Hitman Absolution Preview - E3 2012

When we last saw Hitman Absolution at last year’s E3 for the first time, there was some concern with the new direction that the series was taking. Agent 47 was now able to employ vision that allowed him to see enemy paths as well as through walls. It wasn’t really what the series focused on stealth needed, and yet the developers stuck to their design goals. At E3 2012, we once again had a chance to see the game, plus have some hands-on time with a level. Things appear to be progressing nicely, and though the various new gameplay mechanics remain in place, they are optional and the game has managed to retain the Hitman series feel.

The demo presentation was provided by Nick, a community manager with Square Enix. We were looking at a level from the game, entitled Stars of Hope, which saw our hero hot on the trail of a girl named Victoria. His sources had led him to South Dakota, where we had to eliminate five targets and kidnap the man with information. Demo presenter commented that the demo playthrough being shown would only be possible for experienced players on their secondary attempt, as he had awareness of all enemy patterns and best kill opportunities. For the interest of time, the level was also not shown in full.

We began outside, in an alley. Directly ahead, a bar was seen, where our targets were said to be hanging out. Using his Instinct Vision, Agent 47 was able to spot two of his hit list targets hanging out directly in front of the establishment. At this point, we could of course start blasting away, but the silent approach was the goal. After finishing their chat, one of the targets headed to a nearby convenience store, as we followed. He chatted with the store owner, and headed to the upstairs area. There was no feasible way to get past the store clerk without being seen, so 47 turned on the radio at the back of the store, thus distracting the clerk, and sneaked upstairs. Here, we performed our silent kill on the first target.

Back downstairs, the clerk was once again blocking the way. So, 47 created a distraction by shooting the car outside the store, setting off its alarm and causing the clerk to investigate. Once again, our path was clear. We could have, in both cases, simply killed her. But doing so, as well as not hiding the body from our hits, would have lowered the mission score that’s dynamically updated with every action. Back in the street, we spot another target heading to a nearby gas station. Lacking a disguise, we follow through a side entrance.

Absolution employs a hint system that highlights objects in the environment that can be used. In this case, we spotted a leaky gas tank on our way into the car shop, and set some C4. After we follow the man upstairs and take him out, 47 dumps the body over the railing to the side entrance where gas is leaking. Suddenly, another man confronts us on the roof, so we have no choice but to kill him and also dump his body over. As we calmly leave the area, 47 triggers the C4, causing a huge explosion. It not only eliminates the bodies we’ve dumped, but creates a huge distraction and draws nearby guards from their posts, giving clear passage to a new area.

Continuing on through a side alley, we come across a dog in a caged area. It barks, drawing the attention of nearby mechanic. Using Instinct Vision, the paths update and we see that the man is now heading towards the dog to investigate. We subdue the man, throw the dog a bone, and take up the mechanic disguise. A trespassing warning disappears, as we’re now wearing appropriate clothing for the area. However, other mechanics in the area are likely to recognize that 47 isn’t really a mechanic, so there is a blend in feature that lets the agent cover his face as he walks by potentially exposing situations. We then arrive at a garage, where another one of our targets is hanging out.

47 discovers a wrench in the area. As always, we could simply melee-kill the man, but creativity provides for higher scores. So we throw it under one of the raised vehicles, and as the man comes over to investigate, we drop the car on him. Things are getting heated now in the area, so we move along. In the next area, a few enemies are standing around, but one guard is out of view and by himself. He is quickly dispatched with the wire, and we take on his clothing. This time, things likely won’t go so well, since the guards will recognize 47 isn’t someone they know, so we grab a tomahawk lying nearby. With 5 or 6 targets in clear view, we throw the weapon, while pulling out our dual pistols. As the first enemy falls, all other enemies are marked by the player, and Hitman pulls off an execution shot on all of them before they get a chance to react. It’s a mechanic that’s often seen in games these days, particularly Splinter Cell.

We’ve made it to the rear entrance of the bar now, where our final target is. Climbing to the second storey, a barber is there preparing for work, and we take him out and grab the clothes. As it turns out, the final hit is waiting for a shave. 47 makes his way to the shop, takes out the guard, and gives the target a very close shave, indeed. This is where our demo concluded.

The game was also playable on the show floor, giving us a chance to see how Hitman handles and what the tactical options are. This level was short and much more strategic compared to the presentation. We were in China Town, at a large square with many NPC people walking about, with our target located right in the thick of the crowd. Most of the E3 attendees we saw playing the game eventually ended up in a shooting gallery. And though during our own hands on, we spent diligent amount of time trying to isolate the target, there wasn’t much we could do before our patience ran out to avoid raising the alarm. In other words, the silent solutions are there, but we didn’t have time on the show floor to properly execute all of them – so instead we got a feel of agent 47’s gun skills, which are solid, and the use of cover is crucial to survival.

So, as you can see, this year’s Hitman Absolution showing clearly dictates that the series is ready to move on from its roots. With Instinct Vision, and large but potentially linear level design, this isn’t the same Hitman as we once knew. This doesn’t mean it’s any better or worse, but simply different. Players looking for a challenge can always turn off the in-game hints and try for the highest mission ranks, while those new to the series can enjoy being a deadly assassin without multiple retries and waiting patiently for a long time to study enemy patterns. Hitman Absolution is slated for release in November 2012.