Ever play a game that just drips with
high production values and class, but you still don't like it? That's
how I feel about Hitman: Absolution. I realize that it's something
plenty of people will enjoy. I just didn't. Do I think it's worth
picking up? Sure, if it's on sale. And you're bored.
If that sounds like I'm getting ready
to drop some grade-A hate, I'm not. At least, I don't want to. There
is so much about Hitman: Absolution that just reeks of care and
attention. The graphics are amazing. Not necessarily a reason to buy
a game, but they are. The voice acting is superb (Keith Carradine and
Powers Boothe? Hell yes!). The soundtrack works incredibly well,
giving an almost Bond-esque ambiance without ever getting too loud.
While some levels are occasionally re-used, there are a lot of
different locations and settings. And as far as the story goes, I
felt incredibly close to Agent 47 (he's quite sympathetic, despite
his stoicism). Sneaking from cover to cover feels fluid and natural.
Weapons are deadly (headshots are a breeze with the Silverballers).
So what's my problem?
Most of the levels are claustrophobic
(the opening Chinatown level and the cornfield level are exceptions).
The paths through the levels are restrictive. And some levels don't
even bother to hide their linearity (final rooftop level, among many
others). There's no way to level-up Agent 47. Upgrades are unlocked
based upon how high of a score you received upon completing a
mission. But the points system clearly favors a specific path –
even penalizing for non-target knockouts. I was never a fan of the
Assassin's Creed games' “full synchonization” mechanic either,
but this just ticked me off. There is no loadout customization; you
start every mission with choke-wire and (after you unlock them) the
Silverballers. Other weapons are acquired by finding them or picking
them up from dead enemies – but it doesn't matter, because you'll
be back to the piano wire and Silverballers once the next mission
starts.
Disguises are actually not a problem;
there are plenty of them around. Using them is sometimes strange,
though. If planning to ghost through a police station, DON'T try to
use a police uniform as a disguise. Why? Because if a cop gets too
close to you, he'll detect that you're not a real policeman. Makes
sense, I suppose. But in a level crawling with police, disguising as
a police officer becomes a questionable strategy – which seems
counter-intuitive to me. Much better to knock out a homeless person
and take his disguise, since the officers won't detect you. But then,
dressed as a homeless person, you won't be able to enter restricted
areas without attracting attention anyway. Several times I just lost
patience and started taking innocent people out to facilitate
progress – and several times got embroiled in a full-on gun battle.
Which actually wasn't that bad. If you're careful, 47 has a ton of
health, and headshots are 1-hit kills. Add in the deadly Instinct
combat mode, which has elements of the VATS system from Fallout, and
47 becomes an absolute wrecking ball of death.
There were some great moments, though.
Ghosting through the flaming warehouse while troopers searched the
premises was a thrill. Heading deeper underground through a mining
facility with guards everywhere was a delicate game of cat-and-mouse.
And trying to take out three henchmen in Chinatown with throngs of
people everywhere was easily the most enjoyment I had from Hitman
Absolution. Somehow I thought every level would feature that amount
of variety and detail, and I'm disappointed that (to me) it didn't. Hitman: Absolution is polished and does what it sets out to do, but ultimately it's only a mediocre game that is sprinkled with some great levels.
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