Hitman Absoluton for PC Is A Killer…

Hitman Absolution (AKA Hitman 5) is finally out for the PC, and it has been a title that I have been looking forward to for awhile now. The trailers and overall look of the game left me interested, despite the fact I’d only briefly played one of the earlier Hitman titles, I believe on the Xbox 360.

So, with high and yet nervous expectations, I loaded up the game – only to be greeted with a launcher. Looking under the options, I noticed all the graphics options there. I was suddenly nervous. This could either be a very good sign, or a very bad sign. Games that have graphics options that are tweakable in a launcher tend not to allow you to alter them during the game itself, and that usually is a symptom of “lazy-console-port-iteous”. Thankfully, after starting the game, those fears were quickly quashed, as I spotted exactly the same graphics options in game as the launcher.

Starting into the first part of the game, the tutorial if you will, and I was…, impressed.

Hitman 5 – the graphics

Well, the good news is, for the most part, the game looks good. There is a few weaker areas, mostly on trees and grass, the game has trouble with the organic nature of foliage, but it doesn’t look bad. And doesn’t sport the 2d grass of a lot of titles, no, it looks good, just not quite up to the amazing standards of say Far Cry or Crysis titles. But, other than that, it looks good, character models are detailed and move as you would expect. Bodies crumple when you shoot them. There is a little clipping, you’ll notice it when say dumping a body over a railing, but I can’t whine about it too much. It’s ever more impressive when you realize that should you wish it, you can shoot out pretty much any light source. Water reflects light / scenery very well indeed. Overall, Hitman Absolution isn’t going to fall down on the graphics.

Gameplay

I’ll put it out there right now, I like it. I really like it. Moving along narrow ledges and the like feels natural, and you don’t have to worry about nonsense such as trying to balance for yourself. This mechanic in games adds very little, and truthfully for the most part just adds frustration. It was fun on some games, but for the most part, games don’t benefit from it. Cover can be used as you’d expect, and there are no shortage of objects to either hide yourself or bodies. You have a variety of methods to take out, say a guard. Including lethal and non lethal. You can also use the environment, such as say slipping sleeping pills into a drink. You may also throw an object (for example, a glass) to distract the guards. It all works well. There are also disguises that you might slip into. Sometimes it’s not necessary, but for the most part, you don’t want to play this one with guns blazing.

Sound

Voice acting is tight, and well written. The characters don’t sound like a walking cliche. which is nice. The musical score is tight and while not super memorable, that isn’t its intention. It is there to add to the action and suspense, not take it over. For sounds such as weapons fire, it is okay – but because Agent 47’s weapon is silence for the most part, you’ll not get to fully enjoy it. There is a lot of voice work, even on guards who will drop subtle hints and clues to the games plot.

Overall, I’m a big fan of the game – and would highly recommend it to either new fans or fans of the original titles!