Shooter Hitman: Absolution - the craggy thread

[Rudi von Starnberg]

I think my favourite 'straightforward' approach to it was to let off some steam Arnie-style with the custom shotgun - just go in at the front entrance and blow everyone away. In the setting, it felt perfect.

[b00dles]

Hitman 5 for the 360 will be purchased on day one and promptly installed to the HDD and stay there as far as I'm concerned Which reminds me, I should really play Blood Money again and see if the load times do indeed improve by installing the game to the HDD.

Precisely why I was tempted to give it another go... I really do hope I didn't sell it but I'm pretty sure I did... must be pretty cheap these days though, may have to re-purchase...

The restrictive and linear training level is a complete misrepresentation of the rest of the game, and made for a really poor demo of an otherwise brilliant game.

That is precisely what confused me, I pretty much expected the whole game to have one path like the training level and more similar to Splinter Cell or something, where there was some leeway but essentially only one correct way to finish the level.

It was generally pretty way ahead of it's time and such a shame that more games haven't taken on board that level of freedom, Assassin's Creed, I'm looking long and hard at you.

[snowbind]

Is blood money worth playing? It has been years since I played a hitman game (2?) and this thread has got me in the mood.

[Mr. Gerbik]

That is precisely what confused me, I pretty much expected the whole game to have one path like the training level and more similar to Splinter Cell or something, where there was some leeway but essentially only one correct way to finish the level.

It was generally pretty way ahead of it's time and such a shame that more games haven't taken on board that level of freedom, Assassin's Creed, I'm looking long and hard at you.

IIRC a large part of the original Blood Money thread was spent convincing people that the demo didn't do the game justice and that the full game was brilliant. Stroker Ace was still with us in those days, and he spent a lot of long posts waxing lyrical about Blood Moneys greatness and convinced a lot of forumites to give it a go.

Oh and I'm pretty sure Hitman was mentioned loads and loads of times in the Assassins Creed thread, both before and especially after its release. Learning from Hitman is the obvious way forward for that series.

[Mr. Gerbik]

Is blood money worth playing? It has been years since I played a hitman game (2?) and this thread has got me in the mood.

Yes. Blood Money is the Hitman game that the previous Hitman games hinted at but never quite achieved. Look past the graphics and you'll find an incredibly atmospheric and unique game that is even today way ahead of its time. There has never been anything like it since. The 360 version is probably very cheap nowadays, it was one of the early 360 games. Can't recommend it enough.

[mindgames]

I want realtime environment reflections in 47's bald head. That's all.

Blood Money was the only game that made me regret trading my 360

[b00dles]

IIRC a large part of the original Blood Money thread was spent convincing people that the demo didn't do the game justice and that the full game was brilliant. Stroker Ace was still with us in those days, and he spent a lot of long posts waxing lyrical about Blood Moneys greatness and convinced a lot of forumites to give it a go.

Oh and I'm pretty sure Hitman was mentioned loads and loads of times in the Assassins Creed thread, both before and especially after its release. Learning from Hitman is the obvious way forward for that series.

I think that thread was why I bought it myself

I mentioned it myself in the Assassin's Creed thread, I'm repeating myself a bit but it does need to be mentioned repeatedly just in case the message isn't loud enough. Unfortunately I pretty much expect AC to 'do a PoP:WW' and go all emo and strip out the majority of the good bits of the first one and somehow totally miss the point. Then again, I'm a cynical bastard.

[therev]

Is blood money worth playing? It has been years since I played a hitman game (2?) and this thread has got me in the mood.

Goodness yes. It's in my top ten games of all time. And it didn't run in there and then leave, as some games do, but gradually worked its way in there over a couple of years.

[snowbind]

Cheers I bet I can pick it up for dirt.

[Sergeant Squid]

Blood Money is ace. It's a little quirky at times (guards recognising you for no apparent reason) and the load times are a little too long for my taste, but when you play levels like 'Curtain's Down', 'A New Life', 'You better watch out...', 'House of Cards' and 'Dance with the Devil', you realise how awesome the game is and how much scope there is for...shall we say...experimentation?

I love how, by trying to get Silent Assassin rankings, the game becomes more a puzzle game than a 3rd person shoot-em-up, which many may mistake it to be.

[Pob]

Agreed, I think I said the same way back when in the Blood Money thread. The restrictive and linear training level is a complete misrepresentation of the rest of the game, and made for a really poor demo of an otherwise brilliant game.

The training level in Blood Money is kind of like how the Hitman-esque missions in GTAIV turned out. It's amazing how much the hand-holding in that level utterly spoils it, which is odd when you consider that making games more accessible is such a big thing these days.

The whole thing of figuring it out for yourself it what makes Hitman missions so rewarding. Before the actual hit, you need to do plenty of observation and research, which makes you feel like a detective or a spy. And there are hardly any other games that allow you to do that.

I think my favourite 'straightforward' approach to it was to let off some steam Arnie-style with the custom shotgun - just go in at the front entrance and blow everyone away. In the setting, it felt perfect.

I'm sure that level is influenced by the 'Sarah Connor?' scene in The Terminator. It looks just like it and captures the exact same nightmarish mood. Except that you are the bad guy in it

[Pob]

Blood Money is ace. It's a little quirky at times (guards recognising you for no apparent reason)

There is virtually always a reason, though, which can be gleaned via real-world common sense. I've been busted a couple of times on Curtain Down, though, without being able to fathom the reason. I think there might be a glitch on that level.

[Sergeant Squid]

There is virtually always a reason, though, which can be gleaned via real-world common sense. I've been busted a couple of times on Curtain Down, though, without being able to fathom the reason. I think there might be a glitch on that level.

Nope, was doing Death on the Mississippi earlier and I knocked a guy out, took his clothes and chucked him over board. Was walking about for a good 10 mins, hadn't done any other nefarious deeds, gone past loads of guards and then one suddenly starts scratching his chin, my ! meeting goes though the roof and he pulls a gun on me. No bloody reason.

[bigbrick]

I want wigs in this one.

you say that....

there was a level in the first one (then remade in Contracts) where you could subdue and replace a triad messenger.

literally by virtue of putting on this guy's sarong and headband, his mates all believed you were him, despite the fact that you were a bald white guy and he was chinese with lustrous black hair.

for the most part the disguises were fairly anonymous and onlookers would be treating them more like a uniform than a person (cop, security guard, workman etc) but on the rare occasion where you had to replace a specific person they usually set it up so that you were meeting someone else for the first time. occasionally they cocked it up a bit and it did undermine a fair bit of the atmosphere.

i still love BM though and am very much enjoying Contracts.

[snowbind]

See wigs are a genius idea. Maybe some foundation for the tatoo aswell. Make-up mini game anyone?

[robdood]

There is virtually always a reason, though, which can be gleaned via real-world common sense. I've been busted a couple of times on Curtain Down, though, without being able to fathom the reason. I think there might be a glitch on that level.

Nah man, sometimes it is a little buggy/spazzy, as I noticed when my flatmate bought the game (on my recommendation). I watched him play almost the entire thing - there were definitely some WTF moments that even I, a seasoned BM veteran, couldn't fathom.

[robdood]

It'd subtract from realism.

I'd like dialogue options, but by using them there is greater chance of them being a witness etc.

What would, the picture-in-picture thing Gerbik suggested? The same one that's already in Blood Money?

Instead of the PiP, I'd prefer if 47 just did a 'double take' in the direction of the witness, perhaps swinging the camera in the same direction so we can see where they are, and realise that we got spotted doing something we shouldn't.

[Sergeant Squid]

The worst is when you get spotted doing something where you can't turn to camera or stop what you're doing, meaning you get shot to fuck without knowing why or where from...

[Space Renegade Ulala]

While the last was undoubtedly the greatest by far, I'd just like to mention my personal fave level from the series, the Leon-tastic final level from Contracts. Grabbing my gear, charging out of the apartment into someone else's seconds before a dozen heavily armed SWAT bastards showed up before finally sneaking out of the building unseen and popping the cop in charge for good measure was a 9.9 on the Richter scale of Fuck Yeah.

[Spacehost]

I really need to play Contracts again, I did it "pure"- one shot, no reloading from saves, don't repeat the level- in about two sittings, and it kicked almighty ass. I want to do it again but better.

[Uzi]

I still need to play contracts. I got it after loving Blood Money so much but haven't given it a proper play yet.

[Mr. Gerbik]

I still need to play contracts. I got it after loving Blood Money so much but haven't given it a proper play yet.

Did you know there's a Hitman Triple Pack out for the PS2 (and PC), according to wikipedia? Thought it might be of interest to you, you know with the whole PS2 revival thread and everything

[SMD]

I want a next gen Hitman. I'm not talking about graphics. I want to be given a mission and to be able to assassinate the target in any way I can. I want to be able to rig elaborate traps, find my way through tight spaces and locate the sweet spot to ambush them. Want to be able to do it using the level itself.

[Uzi]

Did you know there's a Hitman Triple Pack out for the PS2 (and PC), according to wikipedia? Thought it might be of interest to you, you know with the whole PS2 revival thread and everything

Thanks, I actually own the xbox version of Contracts though and going to work on that first before going back. I've actually played Hitman 1 and 2. I remember the first being particularly clunky when I played it on the PC- the idea seemed amazing but I don't know what was so different about Blood Money as opposed to the others that made it just work and really really playable.

[hanzo]

I want a next gen Hitman. I'm not talking about graphics. I want to be given a mission and to be able to assassinate the target in any way I can. I want to be able to rig elaborate traps, find my way through tight spaces and locate the sweet spot to ambush them. Want to be able to do it using the level itself.

You're describing the previous Hitman games there, buddy. What do you mean when you say using the level itself?

[Kryptonian]

Thanks, I actually own the xbox version of Contracts though and going to work on that first before going back. I've actually played Hitman 1 and 2. I remember the first being particularly clunky when I played it on the PC- the idea seemed amazing but I don't know what was so different about Blood Money as opposed to the others that made it just work and really really playable.

When you're done with it could I buy it off you?

Or does anyone know where I could pick Contracts up without resorting to ebay? (don't use it)

[Uzi]

When you're done with it could I buy it off you?

Or does anyone know where I could pick Contracts up without resorting to ebay? (don't use it)

I'm probably not going to play it for a billion years. You can borrow it and send it back when you're finished if you want

[Kryptonian]

I'm probably not going to play it for a billion years. You can borrow it and send it back when you're finished if you want

I'd be worried I'd leave it to gather dust for a while so I'll see if I can find a copy to buy so I won't feel guilty. If I can't track one down I'd be pleased to borrow it for a bit when I know I'll have time to play through it though, if that's ok with you?

Thanks for the offer

[Mr. Gerbik]

For those that already have Blood Money, and are interested in the first three games (Codename 47, Silent Assassin, and Contracts) and don't mind playing them on a PC (the first is PC-exclusive anyway), I bought the Hitman Collection for the PC about a year ago for just 5 euros new. All three games on one dvd, and even better: they all run without the dvd in the drive, directly from your HDD. Excellent collection, especially at that price.

Don't know how easy it is to find nowadays, but I'm assuming you all have 1337-er internet/googling skillz than I will ever have.

[Uzi]

I'd be worried I'd leave it to gather dust for a while so I'll see if I can find a copy to buy so I won't feel guilty. If I can't track one down I'd be pleased to borrow it for a bit when I know I'll have time to play through it though, if that's ok with you?

Thanks for the offer

Know what you mean!

No probs