Mr. 47

[Erkki]

I just downloaded the Hitman: Blood Money demo and played for a few minutes -- too early to have a really valid opinion about it, but there were two things that sticked out: the intro movie had great music -- Ave Maria -- that fits 47's style, but at the same time the intro didn't really say anything (at all). Then the level started with a tutorial screen and the voice reading the text was totally out of style. It was this generic screencast "I'm going to teach you how to do this" voice. In any of the previous Hitman games, or at least the first two, everything fitted an overall style, even the tutorials (can't remember if all of them even had tutorials). That specific style was one of the strong points of the series. Now with this game, and I think already with the previous one, that seems to be detorted a bit. Or maybe it's just that there's no point to the series any more -- it should have ended with the second game. There are things that should turn into franchises and things that should not. For example Sam & Max vs. Grim Fandango.

I think Hitman 2 was a much needed sequel because the first one was really flawed and while the second one fixed some of those flaws and was an awesome game; the third one had great missions, but ultimately felt like the same old.

On the other hand, I used to feel differently about Hitman becoming a frachise some time ago, so maybe this is just my over the top reaction to that stupid tutorial voice.

[baconian]

You're right, the first game had a seriously engrossing tutorial that completely sucked me in, and probably made me want to complete the game more than anything else in it did. I still remember it more fondly than the second one. Never played three.

I don't think I'm interested in it any more, especially after your post. We'll see.

I wonder is it even the same devs any more? hang on Ill check.

Yep. IO. might give it a shot, it looks well polished.

[DanJW]

It occurs to me that if any game is well suited to episodic content, it is Hitman. Download a new, self contained mission every few months. It's almost made for it.

[MrChlorophyll]

Monthly Hitman. Genius.

And even though very flawed, the mission they ripped straight from the Godfather in the first game made everything worthwhile. Dang that was awesome.

[brkl]

Which mission was that? The best mission in Hitman must be the Budapest hotel one.

[Moosferatu]

  brkl said:

Which mission was that? The best mission in Hitman must be the Budapest hotel one.

Do you know what the name of the hotel is? Which one is it in?

[Moosferatu]

Never mind, I figured it out for myself. Just as I thought, the hotel is modeled after the Gellert Hotel. I'm definitely going to get the game now. I used to live less than half a block from that hotel.

[ysbreker]

Hmm budapest.. I think I've been to the spa/swimming pool of that hotel (or one near there) last summer. Is it in Buda or Pest?

[Moosferatu]

It's in Buda right by the Danube at the base of Gellert Hill. It's right in front of the Szabadság bridge (the big green one) across the river from the big market hall.

[Erkki]

I completed the demo mission now and I'm still kind of ambivalent about it. The whole level was practically a tutorial -- the game told me everything I needed to do. I sure hope this was meant as a tutorial and not all levels are like this. But on the whole it does seem a notch or two down from the quality of the previous games.

[Steve]

  Erkki said:

I completed the demo mission now and I'm still kind of ambivalent about it. The whole level was practically a tutorial -- the game told me everything I needed to do. I sure hope this was meant as a tutorial and not all levels are like this. But on the whole it does seem a notch or two down from the quality of the previous games.

The whole demo level definitely is a tutorial-- in fact, it's the tutorial level from the full game (which is sort of amazing, considering how much work was obviously put into it.)

That said, the rest of the levels in the full game are completely different from the tutorial (which makes it a bad choice for a demo...) As far as I've heard, Blood Money is actually the most open-ended of the series. Other points: the stealth/disguise system has been smoothed out from the previous games, which is nice. 47 sneaks more quickly and disguises are more effective. All the levels take place in populated civilian locales (as opposed to the military installations from Hitman 2 for instance.) 47's abilities have been expanded greatly. See: taking human shields; using melee attacks to knock out enemies; THROWING shit (knives, mines, claw hammers, distractions such as coins); being able to carry anything in that case of his (check it out in the demo-- you can hide the shotgun and the mine in the sniper case ) Plus the graphics are way nicer.. and have you seen the crowd scenes from the full game? Have you SEEN them?? They updated the engine to allow for 3000 realtime characters to populate a level. 47 wading through a crowd, fading into the mob to evade his pursuers... the videos I've seen are amazing.

Oh yeah, and the story of the full game-- in each mission, 47 is tasked with taking out his target, while also being hunted by other hitmen from an eccentric rival agency! I'm a sucker for outlandish assassins, but the hunter/hunted thing itself is really cool.

I'm super stoked on the game.. the demo is meant to show off all the mechanics from the game in a relatively controlled environment. It's linear, but you can ignore most of the tutorial prompts if you want. I've been having a blast with it. I loved the first game, and the second and third not so much... I'm really hoping that Blood Money will finally be a real return to form.

[Nick Breckon]

  Snubs said:

And even though very flawed, the mission they ripped straight from the Godfather in the first game made everything worthwhile. Dang that was awesome.

Hell yes. That was the demo mission. I played it like 10 times. I also dug the mission where you simply go up on the roof, assemble your 3-piece sniper rifle, and take someone out. Any mission where you actually FEEL like a real hitman is quite satisfying.

Hitman is an interesting series for me, because while I love the concept, the execution seems to be inherently flawed. Each mission is a giant puzzle, but there are several pieces missing from each that tend to kill you at least a few times until you notice them. So, while the game would be no fun if it held your hand, it tries your patience in that you are almost forced to reload multiple times until you figure out each level's quirks.

I think this game might fix some of that, though. There's an option to buy several pieces of "intel" in-mission, which apparently are hints at the expense of money that you earn. Presumably this would make it much easier to get through a level in one or two attempts, rather than 5 or 6 or 28.

[baconian]

The hitman games do this thing really well where you think you've fucked everything up and made the mission uncompleteable, but somehow you pull a random idea out of your ass and it happens to work. Thinking of different ways out of sticky situations is encouraged.

Of course, maybe the fog of nostalgia is making me only remember the times when that stuff worked, cause I know there was plenty of times when it didn't (ie. the jungle base from the first one, aargh).

The crowd stuff does look great.

[Erkki]

  Steve said:

...

If all that's true, I'm in! So it's really another case of the demo being not very representative...

[brkl]

I played the demo, thought it was pretty sweet. Better than that stupid fucking level in the beginning of Contracts :/

I'm not really fond of how the team likes to use racial and gender stereotypes, though :/