Hitman - Episode 1: Paris Reviews
Many believed Hitman would fail as an episodic release. As it turns out, a single massive map full of opportunity more than makes up for the staggered release schedule. Still, it stumbles with unexpected online requirements for a single player game and other technical issues.
Still, there's plenty here for a certain type of person to sink their teeth into, it just might not be a method of delivery that appeals to everyone. The only doubt could be that Io Interactive doesn't deliver this level of quality every month, at which point there's only patience separating you from the retail release in 2017. Should Io maintain these heady heights though, then this will be a stellar return to form for Agent 47.
At its core, Hitman is a worthy entry in a series that's been consistent. However it's hamstrung by way one glaring problem. The game's need to push you online and punish you for playing without an Internet connection is appalling. Coupled with frequent server disconnections, there's no way we can recommend Hitman at this point in time. Hopefully IO Interactive and Square Enix get the message from the slew of negative customer reviews on Steam and public forums and fix things. Until then though, you're better off waiting.
Square-Enix are off to an excellent start with the first episode of Hitman, the gameplay is challenging while remaining fun and creative. Occasional performance issues do little to spoil the experience, as the level of detail more than makes up for the framerate problems. The game is accessible to both hardcore fans and newcomers alike, allowing players to choose their own play style. Not only is baldy Hitman back, he's back in style.
Yeah, Hitman is back with a more stealth-balanced system, but this being an episodic experience seems to have IO Interactive stuck now without a real story or reason for players to come back. Still, there is fun to be had in the various killing approaches and Agent 47's slightly different approach to acquiring said opportunities.
After playing Hitman: Episode 1 - Paris, it's easy to reach the following conclusions. #1: instead of any new innovations and ideas, this new addition to the franchise just takes what made it great in the first place, and improves upon it. #2: although this is just the first step of many, it somehow feels that the complete package will be the best yet, and, #3: exactly because of this, IO Interactive must surely smooth out the many rough edges of its, otherwise, great product, especially the - currently - lukewarm plot, and, even more importantly, the many flaws of its online content.
Hitman's Intro Pack is a confident start to what I hope to be a fantastic season. With a fantastic Paris level showcasing how Hitman should be done, the game really takes you back to the roots of the franchise. I'm looking forward to playing the rest of the season, and seeing what else developer IO Interactive has to offer.
All in all, Hitman is a very promising start to the reboot series. The visuals are good, the voice acting is excellent, and with the longevity promised in Contracts mode it should be a series that runs and runs. The issues with the AI can be addressed in future episodes, we hope, and if that happens then the game will certainly hit a higher score than we can give it this time. With five further episodes to come in 2016, the future's looking bright for our shiny-headed assassin.
The new Hitman is a love note to all the hardcore fans out there, and I love that. It embraces the idea that we should try to maintain very distinct genres, that not everyone on the planet wants action and other genre elements to invade their beloved stealth category. Furthermore, it improves on just about every aspect of the standard hunt-and-kill concept, adding more depth and intricacy while streamlining the experience and upping the immersion.
A fantastic reboot that revitalizes an aging series wonderfully, the 'Hitman Intro Pack' is packed with personality, intelligence, and absolutely wonderful gameplay. This should easily satisfy series veterans and newcomers alike, and gives me a ton of hope for upcoming episodes. I can't wait to see where IO goes from here.
Hitman Intro Pack will cost you $15, with each upcoming location carrying the retail price of $10. Time will tell if this is a good business model. However, from what we can tell at the moment, a majority of users aren't quite happy with having yet another triple-A game that's chopped up and essentially being delivered one bit at a time.
The new Hitman carefully mixes drama, comedy, action and a well-designed location to create a world that the player will enjoy discovering and a variety of systems that are great to interact with and even break, and we can only hope that the other coming missions deliver on the promise of this first episode.
This review covers the PS4 version of the game.
For $10 Hitman offers you a lot of quality content to go through. On the other hand for 60$ you will be left feeling bitter because of the lack of content currently. I’d say give it a go at the $10 price point and if you like it buy the season pass for the rest of the missions.
Overall, the Hitman reboot is something I expected for a stealth game. The franchise reboot installment went to a path of letting players experience what an ultimate assassin should be, it didn't disappoint, but with all the server issues plus the 90% to be always-online overthrows the long-term experience of what Io Interactive wants to give to its players. Until the servers are fixed and stable, it's the first impression that makes the game worth buying.
Returning to the open approach of older titles, Hitman is the definitive title in the franchise, offering a colossal variety of approaches and methods. The unparalleled freedom and wide-open environments come together to define a fantastic game with a long life.
A glorious return to form for Agent 47 and the Hitman series. Even the constant server issues can't stand in the way of just how rewarding the gameplay is and the multitudes of approaches to the mission.
Hitman (2016) does well in immersing the player in a world where you must think and act like Agent 47 should. The meat of the game is found when returning to the location and discovering the many options there is to subdue the targets. While perfect for hardcore gamers and completionists, its long load times is the one thing holding it back.
All things considered, Hitman isn't a bad game. It's just overly repetitive, lacks true planning of objectives, and doesn't make sense as an episodic game.
Hitman is being released episode by episode, and I will reviewing each episode as they come out over the next months. Doing so, my overall rating for the game may change in the long run. I get the sense that IO Interactive is beginning to master the art of free-form assassination by providing players with the tools needed to devise a truly unique Hitman experience; thus creating depth in the shallows. One thing is certain: Hitman 2016 is fun and full of replay value.