look of 47 smacking that bloke with the brick. Options for incapacitation rather than, fnar, decapitation were always thin on the ground before.

I really hope this is a pretty Blood Money.

WITH TIGHTTENEDENED UP CONTROLS LOL!OL!OL!OL!OL!LL!LLL!L!L!!!!ththhhhhhh


it's all I've got.

They really do need tightening up, though!

If could do with the gun sounds from Hitman 2. They were bestest.

I might have a night of Hitman games now my PS2 has taken up residence under my TV. All these videos have done is remember how fucking brilliant they all were. 'cept that stupid ninja level.

Hitman seems like a series I should really like - and I'm fairly sure I've got all the games so far - but I always feel a bit bored of them after a level or four.

Oddly, I find they're most fun if I follow a FAQ for each mission.

They are helped by a FAQ because you don't really get much information about each stage, and there are so many ways you can do things.

However if you've got the patience, I recommend playing the same stage over a few times. I usually go for a suicide run first just to suss it all out. Then I'll try to be a bit stealthy and use the tools/environment, then I'll give it another go or two until I get the top rank.

I really hope they keep that mission structure here. I have a sneaking feeling they'll make it one long continuing mission split into acts, as is the norm now.

I would have had the patience in the "old days", but I don't have much time for gaming now.

I'll still get this, though. Unless it's rubbish.

Well either way, Blood Money is definitely worth playing through - even with a FAQ. Genuinely one of the most fun games this generation, and it came out right at the start.

Yeeees. Definitely right up your street.

"I AM SECRET STEALTHY ASSASSIN MAN! EVERYONE LINE UP IN FRONT OF ME SO I CAN BEGIN THE KILLING!"

"Grim... plays stealth games" is a YouTube channel waiting to be registered.

I will buy Absolution and can guarantee my first run through will be based around killing absolutely everyone I can, at every opportunity. After that I'll go for stealth.

Right, a proper hands-on:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_pal859 ... r_embedded


Let's see if it's shit or not. *crosses fingers*

Well it's not a third person cover shooter.

Yep, fuck it, I take it all back. Every word. This is my most anticipated game of 2012. Woo!

(The trailer outrage is still justified, though, because it was fucking awful.)

I ain't watching that, but even just a hint of WTB's trademark enthusiasm to shiny shiny has made me want to, yes, punch a woman in the tits (and do her up the Gary, of course).

It's pretty Blood Money! Exactly what I wanted! How wrong I was! This is a happy day!

Why didn't they show gameplay like this earlier? Why did they make me suffer and worry?

Flip flopping flipper. Also: Hitman HD collection anyone?

Anyone with a PS3, it seems. Glad they've given the PC-only debut a miss - what a shocking game.

So I've pre-ordered based on my flip floppery. The sniper challenge game is good fun! Only me and TheVision on the leaderboards though. Naturally I trounced his score...

I've played it once... And not for very long. I've only got it because it was free but this sounds like a challenge!

That's what they all say!

It's pretty cool. I like how it's essentially your standard Hitman level, but it's purely sniping. The same things happen each time you play, and it's up to you to use the knowledge you gained last time around to improve your current go. Good ol' Hitman. He's back!

I've just been given a code for Sniper Challenge! Dammit, too many games to play suddenly.

Also, this game is going to be the fucking bizness, I'm absolutely positive of that.

I'm [non-legally bindingly] betting this will be GOTY.

Do you work for Square Enix?

*locks profile*

er...

*edits profile*

Hmmm...

*deletes profile*

Well this is garnering the standard "average" review scores of 7-8, but the text of each review I've read is quite damning.

Hedge, 7 "Spends a long time not being Hitman at all"
Joystiq, 4 "Murder by Numbers"
Yerpgonks, 7 "Makes you rethink what your legs are for transcendental hopping"

The Rock, Paper, Shotgun review gives it a complete kicking.



Such a shame, I was really looking forward to this.

Oh, for fucks sake, this is what happens when you tone down difficult games for cry babies.

You don't actually get to kill the main target on each level - you are treated to a cutscene of the guy being killed by your character - which is not only shit but takes you out of the game as the disguise you're currently wearing is ignored for the (pre-rendered) cutscene!

Also, there's a level in the game where the only gameplay is to walk into a shop, try on a suit, and walk out again.

And you're graded for it.

No, this is what happens when you aim games at the console gaming demographic.

Too many hyperactive teenagers with the attention span of a gnat.

It would be nice if even just once we could have a discussion about a game which didn't end up with you being a total prick and coming to a somewhat unwarranted conclusion that people who play on PCs are somehow superior to those who play on other devices.

POTW. This. This POTW is this. POTY this is post!