14 DAY TRIAL // Hitman: Absolution, the upcoming shooter from IO Interactive, will try to blend the traditional stealth gameplay that made the franchise so popular, with a more action-filled type of experience, allowing players to battle their opponents through more conventional ways, in case their stealthy approach fails.
Past Hitman games gained a cult following for putting players in the shoes of Agent 47, a genetically modified assassin that took care of all sorts of missions through a variety of stealthy actions.
In the new Hitman: Absolution, however, IO Interactive will allow players to have a more reckless and action-filled approach, similar to last year’s Deus Ex: Human Revolution.
According to IO’s Hakan Abrak, the lead producer of the game, more options will be offered to players, as they aren’t forced to have a pure stealth approach, like in previous titles from the series.
“There are many more options for different emotional states and approaches to the gameplay. Some players do prefer a more violent approach; in earlier Hitman games, you were punished for that. If you screwed up, the entire level would come down on your head. But now, action is a more compelling option. But to our veteran fans, rest assured, the stealth is fully intact and better than ever,” Abrak said.
Stealth gameplay will be more rewarding, however, as players will be able to examine the unique ways enemies interact and learn lots of details about their targets and the world around them.
“Voyeurism has always been a key storytelling focus in Hitman, and we still have a lot of these small stories peppered throughout the game. It’s where a lot of the replayability comes in, actually. If you go into the game guns blazing, you’ll get a unique experience…but if you’re stealthy and explore more thoroughly, you’ll learn a lot more about the world and characters by overhearing conversations and the like.”
Hitman: Absolution is set to appear on the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 later this year.