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[Messi]

Official Playstation Magazine:

Hitman: Absolution review gets 9/10 in Official PlayStation Magazine, “a peak for the series”

Hitman: Absolution PS3 review
There’s an online embargo so I can’t put the whole thing up obviously but here’s a quote that best gets across the game’s strengths.

“Here [Hitman has] finally been perfected in what is probably a peak for the series so far. It takes the ideas that made the original games so great and presents them in a modern context of checkpoints, hints and forgiveness but without sacrificing any of the challenge, excitement or shivery-skinned thrill of pulling off some impossibly and beautifully planned hit.”

Importantly, it’s a proper Hitman, that’s all you really need to know. It’s dark, funny, a bit wrong, and packed with a sadistic toy box full of ways to kill people.

Official Xbox Magazine:

World's first Hitman: Absolution Xbox 360 review - 9/10 in the new OXM
Agent 47 chalks up another skilled execution

Tucked within the meaty folds of OXM issue 92 you'll find the world's first review of Hitman: Absolution on Xbox 360 - a triumph of stealth and sandbox design that retains "everything that fans have ever loved about the series", but delivers those features with "beguiling flexibility". There is a big, reassuring number at the end of that review, and that number is exactly one point less than 10. Sweet.

Wannabe balding killer Matt praised the game as "slick, thrilling and well paced with jet-black humour", singling out its user-driven Contracts feature and diversity of mission types. "Absolution genuinely makes you feel like the most dangerous man in the world," he observes at one point. We haven't dared turn our backs on him since the copy went to press.

Not much to go on yet other than scores. But seems like I0 did something right.

 

[Jawmuncher]

Hopefully this is the norm and they can bring this sort of polish to the 3rd Kane and Lynch game.

 

[Derrick01]

“a peak for the series”

Will wait for more reviews. First review etc, but I don't trust them to know what the hell they're talking about with the Hitman franchise and everything I've seen of the game says it's almost impossible to be better than Blood Money. I'm extremely suspicious of this review.

 

[dragonflys545]

Sounds good! I can't wait! Need to play the first 3 games again.

 

[Canis lupus]

Importantly, it’s a proper Hitman, that’s all you really need to know.

Good to hear.

 

[DaBuddaDa]

Mainstream journalist's interpretation of what makes a Hitman game "good" is going to be very different from the GAF consensus. Will wait for GAF impressions on this one.

 

[tnaden]

While those two aren't exactly the ones I trust the most it sure sound good!

Good to hear.

Yes!

 

[Perkel]

It takes the ideas that made the original games so great and presents them in a modern context of checkpoints, hints and forgiveness but without sacrificing any of the challenge,

 

[ScOULaris]

Reviews almost a month out from release?

I expect this game to average out somewhere in the mid-to-high 80's on Metacritic when all is said and done. Not that the reviews will affect my decision to purchase it on Day 1. That is, of course, unless a wave of supremely negative impressions start flowing in on launch day.

I'm a longtime fan of the series, and I expect this entry to be the most streamlined yet in both good and bad ways. There will undoubtedly be more hand-holding, but there will also be more options for fluidly executing your attack.

 

[Shane86]

I always ignore reviews from official magazines, especially ones that are long before the embargo breaks.

 

[Foffy]

I wonder if the reception to Absolution will impact Hitman 6, which is being primarily made by a new team...

 

[Messi]

I wonder if the reception to Absolution will impact Hitman 6, which is being primarily made by a new team...

Where did you hear that?

 

[Balehead]

Positive first reviews? Oh wow, I guess it really must be a good game then.

 

[Salsa]

Already pre ordered, but lol early reviews

 

[Fabrik]

It's OFFICIAL then!

 

[Derrick01]

Yeah that part got me too.

"They made it a lot easier for us....but it's totally hardcore still!"

There's also no mention of the linear shooting/action parts that RPS detailed and was concerned about in the last batch of previews. Knowing these console places they probably loved it.

 

[semiconscious]

so weird when you just know which games will be getting the 'automatic 9/10' treatment ...

 

[Dabanton]

Are those exclusive reviews by any chance?

Anyhow I'm looking forward to the game the playthrough they've put out so far show lots of experimentation and approaches as well as options for those fans who don't want or need help but guides and help for those who do.

 

[Foffy]

Where did you hear that?

Square-Enix confirmed Hitman 6 is being made by Square-Enix Montreal, a new studio.

 

[Messi]

Yeah that part got me too.

"They made it a lot easier for us....but it's totally hardcore still!"

There's also no mention of the linear shooting/action parts that RPS detailed and was concerned about in the last batch of previews.

They are also just snippets from a full review.

 

[SparkTR]

I'll wait for some more impressions. The previews left a bitter taste in my mouth.

 

[lefantome]

it seems a very good sequel, I hope it will sell well. I'm buying it not matter what

 

[Derrick01]

They are also just snippets from a full review.

Maybe they should find more snippets than just the most absolute glowing and positive words. Because if there's important things they list as a negative, like too many linear parts, then that needs to be shown just as much as the "peak of the series" stuff.

 

[Tain]

It's very possible for this game to be something completely unlike prior games in the series and still be good.

That said, I am not trusting these guys in the slightest.

 

[tci]

I take any "Official Mag" review with a grain of salt.

 

[chickdigger802]

Perfected.

Probably peak of series.


What?

 

[Confidence Man]

It takes the ideas that made the original games so great and presents them in a modern context of checkpoints, hints and forgiveness

Just what I wanted from Hitman.

With the official peasant rags calling it the pinnacle of the series I guess there's nothing to worry about.

 

[Hakkuei]

Yeah... will wait for some legit reviews. Previews I read were not so positive.

 

[Conciliator]

I'm sure it's pretty cool but I gotta agree that 'early' reviews basically don't count. I think the only thing this tells us is that it's probably not an unmitigated disaster.

 

[snoopeasystreet]

I'd have loved it if they made it as complex as Blood Money and then added a rewind button rather than streamlining but it could still be really awesome.

 

[Derrick01]

Just what I wanted from Hitman.

With the official peasant rags calling it the pinnacle of the series I guess there's nothing to worry about.

When I play Blood Money now I sit back and think "the only way this could be better is if it had checkpoints and hints telling me everything".

 

[GANGSTERKILLER]

This is my most anticipated game of 2012. I can't wait.

Blood Money was a brilliant game. I hope Absolution is even better.

And David Bateson is awesome.

 

[Despera]

Just what I wanted from Hitman.

With the official peasant rags calling it the pinnacle of the series I guess there's nothing to worry about.

Maybe there's an option to disable unwanted aid?

 

[Mister0079]

The most I'm expecting out of this game is it being about half as good as Blood Money. Blood Money was Hitman perfected and nothing will ever come close.

 

[AOC83]

I want this, now.

 

[Gareth Bale]

Yeah that part got me too.

"They made it a lot easier for us....but it's totally hardcore still!"

There's also no mention of the linear shooting/action parts that RPS detailed and was concerned about in the last batch of previews. Knowing these console places they probably loved it.

The fuck is this?

 

[glaurung]

Hopefully this is the norm and they can bring this sort of polish to the new Thief game.

Fixed for accuracy.

 

[Derrick01]

The fuck is this?

But the action – outbreaks of violence that turn the game from stealth puzzle to cover-based shooter – is intrusive and occurs far more frequently than I’d like. If shootouts are the result of a botched infiltration, a disguise blown or a body discovered, I enjoy their drama and occasional elegance a great deal, but too often they seem the only option, or at the very least, the favourable option. My preferred levels in any Hitman games have always been the ones where a target is unaware of the immediacy of danger, even if well guarded, and goes about a routine. 47 begins at point A and must identify the various routes to a moving target, learning where that target is vulnerable and in what manner he may best be killed.

In what I’ve played of Absolution there are only three areas that do this well.

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/10/05/hands-on-hitman-absolution/

 

[hayguyz]

but does it have an Oscar worthy script?

 

[Tain]

I wonder what RPS means by "the favourable option." Favorable to who? If they mean that firefights were the easiest way out, that's hardly new for the series.

 

[CrunchyFrog]

Are those exclusive reviews by any chance?

Anyhow I'm looking forward to the game the playthrough they've put out so far show lots of experimentation and approaches as well as options for those fans who don't want or need help but guides and help for those who do.

From official xbox/playstation magazine no less. I'd wait for some more definitive/slightly less skewed reviews people.

 

[chico]

we all know that early exclusive reviews in "official" magazines are bullshit.
lets wait for some real reviews...

 

[DSmalls84]

Glad I Preordered it for $36 from GMG. I have been on a stealth kick lately with Dishonored and played Blood Money a lot so glad to see this is shaping up.

 

[Alcoholikaust]

Yea I was pretty sure RPS didn't like the preview build they played.

 

[Messi]

Some of Blood Moneys controls/awkardness was awful.

 

[NinjaBoiX]

Perfected.

Probably peak of series.


What?

What's the confusion? They "perfected" the formula, and it is therefore the "peak of the series". I mean, I'm not saying that true, but it makes grammatical sense.

 

[Derrick01]

Yea I was pretty sure RPS didn't like the preview build they played.

They seemed torn on it. There are parts that are classic Hitman and you can turn a lot of the dumbed down elements off but it doesn't help much if the game and AI are designed around those dumbed down elements. And then there's the seemingly forced shooting/action elements that were not in other games (except for Blood Money's bonus epilogue).

In a way it's even more frustrating when you can see there's a worthy game in a well respected franchise buried underneath all of the modern game design bullshit than if it was just a straight up garbage and embarrassing sequel.

 

[EagleEyes]

Well so far so good it seems. Cant wait to try it out myself in november.

 

[mxgt]

Official magazine reviews should never be trusted

Then again neither should most reviews in this industry

 

[Stet]

I'd have loved it if they made it as complex as Blood Money and then added a rewind button rather than streamlining but it could still be really awesome.

I know you probably meant so you could watch the whole thing unfold and learn from your mistakes, but for some reason with this I just pictured Hitman: The Sands of Time.