Hitman:Absolution

[the_tyrant]

Originally Posted by Spike88

I don't think it's to accommodate the consoles, Hitman 2, Contracts, and Blood money had large levels and were on PS2.


I had the game yesterday, but have yet to start playing it due to being in the middle of the 'Prequel' novel. After finishing the novel last night before going to sleep, I am ready to start playing.

There is a LOT more detail in absolution than blood money, and the new audio system is the BEST I have ever seen.

The developers tried their best to make the game seem "fluid", when the game loads, they put in a cutscene to hide the fact that it is loading. But it is obvious that some levels are chopped up. But than, the chopped up ones have much more detail than the large scale open world ones. So I guess it is a compromise that has to be made.

[Spike88]

Originally Posted by the_tyrant

There is a LOT more detail in absolution than blood money, and the new audio system is the BEST I have ever seen.

The developers tried their best to make the game seem "fluid", when the game loads, they put in a cutscene to hide the fact that it is loading. But it is obvious that some levels are chopped up. But than, the chopped up ones have much more detail than the large scale open world ones. So I guess it is a compromise that has to be made.

Blood Money was quite detailed.

The levels feel smaller because of the breakups, but it isn't necessarily a bad thing.

After putting some time into the game, I have to say I am enjoying it.

The little touches are amazing, the way that police and swat may show up if you go guns blazing is nice. Instinct mode isn't at all cheaty, it's pretty much the same functionality as previous games maps, just in an overlay that doesn't take you out of the action. The point A to Point B parts of the game aren't bad, they were already in the game before, just all in one map. They also add tension to the game.

For those complaining about the fact 47 has to run from the cops in Chicago, it makes sense why he has too.

The only things I haven't liked so far is that 47 can conceal long guns like a GTA game, I much preferred the Blood Money system where he tucked him under his shoulder or carried them in the other hand. Also at the point in Chicago when you're fleeing from the cops and the helicopter chases you, it opened fire on the bird cages despite the fact it hadn't detected me. I also had one ps3 locking crash the first time I went through the bird cage area.

Edit: Another small qualm I have is that weapons just materialize in your hand when you equip them. Same thing when you change into a disguise. But it's not game breaking.

[the_tyrant]

I have to say, I love absolution.
BUT, it has ONE major problem. And that is the disguises system (which to be honest, blood money had exactly the same problem, just to the opposite direction).

In blood money, when a big bald guy with a barcode who doesn’t even remotely look like the guy he is trying to impersonate manages to trick everyone simply because he is wearing the right set of clothes, I face palm. I was thinking, are you people really so damned stupid?!

In absolution, when a cop recognizes that you aren’t really a cop from 50 feet away, I pound the table and scream ARE YOU @&$%in KIDDING ME!!!! Somehow these cops know EVERY SINGLE OTHER COP IN THE CITY?

Well how should the devs fix it? Make it so that the guards will recognize you, but only if you walk close to them. And, make it so that if you are trying to impersonate someone from a smaller group, you will get caught easier than if you are trying to impersonate someone from a larger group.

I congratulate the hitman team for trying this, other games like splinter cell, dishonored and assassin’s creed don’t even try to have a disguise system but I also think that this mechanic needs a LOT of work. Please fix it for the next hitman!

[Arclight]

Barking up the wrong tree I'm afraid; IO isn't even developing the next one.

IO-Nara: Squenix Montreal To Make Next Hitman

[the_tyrant]

Originally Posted by Arclight

Barking up the wrong tree I'm afraid; IO isn't even developing the next one.

IO-Nara: Squenix Montreal To Make Next Hitman

I say, give them a chance. I LOVE hitman, yet for two games in a row (hell, the whole series), the game fell on its face on the exact same mechanic.

Hopefully these guys can figure out the best way to make disguises work.

[Valantine]

My biggest complaint is the quicktime system: seriously - if I wanted to play some stupid quicktime event or use some stupid "instinct xray vision type BS" I'd have bought it on the console as these have no place in a PC game!

Other than that the game feels OK, the storyline is pretty decent and the graphics are great: but for me the gameplay mechanics and the brokenup levels ruin it a bit: it seems to be much more linear than previous Hitman games: sure there are a few different ways of completing a hit but it feels like it steers you towards them rather than letting you figure it out by yourself.

Fun - but not as agood as previous titles
V

[Spike88]

Originally Posted by Valantine

My biggest complaint is the quicktime system: seriously - if I wanted to play some stupid quicktime event or use some stupid "instinct xray vision type BS" I'd have bought it on the console as these have no place in a PC game!

I can understand your opinion on the QTE, they probable made the decision so you weren't sitting there with no "control" during disarms. But it's one of those hit and miss things. Some people like that you're still in control during the hand-to-hand, others hate QTE.

As for the Instinct mode, I can't find it as a flaw at all. It's up to you to actually use it. If you want to find things out on your own don't use it. It's the same functionality as the map(showing you points of interest), juts overlayed ontop of the map. No one is forcing you to use it, and you can turn it off if you feel the need to.

Originally Posted by the_tyrant

-snip-

I agree with your thoughts on the disguise system. It needs to be a bit more refined. I can't remember the name, but there is a Hitman like game set in WWII that has a disguise system that is pretty well done. The disguises go by rank, if you disguise as a private, other privates wont notice you, while higher ranks will. Certain units like the Gestapo can tell your disguise no matter what(if I remember correctly) and there are certain disguises that are pointless to use(these are usually targets, or really important people).

I'd like to see a system like the one you described where smaller groups would see through your disguise more than bigger groups, but throw in "bosses" that can tell the difference. If you dress up as a bellboy, other bellboys shouldn't care, but if you were to dress up as a security guard for a small and tight security firm, the others would be suspicious. It should also depend on distance, if you are farther away or can't see your face, they leave you along, if you get closer is when they get suspicious. Although it gets tricky with police officers, as most police officers tend to know most local police officers(even if they work for different agencies). Again, it should be by distance, if you get within 10 feet they can start to tell the difference.
To make the system more complex there should be "bosses" that can tell who are you. If you dress up as a waiter inside a restaurant and bump into the head chef responsible for hiring up close, he should start to detect you. There is a great example of this in the Hitman: Damnation novel where 47's disguise is blown by the person responsible for hiring new bellboys in a hotel.



A complaint of mine is the weapon system. I honestly prefer the one from Blood Money or previous games(which while a bit clunky, make more sense than Absolutions). While you could carry a lot of crap in previous games(almost an infinite amount of small firearms) you couldn't put away long guns. In Absolution you are limited in what you can carry. You can carry one side arm, your AMT hardballers, one melee weapon(previous games let you carry many more), your fiberwire, and then two long guns. If you "holster" a long gun, it magically disappears. Also, at no point do you get frisked, which is a good thing since it's impossible to drop a weapon once it's picked up.

You can acquire DLC weapons through pre-orders or the CE. Other than the fact you can use them in contracts, I found this pointless as you can't choose your loadout before a mission. Although the one light in the tunnel is the fact that these weapons and any other pre-order dlc was made available on launch as DLC. You can buy what you want for .99c a piece or buy all of it for 5.99. You may be thinking what's good about that? 90% of the time these pre-order/Collectors Edition "exclusives" are never made available, making you feel like you missed something neat(this is generally true when it's extra levels).


Now for some more good things:
The small touches in the game are really superb. These range from the fact that 47's tie isn't static(it moves with your posture), to gum stuck on the inside of that closet your hiding in.

There are plenty more accidental deaths.
If you kill someone using an "accident" and there body is discovered it doesn't penalize you, and the guards don't go into "alert". Which I feel is the way it should be. I think it's more suspicious for someone killed by an accident to be hid, rather than found out in the open.

If a guard finds a body that was killed by an accidental death, they'll rush over and kneel by its side. In previous games, they find the body, inspect it and then go back as if nothing happened.

Another nice aspect is that standing stationary in large crowds of NPC's blends you in Assassin's Creed style.


I can see why they made the decisions for this game(focusing more on a dramatic story over typical Hitman gameplay), while it's not perfect it's a pretty good game.

I'm hoping the sequel will be a pleasant mix of Blood Money and Absolution. Ideally I'd like to return to Blood Money type missions where you were put into the map and set free, and where you can choose your equipment. However I'd like to see the accident mechanics, crowd system, and reinforcement system to return from Absolution.

I'd also like the weapon system with customization to return from BM.

As for the more linear "escape" missions, I'm in favor of them to return if their done correctly. If you pull a smooth hit and get out without an alarm, you wouldn't have to do them. However if you do a shoot out, you'd have to do an extra mission where you escape. For example, if you go into a hotel, get into a shoot out, you'd have to do an extra mission where you have to get out of the hotel after S.W.A.T and police officers have closed down the nearby areas.

[Dowly]

Weak mind is weak. Bought.

[Arclight]

I wants it too... I know I'll quite enjoy it because it's simply a good game but the departure from the formula keeps holding me back.

It's like what they did with Splinter Cell Conviction. I rather liked it, good game, but the idea of a new SC now leaves me cold and it doesn't rank up there with the "would play again now and then" games, like the old SCs.

[Dowly]

Can't say I like the more linear approach, but with the past games I've used some
house rules to try and finish the contracts in different ways (only silverballers, no disguises etc.)

And there's the Contracts stuff that ought to give few extra hours.

[Hottentot]

Originally Posted by Spike88

I can't remember the name, but there is a Hitman like game set in WWII that has a disguise system that is pretty well done. The disguises go by rank, if you disguise as a private, other privates wont notice you, while higher ranks will. Certain units like the Gestapo can tell your disguise no matter what(if I remember correctly) and there are certain disguises that are pointless to use(these are usually targets, or really important people).

Death to Spies?

It at least had a nice attempt at disguise, but in the end there always was the Eagle Eye Ernst who miraculously knew every single person in Wehrmacht, Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine and could tell from a mile away that you were a Russian spy. And he always somehow managed to end up guarding a tight corridor that you absolutely had to pass in order to proceed. It got tiresome after a few missions.

[Arclight]

Originally Posted by Dowly

And there's the Contracts stuff that ought to give few extra hours.

Honestly I think that would be my main reason to get it. Just doesn't feel right to pay full price for what is essentialy a side-show.

Thing is I don't think it will hit a discount anytime soon and I'm gonna break in short order.

[Dowly]

Originally Posted by Arclight

Thing is I don't think it will hit a discount anytime soon and I'm gonna break in short order.

Yeah, figured as much, so I just went ahead and bought it now.

[Spike88]

Originally Posted by Dowly

Can't say I like the more linear approach, but with the past games I've used some
house rules to try and finish the contracts in different ways (only silverballers, no disguises etc.)

And there's the Contracts stuff that ought to give few extra hours.

It opens up a bit later on.

Honestly, it feels like the one mistake they made with the game was focus more on story. Which is a bit rare to say. Usually most games lack in the story department.

Originally Posted by Hottentot

Death to Spies?

It at least had a nice attempt at disguise, but in the end there always was the Eagle Eye Ernst who miraculously knew every single person in Wehrmacht, Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine and could tell from a mile away that you were a Russian spy. And he always somehow managed to end up guarding a tight corridor that you absolutely had to pass in order to proceed. It got tiresome after a few missions.

Ah yes. It was Death to Spies.

[Dowly]

That ****ing Library level...