-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Hitman: Absolution |OT| Police do not suspect Blood Money is involved.
- Thread starter Interfectum
- Start date
Nah, the actual blendin within a massive crowd that stops suspicion. See: Strip club, Chinese New Year, etc. I agree that it feels very good and is what I expected of AC...that series never came close to the hiding within a group aspect you can see here.
I mean when there's a big crowd, you can stand between like 10-15 people and it helps block the person looking for you.
I'm still not sure about the head holding thing. I think it looks great when you're casually walking to a door or something but it looks stupid as hell when you're walking around a room doing it.
I think this is where a tweak could work. if they make it so you have to be right near the person before they're suspicious it wouldn't be so bad. I hate the fact they go mental when they see you from across the room.
Barack Lesnar
Banned
Oh cool I haven't tried that yet.
endlessflood
Member
Death Factory shows how useful the disguise system can be for hiding in plain sight though (and is my favourite level so far for that reason). In Absolution it seems to be more a question of level design: it seems like IO just didn't consider the disguise system enough when designing the other levels (specifically the enemy type and placement).
Just like how you won't acknowledge the first part of my comment. You can't start off by saying no one's complaints on the game have anything to do with my past complaints when they directly mirror it, that it's not a good Hitman game :lol. I don't deny that I'm blunt and harsh at times with my word choice but that's what I am.
But yes I am also tired of the derail. I know some here probably think I'm getting off by repeating that I was right to everyone who still keeps doubting it but it is tiring after a while. So feel free to discuss the game and how mindblowing it is no one's stopping anyone from doing it.
EatChildren
Currently polling second in Australia's federal election (first in the Gold Coast), this feral may one day be your Bogan King.
I agree that a minimised detection system would still involve a puzzle element, but it's still been so significantly downplayed and overhauled as a mechanic that it doesn't resemble the design philosophy of the original games. Like, right to the core.
I actually think Absolution is an okay stealth game and pretty fun when it wants to be. And stuff like Contracts is a stroke of genius that is right at home in the franchise. But I really do believe this is a tremendously poor "Hitman" game right at the core. There's scattered elements of the series there, but the mechanics have been altered too drastically, and the level design too distant from the original, for it to stand up to the rest of the series as a Hitman game.
And like I said earlier, I don't think being a good game on its own gives it a free pass. You can't make a game in an established, long running series and toy with established, design integral mechanics and not expect to be held up to a certain standard or expectation. Make a Hitman game with Hitman ideas and people who are Hitman fans will be first to show interest. Change the game too much and those Hitman fans may not be happy with what they get, regardless of what it is. Such is life. Can't make Mario Kart Gran Turismo and expect Mario Kart fans to be happy.
I'm just disappointed this isn't what I consider a good Hitman game, even if it is a solid stealth game.
Yeah, this is mostly it. Like I said, I don't mind the idea of being spotted while in disguise. But the implementation of this system, and the way the system works, is in my opinion pretty rubbish in Absolution. Disguises are secondary to other mechanics and either too easily broken in your favour or broken against you. They've tried to design a game around the new system and I don't feel it works very well, nor would work very well with the old system for that matter. And that's a large part of my disappointment.
paperspace
Member
Last edited:
You're just making shit up to complain about now, aren't you?
Seems like a badly implemented afterthought designed to appeal to more people. Hitman players don't use checkpoints.
Here's how you fix the disguise system: immediately get rid of the guard-see-through system EXCEPT for one guard in each area that you can designate the "boss." The boss can see through disguises under all circumstances once you are within a logical range (10-15 feet).
There, io, I fixed your shit.
There, io, I fixed your shit.
I know, I noticed. Why do you care? It's not a big deal, it's an easter egg.
I support this idea.
Red Blaster
Member
While I don't mind a change to a more lenient disguise system I understand the motivation in having the system as-is since it's made the very fact of wearing a disguise a puzzle in and of itself. Now before some of you throw the immersion breaking brick at me, I think the blend in function is a better compromise than face grinding a wall which was the customary method in avoiding suspicion up close in past games.
Messofanego
Banned
Depends were you are. Never saw a single one in Dexter, for example, but there's a duck noodle chain in Chinatown so their logo is all over the place.
My personal solution would be to dramatically decrease the detection range of guards, maybe have a couple of elite mooks who know all their crew and have a higher detect ratio. Make detection more logical (WHY DOES EVERY FUCKING CHEF IN CHINATOWN GET ON MY CASE THROUGH A CROWDED STREET?). Still needs heavy changes to level design to make the most of it - the Run missions are fucking nonsense, the only costume available is cop and that's practically useless.
My personal solution would be to dramatically decrease the detection range of guards, maybe have a couple of elite mooks who know all their crew and have a higher detect ratio. Make detection more logical (WHY DOES EVERY FUCKING CHEF IN CHINATOWN GET ON MY CASE THROUGH A CROWDED STREET?). Still needs heavy changes to level design to make the most of it - the Run missions are fucking nonsense, the only costume available is cop and that's practically useless.
I care because I paid 60 dollars for this game and I'm greatly disappointed in many ways. Is this game the perfect game in the world to you? Are you delusional? This game has a shit load of flaws. Yes, it looks fucking beautiful. But I'm not watching a movie, I'm playing a game. Games are supposed to be fun. Hell, fun is probably one of the definitions of 'game.'
This has nothing to do with rubber ducks.
This would completely break levels like RFYL and the orphanage, though I do like the idea of higher ranking people being able to see through lower ranks. If they implemented something like that they'd have to rearrange existing guard layouts quite a bit.
No, it doesn't. It was just an observation I made. They went overkill on the ducks.
This is a 3/10 Hitman game at best
it's a 8/10 IO game
Where did I post that? I've pointed out flaws, just like I pointed out virtues. I'm not blidned by hate unlike so many posters in this thread, who continuously come here to shit on it by writing the same thing over and over again. As if people are blind or unable to read.
Clearly it must be the worst game in the World to you though.
Also, an overabundance of rubber duckies, a God damned easter egg, is not a flaw.
I am not to the orphanage yet but RFYL is a horrible level that has, as far as I'm concerned, no place in a Hitman game.
I NEED SCISSORS
Banned
IO says "fuck you" over concerns about the save/checkpoint system
With the amount of spin that has gone on with this game, i'm beginning to think that its real problem is a PR disaster rather than the game mechanics. At least expectations could be more aligned if things were made clearer.
Why not just have manual quick saves with the difficulty level dictating how many you're allowed? You know, like Blood Money... 6 years in development, there must be someone at IO who could implement that in a day..
As someone who isn't an aficionado of the Hitman series, but someone who appericates the depth of the series from completing Blood Money once and watching lets play videos of the series, I am actually really enjoying this game. I do think there's a few dumb design choices and the balancing act between the old and new could have been better. But when this game is good, it's good.
Quite a wish washy stance i guess and as i said, i'm probably much more tolerant to the flaws of the game not being a die hard. So to sum up, I'm digging it, but i can see why there's some negativity around here.
Quite a wish washy stance i guess and as i said, i'm probably much more tolerant to the flaws of the game not being a die hard. So to sum up, I'm digging it, but i can see why there's some negativity around here.
endlessflood
Member
I don't know that I'd be a fan of that system, if you only have to distract one person in each area then I fear it would be too easy. TBH the best solution is to redesign the levels (in terms of enemy type and placement) to work with the current system, which isn't going to happen. You could make an awesome 'hiding in plain sight' game using the current mechanics, just not with the current levels (see Death Factory as exception). The next best option is to reduce the range, so as to still allow the player freedom of movement in places where they should have freedom of movement (e.g. Chinatown).
I still think DLC for this game could be epic if they were to give us some more traditional assassination missions, but with level production costs (given the graphical fidelity that this game has) probably being sky high I guess it might not be cost effective for them.
There needs to be an option to remove the HUD completely. The game's too pretty to have it in the way all the time.
EatChildren
Currently polling second in Australia's federal election (first in the Gold Coast), this feral may one day be your Bogan King.
Absolution as it is can't really be 'fixed' beyond tweaking the way instinct works, and the range of the detection system. The levels (enemy placement, patrol paths, location of disguises, hiding places, flow through levels, etc) and disguise system are woven too tightly and deliberately together to accommodate drastic changes, in my opinion. It would lead to either a weirdly over easy game, or mechanics that don't feel right. In order for it to play like Hitman of old you need to make a Hitman game like that from the ground up in every respect. Absolution is too different in too many ways.
But I think you could make some tweaks to Absolution that would work for some levels. Yes, weaken the detection range. Or remove it and maybe, I don't know, tweak instinct so you can only use it to pass characters once, any more and they become suspicious, encouraging you to plan your path and do a costume swap.
Or just play Absolution as it's meant to be played, and not on purist *shrug*.
But I think you could make some tweaks to Absolution that would work for some levels. Yes, weaken the detection range. Or remove it and maybe, I don't know, tweak instinct so you can only use it to pass characters once, any more and they become suspicious, encouraging you to plan your path and do a costume swap.
Or just play Absolution as it's meant to be played, and not on purist *shrug*.
The UI for this Hitman is fantastic, the score bar makes sense for Contracts mode but it being in the campaign just annoys me.
But you're right, there needs to be more options for HUD related stuff. I'd turn off any weapon related HUD and the score bar.
Terra_Ex
Member
Glacier 2 - Looks pretty, can do crowds. Can't do mid-mission saves.
I don't mind the HUD, but I think the game could be fantastically atmospheric without it. Sleeping Dogs is hard to play without a HUD, but damn if it isn't nice to have that option.
endlessflood
Member
Can somebody explain how the 'backup' system works for enemies? Under what circumstances does backup arrive?
I'd love to see that, and it can't be too difficult for them to implement given they've already done it for Purist.
Here's a simple fix: Everytime a person sees you they become more suspicious. like a multiplier is applied to their "time it takes to recognise" variable.
so for example if you walk past someone for the first time it's like blood money where they pay attention to you but just carry on. Everytime after that, how quickly that person will recognise you increases. Now if you just hover around one area somebody will spot you but if you walk about you won't need to hide all the time.
Its simple, doesn't break the game and scales well with the different difficulties.
so for example if you walk past someone for the first time it's like blood money where they pay attention to you but just carry on. Everytime after that, how quickly that person will recognise you increases. Now if you just hover around one area somebody will spot you but if you walk about you won't need to hide all the time.
Its simple, doesn't break the game and scales well with the different difficulties.
jaundicejuice
Member
I think any changes to the disguise/suspicion system's detection distance and toning down the speed at which a disguise is seen through will make the sandboxes more enjoyable but break all of the corridor-like sections with binary design that separate the sandboxes, essentially making them a cakewalk to pass through.
That's pretty much how it worked in Silent Assassin and Contracts. However I think it's not feasible. The level design is geared towards hiding. If people take their time trying to figure you out, a good amount of levels can be accomplished very fast without even trying to speed run.
As I continue playing, I think it would have made sense for IO to state that they were going to take on a traditional stealth genre than have us assume it is still a social stealth game.
jaundicejuice
Member
posting here since there's more people around. Started getting this:
after some googling it seems to be a pretty infamous issue with this game
anyone here found any way to fix it? happens anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes into the game
Have you tried updating your gpu driver and then running the game?
http://www.geforce.com/whats-new/articles/nvidia-geforce-310-61-beta-drivers-released
I've made it up to Act 2, currently on the
, and so far I am enjoying this as a game, but it's not what I expected from a Hitman game.
The disguise system is essentially broken as it is. I understand that if I do something stupid like walk around with my gun drawn, or run through crowds, or maybe even walk past the same guard a few times, that I should be suspicious. But when I walk in a room and IMMEDIATELY get the suspicion meters going up, that makes no sense to me. The majority of the levels seem to be really small, this may be a result of the game looking friggin AMAZING though. Not sure if the trade-off is worth it, but damn if this isn't up there with the prettiest games this generation.
I've decided to not bother trying to get SA on my first play through, going more for a hybrid of sneaking when I can, and just murderizing when I have to. The Rosewood level was quite fun for the murderizing, there wasn't a single enemy there that I felt guilty about killing
. I am enjoying the game enough that I can see myself doing a second run where I actually try for SA on all the levels, and maybe even a third run of just slaughtering everything that moves.
Hope, SD mission in the gun store where you have to beat the girl in the score contest
The disguise system is essentially broken as it is. I understand that if I do something stupid like walk around with my gun drawn, or run through crowds, or maybe even walk past the same guard a few times, that I should be suspicious. But when I walk in a room and IMMEDIATELY get the suspicion meters going up, that makes no sense to me. The majority of the levels seem to be really small, this may be a result of the game looking friggin AMAZING though. Not sure if the trade-off is worth it, but damn if this isn't up there with the prettiest games this generation.
I've decided to not bother trying to get SA on my first play through, going more for a hybrid of sneaking when I can, and just murderizing when I have to. The Rosewood level was quite fun for the murderizing, there wasn't a single enemy there that I felt guilty about killing
. I am enjoying the game enough that I can see myself doing a second run where I actually try for SA on all the levels, and maybe even a third run of just slaughtering everything that moves.That makes it sounds like it might be better to just play Dishonored or something - a game that knows what kind of stealth game it is instead of something that constantly tries to decide whether it's Metal Gear or Hitman.
What would we liked tweaked, though? Personally, I find the range that guards can detect fine but I think their FOV is too wide. I like that I can sneak past guards when their head looks to the side but body faces the same direction. That's really smart and cool. How about, in disguise, their FOV for detection is 50% of what it currently is.
So, normally, the 100% FOV for detection is when you're in your suit and the more limited, 50% is for disguises. Seems like a simple fix that would solve a bazillion problems.
As for now, I'm treating disguises as collectibles. Figuring out the most stealthy ways of acquiring an outfit has been pretty fun. I guess that's the thing about Hitman games, though, it's about making your own fun. *shrugs*
sweetvar26
Member
You were asking about whether or not it's worth it, right?
I'm at a point where gameplay is so... insufficient for my enjoyment? I dunno, I've been finding ~intelligent interactivity~ dull because, once you figure out the constraints of the digital world you're in, you try to break them and that usually leads to disappointment. So visual and audio presentation have been pretty big to me lately.
I'll say this game is absolutely worth picking up because I find the story to be really good grindhouse with some excellent production values. The game looks great but what the technical aspects are showing is even more impressive to me. You're always in the dirty, greasy areas of Chicago, touching just about everything that a normal person would reach for hand sanitizer afterwards. You'd probably wash your mouth out with Listerine after a conversation with any members of the cast.
That's really interesting to me. I find it really engaging to be taken somewhere that most games won't go. I like that there is no favorable light for any of the characters, despite the efforts to give 47 a soul. His face is still scarred, huge pours, and other defects. He blends in, but when you see him up close, he's ugly. 47 still deals with the gross people and does these disgusting things with zero conscious.
I always felt like the other games tried to portray 47 as a killer with a conscious, that he was doing all these bad things for the right reasons. Even now, they give him that narrative but I don't feel like the director ever intended to give him a bath after getting covered in blood.
The audio is hit or miss. The theme with the big foghorn is pretty much Hollywood crap, but then the sounds that litter levels are amazing. I also really enjoyed the track that plays while 47 travels to Hope. It's probably a really good homage to Devil's Advocates. Actually, the team was probably forced to watch Devil's Advocates before making this game, along with Planet Terror and Death Proof.
Although, really, the best test of whether or not you will appreciate Absolution's more subtle features, or less prominent "gameness" is whether or not you enjoyed K&L2: Dog Days. I won't pimp that game again in this thread, but it is seriously a magnificent title with the most haunting audio dreamscape coupled with blurring visuals. It's probably the only game I'd call art, but I don't care about that so it's the most amazing representation of a psychopath's audio, visual interpretation of the world.
No one cares...because no one was seen. We were all...SILENT ASSASSINSSSSS
Cannon Goose
Member
MidnightCowboy
Member
All right, so I'm on the Shangri-La part of Run For Your Life, and I'm conflicted. Like, this is a fun scenario to play and like IO usually does, they nailed setting/environments, but it's also too much like any other stealth game and not enough like Hitman.
I wholeheartedly agree with this. IO has gotten really good at making characters/places that just make you feel....dirty...after playing. Between the 2 Kane and Lynch games (which I loved, flaws and all) and now Absolution, I really appreciate that they're making games/stories where the protagonists aren't paragons of virtue, but are flawed and sometimes outright despicable people.