Review: Hitman Absolution (2012)

'Go with God, motherf***er.'

★★★

To many, this is the worst "Hitman game," and I understand why. It follows a different formula from the previous installments. After the success of the earlier Hitman games, developers at IO Interactive decided to try something new. Instead of the typical scenario of Agent 47 working for an agency, he takes on a new task.

The agency has been experimenting on different agents similar to 47, and the focus of the game is a girl named Victoria. Diana, your friend and handler, goes against the agency and steals the girl. As a result, the agency sends you, Agent 47, to terminate her. However, 47 reveals a different side. He's hesitant to kill Diana but shoots her anyway. Diana's dying wish is for 47 to take the girl and protect her from the agency. 47 does just that, taking Victoria to a church, believing it's the only place where she'll be safe. Meanwhile, 47 has some unfinished business to take care of, unaware that the agency is still after Victoria, as both he and Diana had betrayed them.

The rest of the game has you retrieve Victoria, to keep the promise you made to Diana. The story takes you to different places and has you deal with different kinds of enemies, which are different than all "Hitman" games. It does offer some variety, but it can fall flat. Towards the end, you rescue Victoria and kill the head of the agency. Which ends with Diana and Victoria living as a mother and a daughter while 47 protects them.

The levels are more linear compared to previous entries, with a mix of stealth and action-focused missions. The environments range from crowded city streets and nightclubs to remote locations like a cornfield and a desert. While the variety in settings adds some diversity, the more restricted level design limits creative approaches to assassinations. The enemies include typical agency goons, corrupt cops, gang members, and specialized hit squads. Some notable foes are a group of deadly nuns, known as "The Saints," who are hired to hunt down Agent 47. That group was more hyped than they needed to be.

The main reason why "Hitman: Absolution (2012)" was disliked by players was that it adopted more linear missions with forced action instead of the free-form, sandbox-style gameplay that characterized previous entries. The "Instinct Mode" update made the game feel too simple, and the disguise system was viewed as flawed, which resulted in annoying stealth elements. Many fans were upset with the overall course of the show because of the more personal and emotional storyline, which felt out of place for a series known for its professional and detached assassin narrative.

In my opinion, this is by far the weakest Hitman game. But I still do enjoy the game! The story is fine. The gameplay is alright. But like all Hitman games, it has its highs and lows. But when comparing it to the new Hitman games and the older ones, it doesn't hold up. Either way, it's not a bad game. It just doesn't hold up to any of the previous titles or even the newer ones.