Io Interactive Shows How Changes Can be Good, If Done Correctly

When Agent 47 took a razor blade and cut off his iconic bar code tattoo, I was devastated. "This can't be! This isn't right!" I exclaimed. "Anything but this!" I thought the bar code tattoo would be gone forever, until I got a close-up look of the back of his head when he was hiding inside a closet in the hippie level. I could see the bar code was still there, not at all gone, but almost entirely covered by poorly placed plasters. It was a huge relief for me. The bar code means a lot to long time Hitman fans like myself. You see, this is one of the huge changes that Io Interactive took on Hitman Absolution, among others, but fortunately, the same old ways are still there.

But one of the biggest changes has got to the the level structure, which I first noticed while playing the second level, which has Agent 47 assassinating the King of Chinatown. It took me a while to make up my mind on what to do, but eventually I decided to head first to the dealer's room. I distracted the cop guarding the stairs, went upstairs into the room, found the dealer asleep and choked him (of course). Then I looked around the small crowded room. A sniper rifle on his desk caught my attention. I took it and aimed out of the window. As I locked the crosshair on King's head, somehow one of the levels in Hitman Contracts came to mind. I chuckled and pulled the trigger. Bang. Mission complete. Well... almost. I sneaked out of the miserable apartment, blended into the crowd and went out of Chinatown. Now it can be considered mission complete.

One of the intense moments.

I was stunned by how easy and quick the mission was. In fact, it felt more like a tutorial mission, or at most, a level 1 mission. Not at all like traditional Hitman missions we’re so used to. Before I got my hands on Absolution, I heard that this new installment would introduce some changes to the Hitman series. My first assumption was that the changes were simpler and shorter levels, and more accessible gameplays to new players to the series. But as I continued playing, I found that I was actually wrong. The levels may be shorter but they are far more open ended than those of the previous games. 

This is a break from the same old routines of the previous Hitman games. I do love the linear levels which are traditional to the series, but I must admit, after some time, I got bored of playing Hitman Contracts after performing one assassination after another. Absolution, however, is more plot-driven than the previous games. There is a story to Contracts, don't get me wrong, but Absolution is more story-driven and less predictable, as not all missions end up with you killing a target.

I am, however, not a fan of excessive bloom effect.

I guess since Agent 47 is no longer tied to the Agency in Absolution, not every level in the game needs you killing somebody. Moreover, Absolution is the most-story driven Hitman game so far. Here, players explore the emotional side of 47, so I think that also contributes to the game being more open-ended this time. If you take a look at the Level Menu, you'll be surprised to find out how unrestricted are the levels to any specific criteria. Some levels are lengthy and complicated, some straightforwardly simple, some are linear, while some are open world. When it comes to the objective, some are assassination levels; some are kidnapping levels, while some are just spying levels. Somehow, Absolution is more open-ended compared to previous Hitman games.

There are traditional levels, of course, it would be wrong if there's none. Nevertheless, I really welcome this new direction that Hitman Absolution is taking. One of my favorite levels is the one taking place in Hope, a dusty, wild western town, in which you are to eliminate several henchmen and then kidnap the boss. I was quite surprised that I achieved the Silent Assassin rating with my first playthrough. For the first time in a Hitman game, I do not need to play the game the second time to get the Silent Assassin rating. All thanks to the wide and non-linear nature of that level that opens many ways to execute your plans.

This could be the easiest or the hardest level, depending on your playstyle.

I have played Hitman 2: Silent Assassin, Hitman: Contracts and Hitman: Blood Money. I liked the series's traditional ways. But Absolution is different from its predecessors, but I'm cool with that change. For most developers, when they wanna take a new direction for a game, they usually end up heading towards the wrong one and upset the fans of the game who are used to and love the old ways.

But with Hitman Absolution, Io Interactive proves that changes are good if done correctly and that even if you've come up with something better, the good old ways shouldn't be abandoned either. Does this mean Absolution is the best Hitman game to date? Most certainly not, but it's not even close to being the worst either.