Hitman Absolution

"Hunting the Hunter"


Developer: IO Interactive
Publisher: Square Enix
Release Date: TBA
Platforms: PC, PS3, X360
Genre: Action & Adventure




At this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo, Square Enix released a demo for the next game starring the bald and lethal assassin, Agent 47. In the version presented at the event, visitors could not play the title being developed by IO Interactive, but only watch a preview of it. In Hitman Absolution, the big difference from previous games in the franchise is that this time 47 is no longer in control.


During the level presented at E3 you can see the new status of the character: the most wanted criminal of the city. It all begins in an old library in Chicago. There are several books scattered around there and a lot of damage inside, as marked by damp walls and broken paint. Moreover, the environment is dominated by darkness, except for a few points that receive light from some lamps and the guards who search the site looking for 47. While the killer sneaks his way in, it’s impossible not to notice the light effects and shadows are very well made. For players to not get lost in the environments, the agent now has a similar instinct to the Eagle Vision in the Assassin's Creed series. When activated, enemies glow in the area and leave a small trail of light as they go. Thus, their identification becomes easier.

 

Another similarity is Agent 47’s agility. While diverting police groups, the anti-hero ascended the stairs and jumped off a balcony to the other side while taking out each individual, one by one. Each death is made in a different way. A police officer is hanged with the help of a thick rope, another is shot several floors below while a third lost his life due to a bullet fired by the silent protagonist. Thus, the game once again promises to offer a variety of ways to solve the challenges.

In addition to the sneak attacks, the library scene ends with the agent holding a cop hostage. Suddenly, he’s in the spotlight and all officers have their pistols drawn, pointed at him as a theme from the game’s soundtrack fills the scene with tension. The killer slowly raises a few flights of stairs to reach the top floor of the building. When 47 arrives outside, a cutscene occurs. There is a torrential downpour and a police helicopter spotlight points to our fugitive. Meanwhile, the song becomes heavy to keep pace with the escape.
 

Of course, every event that takes part in the freedom of the series, whose degree of exploitation of the environment has always been iconic. After all, what this scene needs to be activated is always out on the roofs, creating a strange linearity over other Hitman games. In contrast, the voltage generated is very interesting and the shift toward a more cinematic event collaborates extensively with the plot. The music played is used effectively, creating an exciting and relentless pursuit-filled atmosphere.


After the helicopter scene, another familiar series element comes into play. Agent 47 finds a cop who is alone. Agent 47 then breaks away from the attention of his pursuers, using the uniform of his last victim. The escape, however, comes to an end. While walking the streets, the silent killer must leave the area where everything is happening. So he ends up in an apartment where a party occurs. Some run from the presence of the shooter, while others try to find places to hide.
 

However, 47 is not a man of the law and need not accomplish everything on the site. Agent 47 then leaves the area only to find other officers in the corridors that are knocking on doors looking for him. It is possible to disentangle the two and then attack them with whatever is at hand, though it’s your choice to how you want to handle the situation. Soon after this, the anti-hero takes to the streets in the opposite direction from the cops. When groups of police officers crowd his escape path, there is a small effect of slow motion effect after which the character has time to lower his cap to avoid being recognized.


Finally, 47 can reach one of the city's train stations, where it enters a car and hides within the great mass of citizens of Chicago. With the completion of this demonstration, we conclude that Absolution will certainly provide a different experience from other Hitman gmes. However, this does not mean we should lower our expectations about this new title. After all, it's always interesting to see situations in which the roles of certain characters are reversed, as here we’re witnessing a killer use everything in his power to avoid getting caught.




Marco Cecilio, NoobFeed