14 DAY TRIAL // What we know:
Hitman: Absolution is the first game in the series since 2006 and will serve as a test case of whether Square Enix can break out from its JRPG cocoon and deliver yet another Western targeted hit.
The game will again see the player take control of Agent 47 and will fight against a new antagonist called Blake Dexter (a television series reference, maybe?), who seems to be a deranged killer.
The developers at IO Interactive are saying that players can get through the game using a traditional stealth approach, blending in and taking out their targets without raising any alarms, but there’s also the option to go in hotter, dispensing with some finesse in order to get the job done quicker.
The development team has also announced that Absolution will deliver multiplayer to the series for the first time but IO Interactive has not yet offered clear details on how it will play out, whether multiple Agents will be involved or whether it will be competitive or cooperative.
Hitman Absolution should be released in the second half of the year on the PC, the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360.
Why it matters: The Hitman series was revolutionary when it was first launched, mainly because the technology and the ambition of developers came together at the exact right time when the players were ready to accept that a game could consist of more than just simply shooting dumb enemies to progress.
The series has been on hiatus for some time and it’s not clear whether stealth and disguise can power a hit game in 2012.
Deus Ex: Human Revolution proved that old, well-known and well-regarded titles can be successfully updated, but Hitman is even more niche than that and it might fail to find a large audience.
The full Incoming 2012 series of articles can be read on Softpedia right here.