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[stn]

So, some impressions as a long-time Hitman fan.

1. The disguise system is awful. I work my ass off to sneak around in the first chapter, find a guard's disguise sitting there. I take it. Get spotted by everyone. Ok?

2. The constant point/score tally REALLY kills the immersion. Some reviewers had this same complaint about LA Noire.

3. For the first time in a Hitman game I actually DON'T want to go the stealth route. It feels like I'll get spotted or seen or whatever no matter what.

4. Some little stupid things, like holding your head down to lose suspicion. Wouldn't that attract MORE attention, lol?

5. The checkpoint system needs to be abolished.

Hitman is supposed to be a collection of unique sandbox missions that task you with eliminating targets. This game, so far, is more of a mini-sandbox game with action sequences and a story. As a Hitman game its awful; as an action game its good. I would agree with anyone who scores the game around a 7-ish. If anything, all I really want to do now is beat it so I can go replay Blood Money, Contracts, and Silent Assassin.

 

[Sn4ke_911]

 

[Jintor]

Yes give me an Absolution re-release of the Christmas level in Blood Money plz

 

[Hindle]

Yes give me an Absolution re-release of the Christmas level in Blood Money plz

They still haven't said what they're doing for DLC, hopefully they will release old levels,

 

[Interfectum]

They still haven't said what they're doing for DLC, hopefully they will release old levels,

Unless redone to a certain extent, the old levels won't work that well with the new disguise or checkpoint system.

 

[spandexmonkey]

I've never played a Hitman game before, but picked up this one for $30 off Amazon. So far I'm really liking it, but man, if there wasn't a finer example of a game that did NOT need a story line. It just gets in the way. I don't care about any of the characters or story, just give me target(s) and an environment.

 

[Dark Octave]

I've never played a Hitman game before, but picked up this one for $30 off Amazon. So far I'm really liking it, but man, if there wasn't a finer example of a game that did NOT need a story line. It just gets in the way. I don't care about any of the characters or story, just give me target(s) and an environment.

I have yet to play Absolution but I felt the same in Blood Money. The way they did their overall story was cool though because it was told through flashbacks, so it wasn't very deep. Just a guy saying "Oh, but then THIS happened" inbetween missions.

 

[D4Danger]

I've never played a Hitman game before, but picked up this one for $30 off Amazon. So far I'm really liking it, but man, if there wasn't a finer example of a game that did NOT need a story line. It just gets in the way. I don't care about any of the characters or story, just give me target(s) and an environment.

You should play Blood Money. It's exactly that.

 

[Interfectum]

Yeah Absolution's story is way too intrusive and not good enough to be worth it.

 

[_RT_]

I had commented about this earlier in the thread.
The Challenges are fucked on the ps3. There are some (Up Your Arsenal) that I've completed more than enough times and they still don't unlock.

Why even bother.

 

[DeVeAn]

What game are you guys playing? I am having a blast with this game and I find the story interesting as well. Why are people having trouble with being spotted? I had a hard time in Blood Money which was also awesome.

 

[SonicVolcano]

Are there people who use SweetFX with this game? If yes, any settings you can share?

 

[fushi]

I hadn't read this thread before so I assumed it was only me sucking at the game.

I chose to play it on Hard because I didn't want to get any instinct hints. I was doing okay-ish up until the

Spoiler

orphanage mission

. In that one you can engage some goons and take their outfits -- including their masks -- and yet you still end up being recognised almost immediately. Frustrations got the better of me at that point, because the immersion was just lost.

Maybe the patch improves things a bit. I hope.

 

[BlakImpaler]

Well FML, I downloaded the patch yesterday and my save got corrupted. Now I get to go through ALL of the horrors I experienced on my first Purist run AGAIN. On the bright side I noticed that the distance for disguise detection is much much nicer to me, and the suspicion meter doesn't fill up instantly anymore. I know certain levels pretty well, so it shouldn't be too bad. Well Dexter Industries is a terrible terrible level...

 

[iNvid02]

oh god, i couldnt do some of that shitt again, not so soon anyway. there must be a 100% save file out there

 

[FlyinJ]

So, I just started playing this and passed the Chinatown mission.

Am I supposed to re-play this mission over and over to get all the "challenges" completed? If I do this, do I unlock more stuff and abilities to use in the next mission?

For instance, I was able to kill the guy in an alley without shooting him the first time. It said I earned "Chameleon 1", which makes it so I regenerate whatever that energy is called when I "hide". In the next mission, when I used a "hiding" spot, my energy didn't regenerate. I'm playing on "Hard", does this make that ability useless?

So I went back and did the Chinatown mission again, just to get the "use suit only" challenge. I shot the king in an alley without ever using a disguise, then split to the exit point. It didn't unlock the "use suit only" challenge, but my previous challenges I completed were still shown as complete. Am I missing something?

Oh yeah, and how do you use the "hold your head down to not get spotted" mechanic? I can't remember what they told me to do in the Tutorial because I played it a few weeks ago and put the game down.

And what is up with getting a crappy, unsilenced six shooter in the second mission? Why didn't I bring my silenced pistols? I didn't see a loadout screen, but apparently I've unlocked a ton of weapons.

 

[Known Shippable]

50% off for the Steam Holiday Sale. I've been waiting on a discount before picking this up. I'm going in with low expectations, but hoping for some satisfaction.

 

[Deadstar]

50% off for the Steam Holiday Sale. I've been waiting on a discount before picking this up. I'm going in with low expectations, but hoping for some satisfaction.

It's a fun game. Is it perfect? No, but I had a ton of fun playing through it. It feels really fresh because there aren't really many games like this.

 

[BlakImpaler]

oh god, i couldnt do some of that shitt again, not so soon anyway. there must be a 100% save file out there

I WILL beat this game. Otherwise I fear with Christmas in a few days, Hitman will take an empty seat at the back of the backlog bus.

 

[Forkball]

Game is downloading, what should I know? I really enjoyed Blood Money. I heard disguises aren't as useful this time around?

 

[Guerrillas in the Mist]

Game is downloading, what should I know? I really enjoyed Blood Money. I heard disguises aren't as useful this time around?

They work very differently. If you go near (and by near I mean not very near) someone with the same outfit as you, a suspicion meter of sorts fills up, quickly if you're close and they can see your face. The way around this is to either not stay in their sights for too long, or to use "Instinct" to "enhance" your disguise for a limited time.

However, Instant only refills on completing certain actions, and on later difficulties it doesn't refill or simply doesn't exist.

Why it was implemented makes sense, considering how many missions would be a cakewalk with the BM disguise system, but it still needs tweaking, as enemies can see through your disguise from stupid distances.

 

[CloudWolf]

And what is up with getting a crappy, unsilenced six shooter in the second mission? Why didn't I bring my silenced pistols? I didn't see a loadout screen, but apparently I've unlocked a ton of weapons.

There's no loadout in this game, you start every level with the same weapons. The unlocked weapons are only for Contracts mode. It's a stupid design decision and one of the things I hate the most about this game.

Also,

Spoiler

you get your silenced Silverballers back in the second part of the game, for now you have to deal with the six shooter.

 

[CloudWolf]

Game is downloading, what should I know? I really enjoyed Blood Money. I heard disguises aren't as useful this time around?

It's reminiscent of the Hitman 2 disguise system, only worse.

 

[Dabanton]

I'm enjoying this so far.

I try not to use weapons, I prefer to setup environmental accidents so the loss of my beloved

Spoiler

silverballers were not a problem. Even though I have them back though

Love the feel of using the guns though. Was having a mess around, and how satisfying is it letting one off in someones melon with a clean shot.

Also got to say the sound work is divine in this. Nice to have a game where I can play with my 5.1 surround up loud and not have to worry about constant gunfire going off.

 

[MANGOD]

I finished this yesterday and even though i did enjoy it and being a big hitman fan the game has to go back to what made it great in the first place. And that is actually doing HITS! The game was quite long but it was dragged out, I have no interest in playing a level around buying a new suit ffs! By the time I reached the mission with the nuns I was kinda hoping it would end as I was getting a little feed up with the pacing of the game.
So for the next game please just have the mission open with a briefing of said target and you go about your business of taking that sob out, hitman style. THANK YOU

 

[Forkball]

WTF do checkpoints not save your progress? I'm on the Terminus mission, and got to the eight floor checkpoint. I quit, and then I reload at the elevator cutscene. WHO DESIGNED THIS NONSENSE

 

[Resident4t.]

So, I just started playing this and passed the Chinatown mission.

Am I supposed to re-play this mission over and over to get all the "challenges" completed? If I do this, do I unlock more stuff and abilities to use in the next mission?

For instance, I was able to kill the guy in an alley without shooting him the first time. It said I earned "Chameleon 1", which makes it so I regenerate whatever that energy is called when I "hide". In the next mission, when I used a "hiding" spot, my energy didn't regenerate. I'm playing on "Hard", does this make that ability useless?

So I went back and did the Chinatown mission again, just to get the "use suit only" challenge. I shot the king in an alley without ever using a disguise, then split to the exit point. It didn't unlock the "use suit only" challenge, but my previous challenges I completed were still shown as complete. Am I missing something?

Oh yeah, and how do you use the "hold your head down to not get spotted" mechanic? I can't remember what they told me to do in the Tutorial because I played it a few weeks ago and put the game down.

And what is up with getting a crappy, unsilenced six shooter in the second mission? Why didn't I bring my silenced pistols? I didn't see a loadout screen, but apparently I've unlocked a ton of weapons.

The challenges are score modifiers; each one you complete gives you like a 5% bump for that level, so you need to complete them to achieve the higher ratings like Silent Assassin. Once you unlock a challenge it is permanently unlocked for that level.

The unlocked weapons are for use in the Contracts mode, you cannot choose a loadout in the story mode. Agent 47 does not have his silenced pistols for most of the first half of the game. It's a story thing.

 

[D4Danger]

WTF do checkpoints not save your progress? I'm on the Terminus mission, and got to the eight floor checkpoint. I quit, and then I reload at the elevator cutscene. WHO DESIGNED THIS NONSENSE

you're better off not using them. They're completely broken.

 

[Sojgat]

you're better off not using them. They're completely broken.

This. I used one once, saw it respawned all the enemies I'd dispatched, and never used one again. I've completed the entire game 3 times now, and replayed certain sections even more. They're so broken I don't know why they even bothered including them (it's not like the game is so linear that you never have to backtrack).

 

[exmachina64]

WHO DESIGNED THIS NONSENSE

 

[Haunted]

So, I just started playing this and passed the Chinatown mission.

Am I supposed to re-play this mission over and over to get all the "challenges" completed? If I do this, do I unlock more stuff and abilities to use in the next mission?

Yes. If you want all the challenges, you have to replay the mission in different ways.

For instance, I was able to kill the guy in an alley without shooting him the first time. It said I earned "Chameleon 1", which makes it so I regenerate whatever that energy is called when I "hide". In the next mission, when I used a "hiding" spot, my energy didn't regenerate. I'm playing on "Hard", does this make that ability useless?

Instinct does not regenerate on Hard, yes.

So I went back and did the Chinatown mission again, just to get the "use suit only" challenge. I shot the king in an alley without ever using a disguise, then split to the exit point. It didn't unlock the "use suit only" challenge, but my previous challenges I completed were still shown as complete. Am I missing something?

Not sure why it didn't unlock. Maybe suit only means no disguises and not being detected as well?

Oh yeah, and how do you use the "hold your head down to not get spotted" mechanic? I can't remember what they told me to do in the Tutorial because I played it a few weeks ago and put the game down.

It's instinct. Hold RB on the 360 controller.

And what is up with getting a crappy, unsilenced six shooter in the second mission? Why didn't I bring my silenced pistols? I didn't see a loadout screen, but apparently I've unlocked a ton of weapons.

You gave your equipment to Birdie in the cutscene before that, forgot that already? 47 going rogue from the Agency means he doesn't have his usual equipment.

WTF do checkpoints not save your progress? I'm on the Terminus mission, and got to the eight floor checkpoint. I quit, and then I reload at the elevator cutscene. WHO DESIGNED THIS NONSENSE

By far the worst design decision about this game.

Whoever thought of getting rid of quicksave/quickload in favour of this shit is a certified lunatic.

 

[DryvBy]

I beat the game finally and now I'm trying to complete challenges. I go to "Level Select", pick the first Chinatown mission. I did the "Two for the Price of One" challenge with Suit Only. When I finish the level, it says I didn't complete any new challenges. Anyone else have this problem? Also, I went from playing the game on Professional to Easy. Does that matter?

 

[Sojgat]

I beat the game finally and now I'm trying to complete challenges. I go to "Level Select", pick the first Chinatown mission. I did the "Two for the Price of One" challenge with Suit Only. When I finish the level, it says I didn't complete any new challenges. Anyone else have this problem? Also, I went from playing the game on Professional to Easy. Does that matter?

Yeah, you can't complete challenges on the easy difficulty. The game says it somewhere.

 

[DryvBy]

Yeah, you can't complete challenges on the easy difficulty. The game says it somewhere.

Cool, thanks. Do I have to be on hard or would normal work?

 

[Derrick01]

Finally decided to waste $20 on this. Guess I'll find out just how bad it really is later.

 

[BibiMaghoo]

I have a quick question.

Is there any way to check what difficulty you have finished a level on?

I played through on hard, changing the difficulty for the library only, then setting back to hard. The trophy didn't pop for me so went back and did the library on hard, still no joy.

It's the last trophy I need aswell.

 

[LeadenStride]

Cool, thanks. Do I have to be on hard or would normal work?

Normal works. Easy is the only difficulty the challenges are disabled on.

 

[KingKong]

I've been playing for a couple of hours, when is it going to get to proper Hitman levels?

So far I've done one mini-level (Chinatown) and after that its been all 'get from point A to door B' sections. I'm at the Chinese New Year thing right now.

It's too bad because I think the art style is really strong and so are the mechanics, but it's so terribly linear and the disguise system sucks. Actually the entire stealth element isn't any fun, I've actually enjoying taking human shields and killing cops with random objects more than sneaking my way through 4 rooms

 

[Double D]

I beat the game and played quite a few contracts, but haven't touched it since the patch. Are the changes they made to the disguise system noticeable?

 

[CloudWolf]

Are the changes they made to the disguise system noticeable?

I didn't notice any significant change, the disguise system is still annoying.

 

[Spring-Loaded]

If the disguise system made sense but still allowed for you to be recognized by certain people if you act abnormally or they see your face, then this entire game would be genuinely awesome, if not direct evolutionary step up from Blood Money.

For a sequel, there should be huge levels rather than hubs. Any "Run for Your Life"-type sequences should be a result only because of player choice. I thought that section had plenty of cool moments (

Spoiler

waiting for the train while surrounding cops get more suspicious of you

), but the justification for that whole section was a serious break in logic/immersion/whatever (

Spoiler

someone gets the drop on 47, then leaves him?...

). That and the borked disguise system made it kind of annoying at times. I'm all for having "Leon the Professional" type raids in a Hitman game which force the player to change up their approach somewhat, but the player should never feel like they're being forced to make certain decisions, if that makes sense.

Using disguises isn't always a walk in the park (which makes sense), but you end up having to sneak around while out in the open in disguise (which makes no sense). If whoever does the next Hitman continues with this disguise-philosophy, they need to just make it based on face-visibility and actions of the player. Also, have limited ways to deter suspicion permanently for specific characters.

 

[KingKong]

Ok I'm taking a break at the courtroom level, but man, it's a real bummer that most of the levels are bad because I love everything else about the game.

The disguise system is very smart (I don't know if it has been patched since release), I think people complaining just didn't understand it or were expecting it to be easy like Blood Money (I know I didn't get it at first, see my post above lol), the plot itself makes no sense but all the characters and dialogue are very good, they give off a strong B movie vibe

But man, the levels just suck. The cornfield one and the New Hope were a lot of fun, but the whole Dexter Industries thing was so dull (

Spoiler

I did enjoy dropping the chandelier on the wrestler

), and in genera there's just too much going from point A to point B and the hostile to NPCs ratio is way way off

 

[Medalion]

Late to the celebration

I love the Hitman series, and this game is no exception... I really wishes this was on Wii-U because ironically I played my first Hitman game on the Gamecube, but now I have the xbox 360 version, beautiful game, good engine that Glacier 2. I stayed up for hours playing this game last night till about 4am...

That Charlie Chipmunk getup still makes me laff hah

 

[xCobalt]

Just got this game as a gift. Would I need to play the previous games to fully enjoy this one?

 

[Medalion]

I don't play Hitman games for the storyline

The type of gameplay, the use of stealth, timing, strategy, or the option to go postal are all valid with different challenges.

I can replay the same levels over and over and some subtle difference can make or break a streak

 

[Tacitus_]

Just finished it.

Some thoughts: the disguise system... is not well tuned, to put it nicely. At times I felt I might as well could've been without a disguise given how well the enemies saw through me. And to put the rest of the negatives out of the way, there were too many infiltrating missions. And cutscene stupidity (I'll give the game the Sanchez one since he

Spoiler

threw 47 through a door after he tried to garrote him

, but the rest were stupid given that I had been ghosting the mission. But with those out of the way, the rest of the game is excellent. The graphics speak for themselves and the actual hunting parts are awesome. My favourite level might be the penthouse mission. Will need to replay it to do the other kills for it some day. Music is allright, it's not as great as Blood Money (and tbh, the greatest parts were nods to its score) but given that Jesper Kyd wasn't working on it, it's more than serviceable.

Overall, it's a great stealth game, but merely a good Hitman game. There's certainly room for improvement, but it's nowhere near the doom&gloom that was going on pre-release.

 

[Medalion]

I just beat it now, and the ending left me feeling a tad dissapointed how anticlimactic it all was

Not very epic way to fight the final levels

Oh well, I can't wait to replay the levels and finetune my techniques again

 

[Forkball]

I'm playing it now and really enjoying it. I do agree that the emphasis on stealth is kind of a step in the wrong direction (the library mission is by far the worst one so far), but there are still genuine Hitman type levels that are expansive and have multiple ways to eliminate your target. While there are some features that may bug people, I still feel like at its core it is a Hitman game.

 

[Medalion]

The detection through costumes even with Instinct on is a tad askew but still... I sorta enjoy that in real life, even with your best act on, you can't fool everyone, makes things more interesting.

 

[Spring-Loaded]

The detection through costumes even with Instinct on is a tad askew but still... I sorta enjoy that in real life, even with your best act on, you can't fool everyone, makes things more interesting.

The design philosophy behind the disguise system is great, there's no real denying that. The problem is that on harder difficulties, at least pre-patch, NPCs can see through your disguise at almost any distance (I only played on Hard; can't imagine doing this on Purist) and the logic needed to make it through the game clashes with real-life logic. I found myself taking cover and sneaking around while in disguise to make it past NPCs when I didn't have any Instinct left. And from my understanding, there's no way to divert suspicion once it's triggered aside from incapacitating. You have to do really suspicious stuff to avoid making people suspicious.

I appreciated it at times because it made for some intense situations that would've just been a breeze if disguises were as infallible as in Blood Money, but it needs to be refined greatly. Suspicion needs to be based on character action (e.g. climbing places/in disguises that don't make sense), face visibility and how tight-knit the group you're impersonating is (cops in one precinct would be more likely to notice you than a bunch of cooks from different food stands).

Like I said, it made for some tense moments (like

Spoiler

waiting for the train

in "Run for Your Life"), but they were intense in ways that didn't make much sense (the "sneaking while in disguise" thing).