[Hitman] Absolution is available sans sandboxes

Suriko

PaperLuigi44 wrote: »

Blood Money is so good, oh my god.

That finale:

Spoiler:

Shooting the journalist was a moment where I had to turn away, and not just because I am one myself.

Also, my memory is faint but I remember that villain in the wheelchair rolling up a hill with his handgun, taking him out with a well placed shot felt like a very powerful ending moment for me, especially compared to your typical final boss fights in games.

So yeah, here's hoping for Hitman 5.

Honestly, it just fit the game so ridiculously well.

Spoiler:

You spent the entirety of the game (and series) playing this barely human completely sociopathic killer, who makes his living by murdering unsuspecting people. Capping it off with a big boss fight against some supersoldier or something would have been the easy way out, but ending the game with an affirmation of what you've been doing the entire time - murdering the defenceless - by making the player kill the biggest examples of such (a helpless journalist and a wheelchair-bound guy) really drove the point home.

There are no good guys in here, only Agent 47. The ending of Blood Money was not a 'happy' ending, or a 'good' ending, it was just the continuation of this man's story.

Hank_Scorpio

If Hitman 5 and EP3/HL3 are announced at this years E3 it'll officially be the best in recent memory, at least for me. Two of my favorite gaming franchises ever.

Also, correct order from best to worst: Blood money, Hitman 1, Hitman Contracts, Hitman 2.

truck-a-sauras

Hitman 5? sign me up.

part of me wonders though if a sandbox world hitman game would ever work... hmmmmm.... just bored and musing.

Jintor

I would hardly call the Wheelchair dude 'defenceless'. That guy was packing heat.

Suriko

He was laughably easy to take down though; nowhere near a serious threat.

Jintor

Nobody's a serious threat when you're in bullettime, man

Olivaw

The finale to Blood Money is amazing, especially if you time it right so you leap up and take the priest as a human shield

Synthesis

Don't remind me about the buggyness of the first Hitman game. The series definitely benefited from refinement.

electricitylikesme

Man I am super psyched about this. Also, there is no reason to play Hitman Blood Money on anything except the hardest difficulty.

GR_Zombie

Jintor wrote: »

If those return I hope they implement it to be a bit more natural. Or perhaps change it to be like... FBI profiling information or something. That way the focus on a specific individual being murdered makes more sense, as does the rather clinical nature of the reporting.

I hope that if you get Silent Assassin ranking the news reports it as a tragic accident, as opposed to magically knowing that there was foul play involved somehow.

electricitylikesme

GR_Zombie wrote: »

Jintor wrote: »

If those return I hope they implement it to be a bit more natural. Or perhaps change it to be like... FBI profiling information or something. That way the focus on a specific individual being murdered makes more sense, as does the rather clinical nature of the reporting.

I hope that if you get Silent Assassin ranking the news reports it as a tragic accident, as opposed to magically knowing that there was foul play involved somehow.

If you kill everyone I hope the news doesn't report the target as being the most significant person killed. It'd be great if they just talked about a mass shooting, or if instead it would focus on some other important person who you took out in the cross fire who wasn't the target.

Ninja Snarl P

electricitylikesme wrote: »

GR_Zombie wrote: »

Jintor wrote: »

If those return I hope they implement it to be a bit more natural. Or perhaps change it to be like... FBI profiling information or something. That way the focus on a specific individual being murdered makes more sense, as does the rather clinical nature of the reporting.

I hope that if you get Silent Assassin ranking the news reports it as a tragic accident, as opposed to magically knowing that there was foul play involved somehow.

If you kill everyone I hope the news doesn't report the target as being the most significant person killed. It'd be great if they just talked about a mass shooting, or if instead it would focus on some other important person who you took out in the cross fire who wasn't the target.

Achieving Silent Assassin ratings should end up with little tiny stories rather than being splashed all over the front page. So instead of there being this dead-center huge story with a picture right on the front page about a bunch of murders, Silent Assassin should get you things like "three generations wiped out in food poisoning tragedy; catering service under investigation" crammed down at the bottom corner and saying nothing else.

Forty people getting shot at a wedding would probably be front-page news, but a handful of guys dying in mysterious accidents? Pfft, who cares. They're lucky to even be in the newspaper.

Or no story at all would be nice and you just get the obituary column. "Frank Wallace, 53, shipping magnate. Leaves behind a loving widow and two children. Tragically crushed under an out-of-control piano being carried up the stairs of his mansion."

-SPI-

Blood Money was amazing, more of that please.

If it's Hitman: Conviction I will cry.

Olivaw

-SPI- wrote: »

Blood Money was amazing, more of that please.

If it's Hitman: Conviction I will cry.

Splinter Cell Conviction was okay!

But yes I would just like more Hitman please, there isn't another stealth game quite like it

God I remember working out a great way to silent assassin the casino mission, using a sniper rifle, a bomb, some piano wire and balcony climbing skills

It was dope

Dongs Galore

Deadfall wrote: »

God, the opera level in Blood Money, if pulled off precisely, is brilliant.

I dunno, I actually prefer completing it in ways other than the one the game more or less hands to you. (Swap guns, blow up chandelier)

My favorite version was one where I took a rifle up to the rafters and shot the actor right in time with the crescendo.

I meant to kill the other guy with the chandelier, but mis-timed it and he was on stage by the time it fell... so while his guards were distracted looking at the chandelier, I just shot him in the head and left him sprawled on top of the first body.

Rorus Raz

Splinter Cell Convinction, as has been said many times, is a good game but akin to making Super Mario Bros. 3 a good fighting game. It just rips the series out of its genre in a way that leaves you wondering why they didn't just get a new IP for it.

Handsome Costanza

FUUUUUUCK YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS



fountains of jism.

PaperLuigi44

Dongs Galore wrote: »

Deadfall wrote: »

God, the opera level in Blood Money, if pulled off precisely, is brilliant.

I dunno, I actually prefer completing it in ways other than the one the game more or less hands to you. (Swap guns, blow up chandelier)

My favorite version was one where I took a rifle up to the rafters and shot the actor right in time with the crescendo.

I meant to kill the other guy with the chandelier, but mis-timed it and he was on stage by the time it fell... so while his guards were distracted looking at the chandelier, I just shot him in the head and left him sprawled on top of the first body.

My favourite was the Witness Protection mission, where I chucked an explosive under the phone in the house and rang him from the van (after getting the necklace) so I could just stroll off into the sunset.

Dongs Galore

My one big concern is that the more realistic and immersive the whole "social stealth" thing gets, the more ridiculous it becomes for nobody to notice that the elderly Catholic priest is suddenly a hugely muscled bald man with a barcode on his head.

Edit: Maybe on Pro difficulty your disguise will only be effective if it includes a hat...

Edit Edit: Also I hope they vary the body models so not every male has terrifying steroid arms and massive hands

Rorus Raz

I do have a hard time dealing with a stealthy assassin having such an identifying mark on a very visible part of his body.

Synthesis

Calling it now: they're going to add a cover mechanic.

Hopefully it will not detract from the game.

Raiden333

Synthesis wrote: »

Calling it now: they're going to add a cover mechanic.

Hopefully it will not detract from the game.

Blood Money had a cover mechanic (and possibly earlier games too, only played blood money myself).

It was called grabbing a dude.

Rogueknight-

Dongs Galore wrote: »

My one big concern is that the more realistic and immersive the whole "social stealth" thing gets, the more ridiculous it becomes for nobody to notice that the elderly Catholic priest is suddenly a hugely muscled bald man with a barcode on his head.

That one does give you the chance for the flat out most ridiculous kill in the game though.

Ring the bell, start the wedding, stand by the podium.

When the Bride and Groom are ready, say "Dearly Beloved" and open your Bible to page 3. Remove the concealed handgun within the bible, shoot the groom and then run like your feet are on fire before 40 pissed off wedding guests manage to pull their six shooters.

Doing that should get a newspaper report "Crazed Priest guns down Groom" though

Synthesis

Raiden333 wrote: »

Synthesis wrote: »

Calling it now: they're going to add a cover mechanic.

Hopefully it will not detract from the game.

Blood Money had a cover mechanic (and possibly earlier games too, only played blood money myself).

It was called grabbing a dude.

Earlier games did not have the human shield technique.

Nuzak

Ninja Snarl P wrote: »

electricitylikesme wrote: »

GR_Zombie wrote: »

Jintor wrote: »

If those return I hope they implement it to be a bit more natural. Or perhaps change it to be like... FBI profiling information or something. That way the focus on a specific individual being murdered makes more sense, as does the rather clinical nature of the reporting.

I hope that if you get Silent Assassin ranking the news reports it as a tragic accident, as opposed to magically knowing that there was foul play involved somehow.

If you kill everyone I hope the news doesn't report the target as being the most significant person killed. It'd be great if they just talked about a mass shooting, or if instead it would focus on some other important person who you took out in the cross fire who wasn't the target.

Achieving Silent Assassin ratings should end up with little tiny stories rather than being splashed all over the front page. So instead of there being this dead-center huge story with a picture right on the front page about a bunch of murders, Silent Assassin should get you things like "three generations wiped out in food poisoning tragedy; catering service under investigation" crammed down at the bottom corner and saying nothing else.

Forty people getting shot at a wedding would probably be front-page news, but a handful of guys dying in mysterious accidents? Pfft, who cares. They're lucky to even be in the newspaper.

Or no story at all would be nice and you just get the obituary column. "Frank Wallace, 53, shipping magnate. Leaves behind a loving widow and two children. Tragically crushed under an out-of-control piano being carried up the stairs of his mansion."

that was the original plan actually, but they had to ship it some time

things i would like:

more upgrades that are more expensive, and thus entirely dependent on how i play (also a loudener and something for shooting down police helicopters)

more opportunities for accidents, and not just "lol i'm gonna take a smoke break under this dangling piano, how dope is this". how about "oh jeez the poor guy somehow got into the medicine cabinet and overdosed" or faking a suicide. or even a dissapearance! if you chuck the bodies into a furnace they are just reported as missing from the cruise

hell, how about taking disguises to create a fall guy? "i swear it wasn't me who killed him, it was an assassin dressed in my clothes! but he doesn't have fingerprints. and i don't have an alibi for my absence, you'll just have to buy that i was asleep in a closet the whole time."

Nuzak

Dongs Galore wrote: »

My one big concern is that the more realistic and immersive the whole "social stealth" thing gets, the more ridiculous it becomes for nobody to notice that the elderly Catholic priest is suddenly a hugely muscled bald man with a barcode on his head.

Edit: Maybe on Pro difficulty your disguise will only be effective if it includes a hat...

Edit Edit: Also I hope they vary the body models so not every male has terrifying steroid arms and massive hands

a) it's a gameism, i think it adds character. and to a certain degree, it helps that the guards are retarded because...

b) the game is trying to instill a sense of contempt in you with the moronic guards and the ugly, stupid people with grotesquely over-sexualised bodies who only talk about who they want to bang. by making you grossed out by the bodies you kill, you can identify a little better with an asexual sociopathic killer

Jintor

I still don't know why 47 would ever fall for that sexy assassin in the Hefner party

PaperLuigi44

I love that the map gives away how suspicious that room is.

Fig-D

Its not uncommon for me to shoot her in the back of the head as the gentleman walks away and quickly stash her body in the same place she hid the snow bunny. 47 doesn't fall for that shit.

(Okay so sometimes I shoot him too. And sometimes I kill the senator's son by dropping a mine into the jacuzzi from a couple stories up. I'm less of a "Silent Assassin" and more of a "Deranged Psychopath" on playthroughs after the first.)

Demiurge

I really hated Blood Money. Okay the gameplay was great, great levels, great setups and so on. But the game went out of the way to give you villains to kill. Opera guy? Runs a child prostitution ring, theme park guy? Skimped on safety and got a bunch of kids killed.

Everyone you kill is established as a bad guy, in the first game you just took the money and killed whomever.

PaperLuigi44

I had just as much fun with the elaborate traps as I did just using the silenced pistol. Sometimes 47 just has to get to the point, you know?

Also, pushing people to their death never got old for me.

Nuzak

PaperLuigi44 wrote: »

I had just as much fun with the elaborate traps as I did just using the silenced pistol. Sometimes 47 just has to get to the point, you know?

Also, pushing people to their death never got old for me.

that's what the screwdriver is for.

PaperLuigi44

Nuzak wrote: »

PaperLuigi44 wrote: »

I had just as much fun with the elaborate traps as I did just using the silenced pistol. Sometimes 47 just has to get to the point, you know?

Also, pushing people to their death never got old for me.

that's what the screwdriver is for.

EDIT: Also, I'd have to say that the opening cutscene was a refreshing change. No main character running on badass cutscene fuel and using powers you'll never get to actually use in-game, just a grieving parent turning to the most severe form of revenge. It gives a lot more impact to what you're doing. These aren't just random missions, somebody has hired you, whatever their intentions.

Daedalus

Demiurge wrote: »

I really hated Blood Money. Okay the gameplay was great, great levels, great setups and so on. But the game went out of the way to give you villains to kill. Opera guy? Runs a child prostitution ring, theme park guy? Skimped on safety and got a bunch of kids killed.

Everyone you kill is established as a bad guy, in the first game you just took the money and killed whomever.

Spoiler:

In the first game everyone you killed was the accomplice of a mad scientist, not to mention also Triad kingpins, drug smugglers, and terrorists, and then you killed the mad scientist himself at the end. And they were all also your parents.

I felt way more bad about Mr. Swing King than about anyone in the first game.

Tube

Demiurge wrote: »

I really hated Blood Money. Okay the gameplay was great, great levels, great setups and so on. But the game went out of the way to give you villains to kill. Opera guy? Runs a child prostitution ring, theme park guy? Skimped on safety and got a bunch of kids killed.

Everyone you kill is established as a bad guy, in the first game you just took the money and killed whomever.

In the first game you exclusively killed the world's worst terrorists and criminals. It was the entire foundation of the plot.

PaperLuigi44

Is the original still worth tracking down? I never did play it or Contracts.

Operative21

I am very much onboard for a Hitman 5. It has been too long indeed. That being said, I can only imagine what they'll have to come up with to challenge him. Especially after the events of Blood Money.

Spoiler:

I mean, assassinating the vice president, in the middle of the white house? That's hard to top as far as feats go.

Suriko

Assassinating a general. In the middle of a military base. While he's on active duty, in the middle of a warzone.

Knowing Agent 47, he'd make it look like the guy died from choking on a pretzel, too.

Big Classy

Killing an astronaut, on the moon. Without a spacesuit. Using only piano wire.

LeumasWhite

Big Isy wrote: »

Killing an astronaut, on the moon. Without a spacesuit. Using only piano wire.

Police suspect blood money was involved.