Hitman

[ProjectPat2280]

Discussion has started for the new Hitman game over in the Absolution thread, but now that we have concrete info on the next title, I figured its time to start up another thread. Or this can be merged and the Absolution thread can just become one big Hitman thread, either way.

Anyway, IO has written an open letter to all Hitman fans, laying out some details on what to expect in the next game:

Dear Hitman fans,

We wanted to share this open letter with all of you out there eagerly awaiting more news about what’s happening next in the franchise.

At Io-Interactive right now, we are building the next AAA Hitman game for PC and next-gen consoles. It has our total focus and we wanted to take a moment to tell you a few things about it.

In the next game you will experience a globetrotting Agent 47 at the prime of his career – the apex predator stalking his prey across the world, with the support of his long-term handler Diana Burnwood and the whole of the ICA.

The game concentrates on the core Hitman fantasy of using a wide range of tools to take out a diverse group of targets across expansive, exotic locations around the world. We are building this game on the backbone of the Glacier 2 engine, using the best parts and what we have learnt through Hitman: Absolution and drawing inspiration from past titles like Contracts and Blood Money to fulfil the core Hitman fantasy. That means we’re packing in an extreme level of detail on the largest levels we have ever built for a Hitman game. We’ve adopted an open, non-linear level design approach to the game, ensuring the game will play out across huge, checkpoint-free, sandbox levels. Our aim is to create living, breathing and believable levels which will allow gamers to play around with the AI to create those unique moments every fan of the Hitman franchise loves.

Contracts Mode is back – you will be able to create and build challenges by experimenting with the large levels and possibilities within them. And of course, you can share them with the world and challenge your friends or foes to complete your hits. Your rules, your Contracts.

You will also be glad to hear that we have removed 47’s magic pockets. We believe that’s all we need to say about that subject.

As we get further into 2014, we will reveal more and get into much closer contact with all of you. There are so many things we have planned and we are extremely excited for the future of Hitman.

Thank you all for your dedication. We will share much, much more in the coming months.

The Io-Interactive Team

 

[StrainedEyes]

I'm glad it sounds like they are going back to what made Hitman great, I really did not enjoy Absolution.

 

[ProjectPat2280]

Absolution was a great title, I do think it deviated a tad too much from the previous 4 games, but maybe that was needed. With the 5th game in the series, im sure IO didnt want to rehash what they had been doing and the style of Absolution allowed us to see 47 in a way the previous haven't really shown. Now that that exposition is out of the way, we have a better understanding of who this man is, we can go back to what we had, which was a 47 that had TONS of resources and a job he was good at. Absolution tossed all that, 47 was on the run, cut off from the ICA, cut off from Diana and I don't think the previous games setup would of really allowed for IO to show that. I appreciate what IO did with Absolution, but Im deff glad to see 47 returning to 'form' with this next adventure.

 

[Nathan]

Definitely looking forward to this. Hoping to see all the options from the past games to return.

 

[ProjectPat2280]

Definitely looking forward to this. Hoping to see all the options from the past games to return.

Same.

I think I said in the previous thread, but I REALLY hope the rifle case comes back. Considering IO is doing away with 47s "magic pockets" im sure it will. Hope we get a level where we are able to go up to the roof of an adjacent building, unpack the rifle and snipe a target. On that subject, I hope the W2000 rifle makes its return. Assembly required and all, hah.

 

[James]

Exciting stuff!

 

[ProjectPat2280]

Exciting stuff!

Indeed. I hope 47 will have a much larger presence this generation, much like he did during the ps2 gen.

 

[Wolvieboy17]

Well two games in in 2 years is great for a franchise that felt like it had dwindled of recent. The announced changes for this new game seem great too.

 

[ProjectPat2280]

Well two games in in 2 years is great for a franchise that felt like it had dwindled of recent. The announced changes for this new game seem great too.

Yea for sure. Which i kind of assumed after Absolution that IO was going to refocus on the franchise. After Kane and Lynch and Mini Ninjas i think they really wanted to get back to Hitman. I just hope they get the support from SE going forward. Hitman has always, always been more of a niche title and im not sure SE understands that.

 

[SpideyVille]

Absolution was my first Hitman game and I Absolutely loved it. I tried to get into the HD Trilogy, but just couldn't so I don't know just what kind of changes they made there, but I hope they don't change too much unless its meant to be an improvement. This, much like Splinter Cell Blacklist, which came after, are great examples of how I love my stealth games to be, especially in this generation.

 

[ProjectPat2280]

Absolution was my first Hitman game and I Absolutely loved it. I tried to get into the HD Trilogy, but just couldn't so I don't know just what kind of changes they made there, but I hope they don't change too much unless its meant to be an improvement. This, much like Splinter Cell Blacklist, which came after, are great examples of how I love my stealth games to be, especially in this generation.

Yea the old games haven't aged well at all. The new Hitman title will most likely resemble their level and mission structure tho. There will be more a "mission" structure to the next game. It'll be fantastic, there's no doubt.

 

[BattleCat]

New Hit man game coming December 8th. http://kotaku.com/square-enix-announces-new-hitman-1711554763

 

[TX85]

Oh damn it's coming this year? I assumed sometime 2016

 

[James]

I'll be too busy with Fallout 4.

Still, I'll play it eventually. Hopefully it leans more toward Blood Money and it's open environments than Absolution and it's more linear levels (I recognize it had a few open levels as well).

I also wonder if Victoria will be returning, I know Pat is really excited about that.

 

[Havok83]

He created a thread for it last year when we first heard about it

http://forums.superherohype.com/showthread.php?p=27698953&highlight=hitman#post27698953

 

[Hunter Rider]

Decent trailer, I was hoping to see an assassination mission out in the snowy forest.

 

[BlackFox]

The daddy is back, just hope its more Blood Money than it is Absolution (good game just not a great Hitman one to me) but I think they have already said it is so no worries.

Just some gameplay need to eyeball now to get proper hyped but very close to super hyped.

 

[SpideyVille]

What exactly is a good 'Hitman' game? I liked Absolution, but I tried to play the earlier games from the collection, but I could get into it with the controls.

 

[BlackFox]

What exactly is a good 'Hitman' game? I liked Absolution, but I tried to play the earlier games from the collection, but I could get into it with the controls.

Big, open, sand box like levels that have enormous replay value due to the numerous ways one or more targets can be taken out in it.

 

[BlackFox]

New gameplay vid looks great. Absolution style graphics but hints at Blood Money type levels, promising.

Already liking the locations for this, big hotels and that fashion show is a nice visual backdrop to play in. Lots of good stuff.

 

[SpideyVille]

Big, open, sand box like levels that have enormous replay value due to the numerous ways one or more targets can be taken out in it.

How was that different that Absolution though? Was Absolution more linear in some parts, because I remember being about pick and choose how to kill targets and playing every level multiple times to unlock stuff.

 

[TX85]

The gameplay vid was great!

 

[BlackFox]

How was that different that Absolution though? Was Absolution more linear in some parts, because I remember being about pick and choose how to kill targets and playing every level multiple times to unlock stuff.

Absolution did have two or three levels like that, I remember one with 5 or 6 targets of a biker gang in it being quite a good level in Memphis or something. But too many of its levels had levels going from point A to point B with checkpoints that had little to no replay value, some of these were done very well, like making your way through a crowd to make a train, but they weren't really worth playing through over and over like Blood Money, Contracts and Hitman 2 had.

Absolution did do some things very nicely though (gunplay was the best in the series) and had some good moments just I have preferred other versions more.

 

[SpideyVille]

Absolution did have two or three levels like that, I remember one with 5 or 6 targets of a biker gang in it being quite a good level in Memphis or something. But too many of its levels had levels going from point A to point B with checkpoints that had little to no replay value, some of these were done very well, like making your way through a crowd to make a train, but they weren't really worth playing through over and over like Blood Money, Contracts and Hitman 2 had.

Absolution did do some things very nicely though (gunplay was the best in the series) and had some good moments just I have preferred other versions more.

Interesting. I never got into the series until Absolution, but I was interested because I love stealth games, like Splinter Cell, and Absolution seemed to add a little extra in terms of more freedom in how you can approach a mission, something that I didn't really see until Splinter Cell Blacklist.

 

[BlackFox]

All additional content for the upcoming Hitman game will be released for free, says Io-Interactive. The developer believes that Season Passes and similar approaches to DLC delivery are “wrong”.

Hitman was announced earlier this week at E3 2015 and it’s taking an interesting approach to additional content. The game will launch digitally in December, with further content rolling out in the following months. Once all of that content hits, Hitman will be released on disc.

The approach has attracted some comparisons to the kind of Early Access model found on Steam (and now Xbox One). However, Io-Interactive says that Hitman’s model is different.

"We're not an Early Access game because Early Access games are unfinished by definition - you're part of the development," Seifert told VideoGamer. "Everything we ship on December 8th will be completely finished, it will be a very polished experience. It's also going to be a very big game.”

“There are other products that sell a game for $60 and then try to sell you a Season Pass for another $40 on top, so you spend $100 or $120 for all the stuff that happens later on. We said no, we don't want to do that.

"We think it's wrong to approach players like that because players want to be part of that experience but they don't necessarily want to be ripped off,” concluded Seifert. “What we're going to sell is all of that but it's for a one-price package."

For more on Hitman, check out the debut gameplay trailer released earlier this week. Hitman hits Xbox One, PS4 and PC on December 8th.

Like they're stance on this, very similar to CDProjektRed.