Support NeoGAF

[The Dutch Slayer]

More on the way for a lot of sites if you have links please leave them in this thread.

Video interview from OXM:

http://bit.ly/wwgrKk

YOU can still do 100% stealth EVERY mission
Ratings are back incl silent assassin
A lot of different ways to kill people
Hardcore mode with NO HUD OPTION, no health meter, no indications no NOTHING.

http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/11/humanizing-a-killer-with-hitman-absolution/

IO Could’ve easily put out another cookie cutter game and satisfied fans, including myself, but they chose the more difficult path of innovation and that should be celebrated.

HOLY SHIT IGN VIDEO PREVIEW HAS A LOT OF SPOILERS !!!!!!!
IGN VIDEO PREVIEW:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=qJEmd0ZjP-o

HOLY SHIT IGN VIDEO PREVIEW HAS A LOT OF SPOILERS !!!!!!!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technolog.../hitman-absolution-game-preview?newsfeed=true

If you’re a long-time fan of the series, preferring to keep to the shadows and glide unnoticed through missions while dropping the odd foe, this is absolutely possible. If you’ve never cared much for sneaking about in the dark and favour a more direct approach, that option is open to you as well.

http://kotaku.com/5875096/get-ready...ealthyagent-47-in-hitman-absolution/gallery/1

Sporting the black suit and white collar of a priest, the titular life-siphoner stealthily navigates the environment, avoiding conflict and detection whenever possible. Even when complete discretion isn’t and option though, he still follows the assassins’ code, silently choking-out targets and hiding their unconscious bodies in closets, freezers, and even a ball-pit located in the orphanage’s play room. He also tosses a child’s toy to distract a trio of goons, evades detection by crawling through a vent, and introduces an evil-doer to the pointy end of a syringe-Dexter-style-before donning his victim’s clothes and carnival mask.

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/01/11/hitman-5-preview/

RPS: Do you think that there’s a tendency, not towards levelling down, but for all action games to go towards a centrepoint because of the imperatives of the mainstream audience?

Tore Blystad: I think, from a control point of view, everyone wants a unified system because it gives a better input; if you can pick up a game and instantly know how things are mapped out. The problem for us, we’ve been trying that a lot, but we still fail because we have so many extra mechanics that we’re running out of buttons really quickly. In the old game, there were these stupid menus so you stood next to a guy that you could drag, take his clothes or his gun, there was a door, a fuse box and you had ten different options. How do we make this simple to understand? We’re getting closer to that but without comprising, how to say, fidelity or choice, then making it more obvious for the player how to play the game

Metro preview:

We were impressed. Not only by the Glacier 2 engine, but because watching the more considered approach was more tense and exciting than many other games are to play. Unfortunately the Hitman Absolution still doesn't have a release date more specific than this year, but we're pretty sure it'll be a hit when it does come out.

Metro Interview:

GC: We've seen the demos downstairs today and were very impressed. But would we be right in thinking that the first playthrough is a reaction to how the game was received at E3? A lot of fans seemed to be worried that you were dumbing the game down for more casual players.

TB: Yes, that was to be expected. I mean, you know how it works at E3. You basically have 15 minutes to show off everything, that's the attention span that you have. So we're sitting there with this massive, massive game and we're thinking: 'How can we show something off after all these years that will stand out and be interesting and relevant in 2011?'

http://www.1up.com/previews/hitman-absolution-good-stealth-action-game

I have some confidence in this, based on how Square published the hardcore and old-school-friendly Deus Ex: Human Revolution last year. And as mentioned earlier, Absolution looks like a damn good game in general. I just hope that the next time I see it, it looks less like another well-made stealth action game with elements of Batman: Arkham Asylum or Splinter Cell: Conviction, and more like a Hitman game.

Destructoid Video Interview

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKjyS6USeiw

G4TV preview

Also Dtoid written preview

 

[Tacitus_]

YOU can still do 100% stealth EVERY mission
Ratings are back incl silent assassin
A lot of different ways to kill people
Hardcore mode with NO HUD OPTION, no health meter, no indications no NOTHING.

So the sky isn't falling? The IO reps aren't pathological liars? GAF kneejerk reaction was in the wrong?

 

[Salazar]

The previous games weren't "cookie cutter".

 

[Tacitus_]

The previous games weren't "cookie cutter".

Copy-pasted mechanics from Blood Money with graphical updates would have been a "cookie cutter" sequel. It also would've been a great game that fans would've lapped up (myself included).

 

[The Dutch Slayer]

updated the OP AND AGAIN:

HOLY SHIT IGN VIDEO PREVIEW HAS A LOT OF SPOILERS !!!!!!!

 

[jet1911]

updated the OP AND AGAIN:

HOLY SHIT IGN VIDEO PREVIEW HAS A LOT OF SPOILERS !!!!!!!

Hahaha yeah. I was shocked.

But it sound and looks great.

 

[Broder Salsa]

That speaker in the IGN video is hilarious bad. "This mode scares the hell out of me!".

Still not sure what to think of the game, it looks pretty good but I hate the batman vision bullshit, even if you can turn it off now with the outcry you just know the game is no doubt designed around having that feature available, also not liking what looks to be much more linear missions, like that helicopter thing going on there.

 

[The_Monk]

This game is getting some good attention from me. Love stealth games and it seems to be a huge improvement from the other previous Hitman.

 

[ZombieFred]

Now that's what I expected to hear, having options for different gameplays, without sacrificing what made previous Hitman games to date, with a natural evolution to the mechanics presented. I’m very, very happy that the traditional score and title results are still in the series.

 

[Tacitus_]

This game is getting some good attention from me. Love stealth games and it seems to be a huge improvement from the other previous Hitman.

Oh no you didn't. Well this thread had a good run.

 

[sixteen-bit]

I hope this game isn't bad.

 

[Stet]

This game is getting some good attention from me. Love stealth games and it seems to be a huge improvement from the other previous Hitman.

Take it back.

 

[Messi]

All the haters will be eating crow when this game comes out.

 

[Deleted member 81567]

This game is getting some good attention from me. Love stealth games and it seems to be a huge improvement from the other previous Hitman.

Lol.

 

[sixteen-bit]

All the haters will be eating crow when this game comes out.

I hope so.

 

[rosaceadude2112]

So the hardcore no-hud mode just makes it so you don't know what you can interact with? That's not a challenge, that's just annoying.

 

[Stet]

All the haters will be eating crow when this game comes out.

I'm a hater and I hope you're right. I don't know why people assume that having a vocal negative reaction to first impressions of a game means that you're locked into hating a game forever.

 

[Jintor]

All the haters will be eating crow when this game comes out.

I hope so, but I reserve judgement.

 

[OG Kush]

Anyone know when release date is?

 

[Alexios]

Watched that IGN video preview, it looked like a reskinned Splinter Cell: Conviction with walllhacks. 100% stealth of this kind isn't any sort of achievement so, no crow eating yet. Of course it could be the player having no imagination to speak of, but still...

Not sure about the spoilers, that plot drop is probably revealed to you in the first couple of missions unless I missed something.

 

[The Dutch Slayer]

Anyone know when release date is?

2012, expected not earlier than Q3.

 

[Guerrillas in the Mist]

Honestly, the easiest way to calm fans down would be a trailer showing several styles of play through the same area. Deus Ex: HR did something similar, and a lot of people who were sceptical were convinced after it.

 

[The Dutch Slayer]

Honestly, the easiest way to calm fans down would be a trailer showing several styles of play through the same area. Deus Ex: HR did something similar, and a lot of people who were skeptical were convinced after it.

This can't be said enough! Just make a trailer/gameplay video that shows that you can still play the way a lot of fans want to play this game and 99% of them are convinced.

 

[Alexios]

www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/01/11/hitman-5-preview/
I haven't read this yet but I imagine they have more relevant questions than most others...

Also their preview...
http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/01/11/killer-instinct-a-hitman-absolution-preview/

 

[Double D]

All the haters will be eating crow when this game comes out.

I think I speak for all the people who love the Hitman games when I say that we all hope to be eating crow on launch day.

 

[The Dutch Slayer]

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/01/11/hitman-5-preview/
I haven't read this yet but I imagine they have more relevant questions than most others...

Also their preview...
http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/01/11/hitman-5-preview/

Err, I guess something's wrong with their site and both are the same atm...

Thanks anyway I'll it to the op

I think I speak for all the people who love the Hitman games when I say that we all hope to be eating crow on launch day.

I WOULD love to eat mountains of crow if this game is as good or better than Blood Money.

Ok read the RPS piece.

Tore Blystad: (laughs)

^^

 

[Alexios]

No, it was my bad, I fixed the links...

Also my bad for the contents of the interview, it's pretty short and stuff...

 

[Detox]

Metro has a good preview and they tried to ask some hard questions in their interview

 

[Sinatar]

All the haters will be eating crow when this game comes out.

The IGN preview specifically mentions that the sandbox levels are out and linear missions are in, so I don't see much crow coming anyones way.

 

[derFeef]

Yummy. RPS said the right thing in their preview regarding demo purpose and so on, but they should also make something to please the fans.

Hardcore mode with NO HUD OPTION, no health meter, no indications no NOTHING.

Into my veins.

 

[Tacitus_]

Hah, you can see on the preview screens that 47 has hidden his tattoo with a band-aid. It started to get a bit immersion breaking how no one noticed this guy with a bar code tattoo showing up on all the murder scenes.

 

[Double D]

Ryan Davis was supposed to have a preview on Giant Bomb this week. He promised me personally via I Love Mondays. Today maybe?

 

[derFeef]

Ryan Davis was supposed to have a preview on Giant Bomb this week. He promised me personally via I Love Mondays. Today maybe?

Hope so!

 

[Cptkrush]

The IGN preview specifically mentions that the sandbox levels are out and linear missions are in, so I don't see much crow coming anyones way.

That wasn't said at all, you heard that because you wanted to hear it.

"Even though certain stages don't have big sandbox stages some folks want from hitman..."

Take that damn tinfoil hat off.

 

[The Dutch Slayer]

Also a 1up preview:

http://www.1up.com/previews/hitman-absolution-good-stealth-action-game

 

[Cyberia]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKjyS6USeiw

 

[The Dutch Slayer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKjyS6USeiw

Thank you

 

[Ryan_IGN]

I tried to ask questions that hardcore Hitman people would want to know the answers to for our OXM piece. I was surprised/impressed when they started talking about the no-HUD Hardcore mode.

Also, OP: I'm not sure where the Metacafe link came from, but would you mind replacing that with our direct link? Ours is a better-quality video anyway. Thanks! http://bit.ly/wwgrKk

 

[Mindlog]

Agent 47 does not hide in shadows.
also - jesper kyd

hardcoarse

 

[Messi]

Watching the OXM video, holy shit this is a nice looking game, visually.

 

[The Janitor]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKjyS6USeiw

That walking animation looks so lame compared to the badass one in Blood Money

 

[endlessflood]

The Guardian, Metro, and 1Up written previews all contain the same spoilers that the IGN video preview does. Beware!

The 1Up preview echoes my own thoughts pretty well. Absolution looks like it'll be a great game, but the switch from the open (and standalone) sandbox style contracts – which I loved – to a story driven level progression is a bit of a shame.

 

[SketchTheArtist]

That walking animation looks so lame compared to the badass one in Blood Money

Yeah, there's something off about the animations. Especially the walking animation. Stiff with no personality.

When he drags a body, in the previous ones, he just grabbed one leg, and moved forward, now he grabs one leg with his two hands, and moves backwards. It's a tiny nitpick, but it's little things like that that brought personality to him.

Always loved how he would tilt his head a little when going down some stairs.

 

[Elios83]

The Guardian, Metro, and 1Up written previews all contain the same spoilers that the IGN video preview does. Beware!

The 1Up preview echoes my own thoughts pretty well. Absolution looks like it'll be a great game, but the switch from the open (and standalone) sandbox style contracts – which I loved – to a story driven level progression is a bit of a shame.

It's just a matter of personal preferences, for example I'm not a longtime fan of the series, I've just played a couple of hours of Hitman Blood Money (the one with the Ave Maria theme) and based on the foootage of the new game I can't wait for it.

 

[A.KU.MU]

Will buy day 1.

 

[endlessflood]

It's just a matter of personal preferences, for example I'm not a longtime fan of the series, I've just played a couple of hours of Hitman Blood Money (the one with the Ave Maria theme) and based on the foootage of the new game I can't wait for it.

I think if you read any Hitman Absolution thread on GAF you'll see that it's a preference of pretty much anyone who's ever played a Hitman game beyond a few hours. They've been unique experiences and there was a definite evolution into Blood Money, which to my mind was the highlight of the series and was a game that was as brilliant as it was unique. The idea that the unique elements might be cast aside in the next Hitman game in the hopes of catering to people who've never properly played a Hitman game is something that concerns many Hitman fans (and you can see that even the media has picked up on those concerns if you read any of those previews). Some of the media even echo those concerns themselves (e.g. the 1Up preview).

The concept of being in a sandbox environment, and then searching for a way to kill your target while making it look like an accident (and leaving no evidence or witnesses) is a great and very fun one and I hope IO Interactive don't discard it entirely, even if it's no longer the sole focus in H:A.

 

[Jerykk]

So... are all the levels going to be as linear and scripted as the ones they've shown thus far? Because right now it seems like more of a Splinter Cell game than a Hitman game. Splinter Cell isn't bad by any means but Hitman was unique in that it had large, open-ended levels and didn't rely on line-of-sight/shadow-based stealth. I haven't seen either of those things in the two levels they've shown to the press and public.

On a side note, I'm glad to hear about the Purist mode and that you can still get Silent Assassin on every level.

 

[subversus]

That walking animation looks so lame compared to the badass one in Blood Money

He walked like an old man in Blood Money.

 

[subversus]

RPS: Trailers. How hard is it to do a stealth trailer without making it really boring?

Tore Blystad: (laughs) It’s very hard. We have in-house group of people doing trailers and ideas, and it’s getting out to the PRs; “more action, you have to have these big set pieces.” But if you look back at the Hitman games, surprisingly much of the campaign material has been an AK or two guns shooting, it’s actually not much derailing from what we’ve done in the past, but it’s a very difficult thing to convey and we also had all these people coming with “stealth is dead, no-one cares, it’s too slow and boring” and we’re really… it’s the most suspenseful play style, if you just take a little bit of time to invest tin it.

RPS: You’re the Silent Hunter of action games.

Tore Blystad: (laughs) Maybe we can make more stealth-oriented trailers if you just tell these guys (points to PR).

pr....

RPS: He’s the anonymous vector or avatar; he’s also able to take a lot of shots now, though not a tank. In the first Hitman, you’d snipe someone and if you made it out, just running out, you’d be very, very lucky.

Tore Blystad: Like I say, we’re taking some liberties with the code [today] just to make sure you guys don’t see some guy dying three times in a row. It is interesting how marketing and PR changes what you can show and how you show it, compared to what the eventual game is like. There’s a whole funnel. You can almost say that the code drops are kind of a trailer for the game as well.

 

[Frankfurt]

Fix the OXM link, Dutch:

I tried to ask questions that hardcore Hitman people would want to know the answers to for our OXM piece. I was surprised/impressed when they started talking about the no-HUD Hardcore mode.

Also, OP: I'm not sure where the Metacafe link came from, but would you mind replacing that with our direct link? Ours is a better-quality video anyway. Thanks! http://bit.ly/wwgrKk