Coming out as episodic content over 2016 the six part Hitman series was apparently a return to form for the game after the somewhat linear story driven Absolution. I’m not one for waiting to play parts of a game so I missed the original run, but luckily for me you can now get all episodes plus bonus content on one fancy disk and I’m pretty excited for it.
Let us start with one key thing; Hitman at its best has always been about episodes. Even before it was split into separate parts the games always had (Until Absolution) a disjointed structure with each mission being its own entity. Although the idea of splitting things up into parts is something I’m personally not a fan of I think in this situation with this game series it has lead to what I feel is the most solid Hitman game in years. The time that they have allowed themselves to create each episode and the amount of replay value that are encompassed within them is truly breathtaking and there’s even a possibility that had this been one game that each area wouldn’t have felt so unique and wouldn’t have kept me engaged for so long.
Personality of every mission is outstanding and a key point to the success as nothing feels similar. As you travel the world to end people’s lives you find yourself in the glitz and glamour of a Paris fashion party, a somewhat closed off environment mostly taking part within an extravagant mansion only for your next mission to take place in the ocean city of Sapienza in Italy, a much more open experience allowing you to explore a whole landscape observing each individual and marking every location. The change in pace between these first two missions is a precursor to how individual each part really is.
Originally released as a series of episodes, the complete series is now available in one bundle
I won’t go into too much detail as I don’t want to ruin the thrill of experiencing each level for the first time but as you travel though Morocco, Japan, Colorado and Thailand you will be challenged to use different play styles and think more openly to get the most out of the level. Of course you’re still a stealthy Hitman but the way each location allows you to do whatever you want while at the same time gently guiding you to play in a particular way without being intrusive is a truly spectacular feat of game design that we should all stand back and admire.
Of course no game can be perfect, especially one that’s multiple smaller games packaged as one larger game, and Hitman does suffer from some pretty weird visual glitches. The background design and architecture is beautiful but on occasion you will find a texture or environment that looks out of place, and even though the amount of people you have on screen at one time is truly impressive in scale the way they react to the player as you try to push past them can result in odd clipping and floating movement as they move away from you.
Another downside that really took me out of the action and reminded me that what I was doing was merely playing a game was the fact that everyone speaks English. Its impressive the amount of dialogue there is and how reactive everyone’s speech is to Agent 47’s action, but as I trawled the streets of Italy or the markets of Morocco I was always hoping someone would start speaking in a language that I couldn’t understand and truly put me in the mindset of someone trying to figure out a completely new location.
These two grievances aside I still had more fun playing this than anything else in recent memory. I mean I’m not sure I would call staking out an entire village for two hours working out the perfect time to stage a completely perfect Hit in broad daylight fun, but I was definitely immersed more than I care to think about. That’s what a really good Hitman game does, it transcends the mere idea of a game and puts you in the shoes of Agent 47 with only a target and your own mind for guidance and believe me when I say Hitman: The Complete First Season is one of those Hitman games. I only hope that season two will be just as good.
Author: Hal, Plymouth store
