Hitman: Absolution First Impressions

Today we had a chance to go backstage at the Square Enix booth to check out Hitman: Absolution in action. The team from IO Interactive were on hand to show the game and explain some of the cool features we can expect to see when it’s released next year. We were very excited by what we saw; the game looks and feels fantastic. It combines the classic gameplay we have come to know in this franchise with some completely new features.

We start off in an abandoned, dark and gloomy library. You are Agent 47… hunted by the police. Their goal is to find you, well actually… first, they have to get the lights on. “I want this fucking place turned upside down, he’s not getting away on my watch” says the Sergeant. As you begin to sneak around from bookcase to bookcase, you carefully avoid the police and their flashlights. Just one wrong move, one loud sound and the cops are onto you. “Check over there” says one cop to another… his flashlight pointing right at your hiding place.

IO has worked hard to develop what they call a comprehensive intelligence spectrum, which will really set Hitman: Absolution apart from other games. AI really comes to life as you interact and make your way through the world. Characters will respond to subtle changes in the environment and show a wide range of reactions. The AI also features an attention meter which is an awareness system triggered by sight, sound and the environment.

Back to our demo… the cops are onto you and you need to move. You have to make decisions fast, and you need to see the world through Agent 47’s eyes. Pop into the new Instinct mode, which will give you a glimpse of how Agent 47 would see the environment: where your enemies are, which route they are taking when patrolling, what weapons you can use or what shortcuts you need to take. Now you can safely make your move. Whew, that was close. You continue to make your way around the library.

Huh, that’s one deep hole. Hey, you think you can survive that drop?

There are a number of different ways to complete your mission. With the freedom of choice, the gameplay possibilities are almost endless. You can really build your own experience, your own storyline. As our demo continues, you decide that you need to distract some cops (in order to clear a hallway for passage). Just sabotage the fuse box, thus turning off all the lights again, and while they fumble around trying to fix it, you make your way to the next wing of the library. “Huh, that’s one deep hole. Hey, you think you can survive that drop?” asks one cop, while his buddy patrols the balcony higher up. Well let’s find out if he does. Bash his head in with a bust (was it the famous bust of Apollo?), then throw him down into the hole. Same thing for his buddy. Just hang on to this balcony ledge, and when he comes close to the edge, grab on to him and pull him down to the same fate.

You are playing in a living and breathing world. Highly detailed and striking environments, very unique characters along with some dark twists and a bit of humor thrown into the mix. Hitman: Absolution has been built from the ground up using a new Glacier 2 proprietary engine. The team at IO really wanted to showcase the technology which they built from scratch. And Hitman: Absolution will feature a rich cinematic story, distinctive art direction and highly original game design.

Let’s wrap up our demo… your choice is clear: to get out you need to take a hostage. A cop will do just fine. You jump out of your hiding spot, grab onto your victim and make your way to the door with the gun in hand. The situation quickly escalates. Police are now after you, hell they even put their helicopter to use as it tries to gun you down while you make your escape on the rooftops. You kill a cop and take up his clothing in a disguise. Disguises have been taken to the next level in Hitman: Absolution, providing you a very large variety and allowing you not only to blend in visually but to also impersonate a victim. Now that you look like a cop, carefully make your getaway. You’ll come across some cop-hating hippies who are growing weed in their apartment, and you’ll even put one of their bongs to use by smashing it in a face of another cop who’s onto you. Using the new Instinct feature while in disguise will help you better impersonate the person who’s clothes you have stolen, allowing you to easily pass through tricky situations like SWAT teams and superior officers. Once you are out of the building, its a simple walk to the subway station and you blend in with the onlookers. Congratulations, your personal journey through this corrupt and twisted world has just began.

We were very impressed with our demo. At the end, we also had an opportunity to sit down for an interview with the guys at IO Interactive to learn more Hitman.