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I'm really angry with this game. The Hitman Series, for all its problems and issues with its gameplay has improved from sequel to sequel. Blood Money was probably the best game in the series ever made. Until Absolution is made. Then I just thanked God that Blood Money is ever made at all because the trailer (http://youtu.be/QQ_jhw5TuxA) itself rang alarm bells in my head.

(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/829607/BIIF/shitman/01.png/)
Your game sucks, ask God for forgiveness.

OK, so people say: don't base everything on the trailer - play the game, so I waited for the sales price on Steam. Hits $7.50 at one point, I took the plunge.
Oh god. Where to start? I like the tutorial, but past that, the gameplay additions are pretty much laughable.
QTE melee combat that forces the player to play Simon Says, or die - very good fun with the check point system.
Instinct meter to spend on slow-mo VATS sequence, or avoid detection when wearing disguises. I can skip the former's usage but there's a mission where you enter a scripted ambush you cannot avoid, and the game just went into slow-mo mode automatically - tag the four people's head ala Alpha Protocol. BANG BANG BANG BANG. Mission Complete. NEXT CUTSCENE PLEASE. I laughed immediately and cried a little inside. The focus of the game should be around stealth gameplay, but the whole narration is just not going to accomodate it, barely 3 missions in, 47 is already being chased by helicopter on rooftops, clearly the reason why he is called the Silent Assasin is because he kept quiet while slaughtering dozens of law enforcement officers.

In Blood Money, you have quite an open map, where you can investigate - study patrol routes, plan and back track as needed. I even recall that memorable casino hotel mission where I hid a case of sniper rifle in my hotel room, coming down to finish off target A inside his room, then make a phone call from there to target B, rushing back to my own room, grab the sniper rifle - and take the shot on target B. That was Blood Money's brilliance.

In Absolution, you do the missions chunk-by-chunk. E.g You start from a courtyard - bypass a few guards - sneak or kill as you wish. Reach the exit to 2nd Floor- that cannot be accessed when high alert is triggered - and continue on with Segment 2 of the mission, no backtracking allowed. That's just ass.

Is it fun? Not really.
Verdict: RIP 47. Anyone for Thief 4?  :why_so_serious:

Bonus:

(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/829607/BIIF/shitman/02.png)

I didn't mind this title once I got the hang of it. But it requires a fair amount of feeling out how the mechanics are going to play out.

The marketing of this title was abysmal though. Plus the claims that the Saints would now be 'fleshed out' as characters past the amount of leg they were showing was complete crap. They appear for one level, you kill them all and that's that.

The actual full trailer was actually very nicely done and rocked... right up to the part where the nuns stripped off into their PVC miniskirts. The shower scene was tastefully done and beautiful, 47 kicking ass, etc, and then him recuperating in the drab motel room, great. Even the nuns were pretty cool till they turned into strippers. The first time I saw it it was "FUCK SAKE!" And then thinking how they wouled have more freedom of movement in their habits than that getup and the stilettos.

But then the version I saw was at 54:13 of this and ran for 5 minutes with better music than in the original trailer..


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WU7SGn0MeP0 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WU7SGn0MeP0)

Hehe I disagree with everyone. The sexy pseudo-nun hit squad was awesome. The fight scene was great.

Also, I disagree that Hitman is about stealth game play. Sure that is one way that Hitman games can be played. However, I always just went through my levels as a brutal ruthless shoot everybody in the face killer, and had great fun doing it in ever single title.

Heh, I actually hunted down and watched the real trailers on youtube. Urgh. I'm so glad I saw the edited version I did.