It has been six years since gamers stepped into the shoes of Agent 47 in a Hitman video game, but the well-dressed contract killer is back in in IO Interactive and Square Enix's Hitman: Absolution.
The new stealth game releases on Nov. 20 for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Windows PC gaming platforms and will give gamers a deeper look into to the world of Agent 47. So has the new game succeed in the eyes of video game media critics? Here is our review round up for the new game.
IGN says, "is it's actually a true pleasure to play a game that lets you tackle it from multiple angles. After several years of increasingly totalitarian games where you're very much following a pre-determined path, it's nice to have a game that doesn't just encourage improvisation; it requires it." IGN says about Absolution's gameplay, "(Agent) 47 feels far more connected to the environment rather than skating about on it, and successfully sneaking up on a target from behind with your signature fiber wire is no longer quite as fickle an exercise." IGN gives the game a 9-out-of-10 score.
GameSpot score the game a 7.5-out-of-10 and note that the "enjoyable stealth-action gameplay overshadow its few notable inconsistencies." GameSpot also says, "it's good to have Agent 47 back, and he was clearly needed. The greasy world he inhabits was in sore need of cleansing, and it's a pleasure to have so many ways of scraping the human grime off its surface and discarding it like the trash it is."
Game Informer says in it's review of the game, "Hitman still isn't for everyone. The pace remains slower and more methodical than most action games, and you'll find yourself reloading checkpoints countless times, in part because they are frustratingly tied to physical locations," and "Devising a strategy, using the environment and disguises to your advantage, and leaving before anyone knows you're there are the hallmarks of a perfect hit, and Absolution proves Agent 47 is still gaming's premier hitman." Game Informer gives the game a 8.75-out-of-10 score.
GamesRadar says, "Hitman's temporary hiatus did worlds of good for the franchise, and Absolution is one of the strongest entries in the series to date. It shows true evolution, moving Agent 47 forward and playing up his enhanced abilities well, both when it comes to hitting a well-placed shot to the head of a scummy target or stealthily moving through a building full of police." GamesRader scores the game 4.5-out-of-5 stars.
On review aggregating website Metacritic, the PlayStation 3 version of the game currently holds a score of 83 percent based on 13 reviews. The Xbox 360 version has a rating on 80 percent based on 22 reviews. GameRankings currently has the Xbox version rated at 78.97 percent and the PlayStation 3 version at 85.44 percent.
Check out our list of the top five Hitman Absolution trailers here. What do you think about how the game is being received? Will you be picking up a copy? What is your favorite Hitman game? Comment in the section below.