Hitman - The Complete First Season Reviews
Finally released as a complete package, last year’s episodic stealth shooter is the best in the series and possibly one of the best stealth games ever made
Although the road may have been initially bumpy, we've been won over by IO Interactive determination and conviction. They've managed to prove to the rest of the industry that AAA games done episodically can work, and can work incredibly well.
Hitman is a brilliant, and welcomed addition to the series and I’m eagerly awaiting the next season.
The new episodic Hitman is one of Agent 47's greatest adventures to date and is one of the best stealth games to be released in years.
Hitman is arguably a pinnacle for the series, possibly even eclipsing Blood Money as Agent 47's finest moment. Each episode is a sandbox that you don't simply play and then forget. You'll want to master it and discover all of its hidden secrets and nuances. And therein lies Hitman's innate brilliance. It's deep, expansive and open-ended enough that you'll never want to stop playing. Hitman is quite simply magnificent.
IO Interactive brings the Hitman series back in grand style. Not every level is Season 1 is amazing, but at it's best, Hitman contains some stunning settings, amazingly detailed level designs, and a vast number of ways to kill your target. It's handicapped a bit by its online implementation, but if you can get past that, you'll find one of the best games in the series.
Stealthy disguises lead into explosive moments of improvisation. Best-laid plans come to fruition through opportunities, and carefully timed, critical moments mean the difference between a master stroke and a quick death. The 2016 Hitman offers the best of its kind, with an episodic structure that clicks, sandbox playgrounds to pick apart and brilliant design and presentation on all levels.
Hitman's new approach to both gameplay and distribution hasn't gone unnoticed, signaling a return to the roots of the franchise. Introducing a new depth of variety and replayability to its sandboxes, Hitman's experiences are now more enjoyable and fulfilling than ever before. Although this can lead to a short experience for some, the content is some of the highest quality since the series' conception.
Hitman’s first season is a full-blown triumph. IO Interactive has masterfully pulled off this gamble with relatively few hiccups along the way. The world of assassination has never been a finer place to visit than it is right now.
The new money lives up to the Blood Money in this darkly comic, icy cool stealth/brain-teaser/drop-a-toilet-on-a-target's-head-'em-up. It's a hit, man.
Though, it’s clear from the start that the story is not what you come into Hitman for. It’s a game about its gameplay and the choices afforded to the player, and season 1 delivered near flawlessly. IO Interactive has built a framework that they can keep building on for years to come here, and we can’t wait to dive back into more missions in season 2.
Agent 47 is back and better than ever. The first season of Hitman has produced the definitive Agent 47 experience in a world of intrigue, espionage and murder. Not only the best Hitman game ever made, but also one of the top contenders for game of the year.
A triumph in both mechanics and delivery, Hitman turns its controversial episodic release model into a true strength that's suited to IO's vast and nuanced sandboxes.
IO Interactive's new, episodic Hitman is a triumph. The developer knew how to revive its ailing series and did so with aplomb, crafting a robust set of core mechanics and designing superb levels around them. Reminiscent of everything Blood Money did so well, from its focus on gameplay over story to its cold, sardonic presentation and dark sense of humour, this is Hitman as it is and always should be.It falters when the game leans too heavily on optional Opportunities, but counter to this hand-holding system are Elusive Targets – a fantastic test of any Hitman player's abilities. While these one-chance contracts are only available for a few days at a time, IO's consistent, quality support of the game ensures many more will follow this first season's physical release.
This is the ultimate Hitman experience, compiling a slew of excellent maps with an additional campaign that, while short, is terrific fun. IO Interactive has somehow managed to give players an immense sense of freedom without sacrificing the creativity so essential to Hitman. If you're looking for something stealthy to dig into, you can't do much better than this.
With the exception of a late episode misstep, Hitman: The Complete First Season is a perfectly designed showcase for the skills of Agent 47, as well as an excellent demonstration of the benefits of an episodic release structure.
No matter what you think of that, if you've ever thought of playing a Hitman game, then this is the one to grab. If you haven't ever heard of a Hitman game before, then you should just play this damn game and embrace the weird, wild world of sandbox murderin'.
Each level feels like a real place, inhabited by real people with their own goals and routines.
I’m truly happy that the reservations I had about Hitman: The Complete First Season melted away the moment that I stepped into the game’s wonderfully crafted missions and levels.
IO Interactive has breathed new life into this franchise with 100+ hours of content packed into the amazing first season of Hitman!