Hitman - Episode 1: Paris Reviews
One thing's for sure: The more I've played Hitman's debut "episode" the more I've enjoyed it. Despite the often boneheaded AI and dire loading times, Hitman has definitely combined the best of both worlds. There's scope for it to improve in some areas as the levels are released throughout the year but this is a fun, confident start.
Square Enix and IO Interactive's new take on Hitman successfully blends the qualities that made the game famous with some modern innovations and remarkable detail.
Hitman rediscovers its agency in this strong start for IO's episodic series.
Despite being a smart progression of Blood Money's ideas, Hitman feels unrefined and unfinished in lots of small but important ways.
There's only so much fun you can get out of playing the same level over and over again
The first episode of Hitman has a lot to offer creative assassins, but enjoying it requires you to look past an array of inconsistencies.
The first episode of Hitman is a very strong start, and it's a return to form for a series that some were worried had begun to wander.
IO Interactive has setup something potentially more impressive for future releases, with gameplay we've come to love and a taste of what feels like infinite possibilities spread throughout a single scenario.
[T]echnical issues aside, it's a relief to be playing a Hitman game that is built around the idea of social stealth. The execution may be flawed but it's aiming in the right direction and the disguise system, which now tips you off when a particularly canny NPC is able to look past your clothes and see the face of a stranger, is as good as it's ever been.
Playing the first episode of Hitman brought back fond memories of unique kills from previous titles, with the grander and more compelling scale of the game adding tons of replayability. I don't doubt there will be those left frustrated with the game's short length, but its focus on great gameplay is where Hitman truly shines. Even though you only feel like you've dipped your toes in the water, the first instalment of Hitman leaves a lot of promise for the rest of the series.
A strong start to the campaign, marred by some annoying technical issues.
There is not much to say about the story for the Hitman Intro Pack, but it does leave the player at quite a cliffhanger. Impressive graphics and intuitive gameplay mechanics give this game a good replay value, but it boils down to if you would want to play the same mission over and over again before the next episode comes out.
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Hitman returns to its puzzle-solving roots with an engrossing mix of stealth, violence, and very clever level design.
Stealing a staff uniform from the locker room, dropping your gun into a wastebasket so you can let a guard frisk you before he lets you into the room of a Sheik, then knocking the Shiek out, stealing his clothes, and infiltrating a high-society sale of state secrets so you can tamper with an outdoor heater and let a woman blow herself up when she goes to grab a smoke. That's Hitman's highs.
We're only one episode in, but Hitman already excels as an episodic game.
The first episode of Hitman is a solid starting point for the full game content, which is Contract-driven, with each environment focusing on a single mission with multiple objectives. This is a solid structure for the franchise, even if it's a little jarring to finish the first mission and realize you have to wait for the rest of what would have been released as a complete title.
Square-Enix and IO Interactive have certainly taken a gamble with Hitman, but so far it seems to paying off. With a low-price entry fee, there's enough included within the intro pack to last a good dozen hours or so, especially when you factor in user-generated contracts and other live game modes. There's certainly enough here to whet anyone's appetite, allowing IO to turn present future updates as mini-events, maintaining a constant buzz among fans throughout the year.
The wait has been long for a new Hitman game, and good as it may be, this one's going to have you waiting even longer for the full experience.
Io Interactive has taken a different approach to Hitman's release schedule, and if each mission is as fleshed out as what we've seen in Paris, then there is much for fans to be happy about. There's so many ways to take on this single mission, part of the fun will be seeing other players' creative ways that they assassinate the targets. If you've ever wanted to play the part of a super agent in a large sandbox, this is as good as it gets. With a fairly robust content creation engine, and future missions promised throughout the coming year, it looks like Hitman will be the weapon of choice of stealth gamers for the foreseeable future.
Based solely on the over-before-you-know-it first installment, Io Interactive's decision to segment its latest assassin adventure appears ill conceived