Hitman - Episode 1: Paris Reviews
Mechanically, the gameplay feels tight and I did not have any issues with the camera or sneaking around.
As a standalone package, Hitman's Intro Pack is more than worth the $15, and it is plenty to inform players if they are going to want more of it. The problem is that, again we are paying for a promise of content, as opposed to the actual content. I am sure IO Interactive will deliver the goods, but it is a weird time we live in.
Buy it at the right time and you won't be disappointed, especially if you're a completionist. This is Hitman done right.
At the end of the day, Hitman's buzzword is freedom. There are so many things to do – and so many ways to do them – that you'll never have to persevere to find something fun to do. It's all in front of you: a bloody, disturbing playground rife with opportunity. The trial and error gameplay brings back memories of older Hitman titles, while new ideas such as the excellent Escalation mode keep things fresh. Simply put, the Intro Pack is a great buy for old fans and new blood alike – there aren't many stealth games of this calibre.
Destination one in Agent 47's now-episodic global travelogue shows IO Interactive know how to get Hitman back in fashion. A strong, stylish opening to the new game.
Hitman lives up to the legacy of the original games, and redeems the series from the lows of Hitman: Absolution by taking the series to new heights.
The HITMAN "Intro Pack" tries to squeeze out as much gameplay as it can from a limited amount of content. While it succeeds in doing so, it also has a tendency to become quite repetitive and long loading times have a tendency to hinder the experience. What it does do is create a solid foundation upon which the rest of the content can build.
Hitman is off to a good start, but the ridiculous load times and the always-online issues bring down an otherwise impressive entry in the Hitman series.
If the rest of the episodes match the quality on offer in Hitman's Paris debut, this could end up being the definitive Hitman game, its first big level already cementing itself as one of our favourite Hitman missions of all time. We can't wait for our next hit.
This first episode strikes a fine balance between accessibility and pleasing long term fans to make this the finest slice of Hitman since Blood Money. Some technical issues do sadly mar an otherwise superb start to Agent 47's latest.
Hitman's pioneer episode does right by the Hitman name. Dozens of challenges and user-generated assassinations offer untold hours of replay value, even when the exotic sounds and sights of Paris lose their allure.
Whether or not you're a fan of the series, the game will have the piano wire around your neck before you know it.
While the buggy AI and server issues hurt the Hitman experience, it isn't enough to hamper the core gameplay, which is fantastic.
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.
The Hitman Intro Pack is satisfying to play, there just isn't enough of it. This ought to be rectified by the second episode next month, and by then its servers should be stable as well.
What Hitman is now won't necessarily be what it is when the game's seven episodes have all been released, but a strong foundation is there. This game is the most authentic Hitman experience and it will ask you to become intimately familiar with each level. It is something that will test your patience, intelligence and skills, and when you put it all together will reward you greatly for it.
I'm still not entirely sold on the way Hitman is being sold, in an episodic package that will open up over the next few months. Regardless, the game is off to a great start thus far, despite minor glitches and drab conversations. Agent 47 continues to be a master of his killing skills, and the first stage of the game, along with the escalation mode and Contracts, really give you a better idea of what's ahead. This is one assassination you'll want to see through to the end.
After a decade of uncertainty for the Hitman series, and one sizeable misstep, Hitman 2016 is nothing short of a triumph in terms of being a course correction. Purely in terms of gameplay it is perhaps the best the series has ever been, so what will define this latest Hitman is how IOI handle the remaining episodes, and smooth out the glaring problems with server connectivity and load times.
We're only one episode in, but Hitman already excels as an episodic game.
A strong start for Agent 47 that will have old-school fans in their element as they experiment with murder, although a few technical challenges still need to be taken out back and introduced to some piano wires around the throat.