Hitman Absolution announced

[BabyHeadCrab]

How selfless! Well, seems like you successfully defended them from my nefarious ideas. Time to play some Hitman: Blood Money.

edit: just found this Reddit (didn't create it)

 

[StardogChampion]

How selfless! Well, seems like you successfully defended them from my nefarious ideas. Time to play some Hitman: Blood Money.

edit: just found this Reddit (didn't create it)

http://i.imgur.com/UhZFv.png

But CoD repackages shit gameplay that gets boring after 5 minutes year after year.

You should repackage a previous game if it's actually good.

 

[Bad^Hat]

Resident Evil 4 isn't a Resident Evil game.

You're aware that many people still maintain exactly this, right?

 

[BabyHeadCrab]

No, not really - I mean, I'm not surprised in the least considering how many diehards the series has bred. But you learn something new every day.

The point of that post was to illustrate that popular IPs tend to take the route of deviating from their diehard audience in an effort to even further broaden their demographic - simple business. Said deviation unavoidably offends said purists/fans but isn't always such an awful thing. The Resident Evil thing doesn't exactly stand contrary to my central argument, rather it feeds it.

Hitman had reasonable game-fame, but not the buzz of say, Mario, Warcraft or Resident Evil. They're seizing the moment here, and from a fiscal standpoint, who can blame them?

In the meantime, it looks like the product being produced is far from compromised, is in the hands of some competent and savvy folks, and it's way too early to call the cards on Absolution.

 

[Krynn72]

Nobody said "deviations" are inherently bad. I know you're really thick headed, so this is the last time I'll allow you to goad me into addressing your malarkey. The core gameplay looks like its being discarded in order to become more like another famous game. There is no reason to to make this game under the hitman title. The hitman fan-base is small enough to not really be significant in sales or name-recognition, as you admit yourself. Most people who are familiar with the name and franchise are going to be pissed off at the changes (as evidenced by the vitriol in the video's comments section). They have, in fact, spurred people away from the game by making such decisions. Now, if they'd made their own, new game then they'd be starting with a blank slate, and would have all the creative freedom to try whatever they wanted without starting off on the wrong foot, and having such negative initial feedback, and probably a net loss of committed buyers in this pre-release state.

However, even if it were a brand new IP, that doesn't excuse some of the core decisions they've made. Namely, Instinct mode. Its a terrible feature and has received a negative reception in almost every game its been in. Even in Arkham Asylum the devs admitted it needed to be toned down, and will be doing so for the next game.

"It was a gameplay decision to make detective vision so strong…we're going to try not to do that mistake again." Hego added that Rocksteady would "make it more like augmented reality next time," shedding some light on how detective vision might be toned down and adapted for the studio's next Batman game.

And I mean, at least in Batman it makes sense that he could have technology that could do such a drastic thing like let him see through walls. Nobody's "instinct" gives them x-ray vision. Even just on the conceptual level thats retarded.

I feel confident in saying that this game would have done better than it will, had they kept all the core elements intact.

 

[Bad^Hat]

No, not really - I mean, I'm not surprised in the least considering how many diehards the series has bred. But you learn something new every day.

The point of that post was to illustrate that popular IPs tend to take the route of deviating from their diehard audience in an effort to even further broaden their demographic - simple business. Said deviation unavoidably offends said purists/fans but isn't always such an awful thing. The Resident Evil thing doesn't exactly stand contrary to my central argument, rather it feeds it.

Hitman had reasonable game-fame, but not the buzz of say, Mario, Warcraft or Resident Evil. They're seizing the moment here, and from a fiscal standpoint, who can blame them?

In the meantime, it looks like the product being produced is far from compromised, is in the hands of some competent and savvy folks, and it's way too early to call the cards on Absolution.

From a fiscal standpoint, sure, but some people are still going to see it as homogenization rather than diversification. Not saying whether that's right or not (I never really got into the Hitman games, besides watching a friend play through Blood Money), but I don't think it's really fair to expect them to respect the change because it's good business or whatever.

Anyway, Resi 4 wasn't the greatest example since, while a fairly drastic deviation from the prior games, it was amazing in it's own right and actually pretty original. The point to take away from that, and why some people don't identify it as a part of the series, is that it betrayed many of the things that had become established in the series up until that point. No more zombies, a completely different environment and atmosphere, more focus on action than horror, etc. This made the game more appealing to certain people, but it was still a fundamental shift from what the series was known and loved for up until that point. It's not the same deal as something like Mario 64, which transitioned to a different style of gameplay while still maintaining the core appeal of the series. Sometimes you can have a good game which is also a poor sequel.

 

[Dinnesch]

I think it doesn't look that bad, and since so many people find it a problem I bet they will allow players to disable the x-ray stuff(like the DX:HR devs did with the marking). I don't think i'll end up having a problem with using the x-ray stuff, the earlier Hitman games also provided a (clumsy) map to instantly show locations of everyone alive. This just looks like a more fun way to check your location vs the guards to me.

Not really keen on the level they showed here though, but from what I remember Hitman: Silent Assassin had a similar intro level where you would be the hunted most of the time.

 

[Krynn72]

Honestly I'm making it a bigger deal of it than it actually is. Well... bigger than it might actually be. Here are the main things I'm actually concerned about.

1) Instinct mode throwing off the balance of the game for those who don't use it.
2) Game being too easy even without instinct. The AI should have reacted faster when 47 bashed in the one guy's head right in front of his partner. If their response times aren't made faster, its going to be far too easy of a game. I fear that they might put a delay on getting spotted (like you have to be seen for a whole 2 seconds before they're alerted). I also fear that they'll give up too quickly once alerted (a trait thats really lame in modern stealth games, and one that wasn't true for the past hitman games), and have really short/narrow sight ranges, etc.
3) Linearity. The mission shown looked like an extremely linear level with only one path to the end. Two big rooms, stairwell, on-the-rails rooftops. If most levels are like this, then this is a bargin bin game for me. That means it essentially IS Arkham Asylum, and well... I already played that game, and I didn't think it was as great as everyone else thought.

Point 1 isn't a big deal since its optional, and even if it does unbalance the game for me, as long as its not unplayable, it will still be better than if it was mandatory.

Point 2 is a big deal. I'm at the point where I'm sick of easy games. Demon's Souls and Dark Souls have proven that you don't need to cater to idiots to attract a big audience. If I hear that its way too easy, I may hold off for a sale on steam or something.

Point 3 is, as I said, almost a deal breaker. But I'm assured that it won't be that way, so I'll continue watching, and hope they show a video of a good level next.

 

[_-_-SELAS-_-_]

Our trailer is out now in better quality on gametrailers now by the way.


http://www.gametrailers.com/video/e3-demo-hitman-absolution/722132

 

[Barnz]

Selas, is this game really going to have QTEs on the PC version?

 

[morgs]

Currently having quite a lot of fun/some slight frustration with my first Blood Money play through. I'm even considering playing through a second time and killing a lot more instead of sedating/avoiding.

 

[Unfocused]

Looks like there's some Sniper Challenge sort-of-minigame (on the game engine) available if you pre-order the game.

 

[Krynn72]

Controlled breathing is an unlockable feature... which you get in pre-order dlc? If its only unlockable in the preorder dlc then its solidified me not buying this. ****ing preorder exclusive shit god damnit. Will not support.

 

[Tollbooth Willie]

I sincerely hope none of you buy this piece of shit. Like, I swear to god. If any of you buy it I will find out where you live and skin you. There is no hope left for the Hotman series/ Ubisoft and IO have turned a great stealth series into a predictable run and gun piece of shit. This game is literally Splinter Cell: Conviction without the good.

 

[Unfocused]

Controlled breathing is an unlockable feature... which you get in pre-order dlc? If its only unlockable in the preorder dlc then its solidified me not buying this. ****ing preorder exclusive shit god damnit. Will not support.

Nah, I think it's just for that Sniper Challenge - it's a mini-game, they made it arcade-y, with multipliers and shit and you probably unlock this stuff fairly quickly.

 

[_-_-SELAS-_-_]

Selas, is this game really going to have QTEs on the PC version?

Sorry barnz I'm under NDA (also sorry I'm SO late in seeing your question, maybe send a PM when it's about ½ a year since the last comment was made). :-P

To the rest of you I can say this: Don't worry.