Telegraph: Hitman: Absolution review

Tom Hoggins writes: A tawdry narrative and lack of focus makes Hitman: Absolution a rare misstep for an excellent video game series.

[grifter024]

Agree. I've been playing it for two days and this isn't hitman. The maps are way to small and almost everything was gutted and stream lined for the casuals.

I feel bad that every old IP and franchise is going the way of casualization.

[bauer007]

Your so wrong :L

[grifter024]

Bauer007-How am I wrong? You get mission challenges in that specific target you are doing and when you finish one you can restart and somehow the mission challenges STAY persistent and boost your score to the point that score doesn't even matter.

You have smaller levels and you can push instinct mode to see where enemies go and where items are you can use. Not to mention how blind NPC's are.

The one who's wrong is you unless this is your first Hitman game in which case I feel bad for you.

ArchangelMike- It's OWN MERITS?! It has Hitman in the title so no I will not judge this on it's own damn merits it's asinine to even say that. So someone can name a game Silent Hill: Annihilation and it is a rail gun shooter and you think people are going to "Judge it on it's own merits?" Nah you moron they are going to judge it with all the other Silent Hill games because they put the name Silent Hill in the title.

Also how do you play the game wrong? All you have to do is shoot through the level killing everyone and it doesn't even matter. I had a friend do that and there was no consequence for killing everyone. How do you play this game wrong?

It's embarrassing how bad gaming has gone down the shitter. Hopefully Farcry 3 makes me forget this game even exists.

[ArchangelMike]

Here' the thing. People are playing the game all wrong. It's not about stringing a story together, and it i not about trying to be like Bloodmoney.

Absolution should be judged on it's own merits as a game. On it' own merits the game is still 'outstanding'. And by that I mean it stands-out on it's own from the crowd of stealth games.

If you are one to be swayed by an arbitrary number that passes for a review know that Absolution is definately not an average game - so at the very leat is it worth a 6/10. Personally I rate the game an 8/10.

[GTRrocker666]

This game is still awesome.

[csreynolds]

I agree with a few of the points the author makes, however I think 2/5 is a harsh score. I wouldn't say this game is a below average effort...

[Valenka]

Companies can put all the effort they want into something, but if they're going in the wrong direction, then tough. Scores aren't based on developer effort. If a game is bad, a game is bad, regardless of who worked on it and how hard.

I'm not saying Absolution was bad--far from it actually--but it's not as good as it could have been.

[csreynolds]

You misunderstand me. I used the term 'effort' there in the context of an end result - i.e. as a final product, it does not deserve a below average score.

I take what you say on board, but c'mon. 2/5 bad? 40/100 bad? That's conventionally a score reserved for games that fail in almost every aspect. You say so yourself; Absolution is far from bad. True, it could've been better, and it does have some flaws, but not so many to warrant a score that essentially screams "avoid at all costs"...

That's my two pennies, anyway.