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HITMAN |Beta Thread| The original assassin. [PS4+PC]

Parsnip

Member
Some people have been getting survey emails after the beta ended* and I don't think the in game SEM link actually works (it's the first screen in menu after the game loads).

Yah, found it when I was quitting. I expected it to be in the pause menu.
It was automatically linked anyway.
 

MMaRsu

Member
Make sure to turn off Instinct and basically everything else haha. You can still hear when people are about to spot you.
 
Loved that final cutscene. I'm actually looking forward to the game story now (whatever there is, I'm thinking less will be more in this case), despite being totally turned off IO's storytelling by Absolution.
 

DocSeuss

Member
Extra PC code for anyone interested

Thank you for purchasing from Amazon.com.
Your recent order entitles you to a promotional code.
Your promotional code:
LXH9-JK6T-1N99-WZZV
Promotion details:
Thank you for your "Hitman" order. Your pre-order has entitled you access to the Beta.

Instructions on how to enter the Beta upon pre-order:

1. Amazon.com will email you your access code within 2 days of pre-order
2. Go to beta.hitman.com and enter your Access Code
3. Select your desired platform (PS4 or Steam PC)
4. Shortly before the Beta begins, you will receive your HITMAN game download code via e-mail
5. Follow the instructions in the e-mail to install the game and play in the Beta

always hide codes.
 

Vuze

Member
What a hitching mess, even with Gsync enabled and some settings turned down (FXAA, Medium Shadows; 970 / i7 4790k @ 4,6GHz).
Playing this back to back with a super smooth GTAV - which is just a whole other league in terms of tech - is disappointing. Let's hope it's just "beta" shenanigans...

Game seems alright, I just took a quick look before heading to bed and will play some more tomorrow.
 

Lead

Banned
Well the artificial intelligence or utter lack thereof is just embarrassing....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0g5kiO7h4Y

Yes you can pretty much sit in the same spot and shoot everybody running brainlessly at you without consequence.

I've seen more intelligent AI in zombie games...

Oh and I get such random performance on a mix of high and medium settings on an 970 and i7 4790....

Everything from 80 fps to 20 fps drops for no goddamn reason.
 

Lead

Banned
You're not playing a shooter. All this shows is that it's not AI tuned for random shootouts because that's not what this game is.
I don't buy that, everyone but 4 guards on that map ran down the same ramp going right towards me only for me to easily shoot them in the head.

I was shot at exactly 2 times the entire video, I've tried this a couple of times where they never even fired a single shot at me...
 

MMaRsu

Member
Well the artificial intelligence or utter lack thereof is just embarrassing....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0g5kiO7h4Y

Yes you can pretty much sit in the same spot and shoot everybody running brainlessly at you without consequence.

I've seen more intelligent AI in zombie games...

Oh and I get such random performance on a mix of high and medium settings on an 970 and i7 4790....

Everything from 80 fps to 20 fps drops for no goddamn reason.

Guards alerted = restart. This aint no third person shooter
 

Lead

Banned
Guards alerted = restart. This aint no third person shooter
Lets get this straight, I'm a Hitman fan, the zombie AI have ALWAYS been a problem, but why is the AI as bad as the one I played against in 2000, literally 16 years ago...

I don't buy into that Hitman gets some kind of special exception anymore, especially because they've also failed to give us really any new features to speak of. What can you do in this game that you couldn't do in the other games we already played? How are these levels more interesting than the ones we already played?

The game doesn't even look that much better than Absolution and it runs like crap...
 

justjim89

Member
Yeah, the combat AI is definitely a step backwards from what I've seen. I hate the idea that reloading upon your first mistake is the right way to play stealth games. Fuck that. If I make a mistake, I wanna have to deal with it. 47 couldn't magically reload if an unforeseen variable messed up his plan and guards started shooting. Of all the things to take out of the game after Absolution, why remove competent shootouts?
 

MMaRsu

Member
That's the weakest excuse I've ever heard. Why so ardent to dismiss a game's criticisms? Maintaining your own self-delusion that there's nothing wrong with it?

Im sorry but in Blood Money you can just as well hide in one room and kill all the guards if you want.

The way I play these games is to be an unseen killer..

Guns are a last resort
 

justjim89

Member
Im sorry but in Blood Money you can just as well hide in one room and kill all the guards if you want.

The way I play these games is to be an unseen killer..

Guns are a last resort

I think the issue is that in the older games, the simulation falls apart once you start shooting.

There should be room for both aspects to be competent.
 

TheMoon

Member
Yeah, the combat AI is definitely a step backwards from what I've seen. I hate the idea that reloading upon your first mistake is the right way to play stealth games. Fuck that. If I make a mistake, I wanna have to deal with it. 47 couldn't magically reload if an unforeseen variable messed up his plan and guards started shooting. Of all the things to take out of the game after Absolution, why remove competent shootouts?

Are they removed or is the guy in the video just randomly sitting in the perfect position to pick off every single character in this open but small space?

I've completed this mission now a few times by messing up towards the end and having to hide until I could make my way to another disguise or take out the target and run to the helipad. And as even this silly videos shows, you can get out of it if you start a massacre. No need to reload.

I've had no issue with the AI behavior when playing this properly. The video shows dude fucking up a the far end of the map and then just rolling with the chaos, shooting everyone from his safe spot. That's not how you play this other than in a "for the lulz" run. And for that it was successful.

Then there's the fact that we have no difficulty settings that usually influence AI behavior so maybe in the other settings they shoot a little more aggressively, too. That's a part they should have communicated though. Is this beta set to normal or easy or what?
 
I think the issue is that in the older games, the simulation falls apart once you start shooting.

There should be room for both aspects to be competent.
Idk, that's kind of like wishing Chaos Theory allowed you to go the action route. Maybe in Absolution, it felt viable, but as a return to form, I think the shootouts not really being nice much of an option works in the game's favor
 

MUnited83

For you.
That's the weakest excuse I've ever heard. Why so ardent to dismiss a game's criticisms? Maintaining your own self-delusion that there's nothing wrong with it?
Its a pretty good excuse . It's as much of a criticismo as asking why FIFA doesn't play like NBA2K.
 

Lead

Banned
Idk, that's kind of like wishing Chaos Theory allowed you to go the action route. Maybe in Absolution, it felt viable, but as a return to form, I think the shootouts not really being nice much of an option works in the game's favor
Are you actually saying it's too much to ask for just basic competent AI?

The AI shouldn't brainlessly rush you, they should take defensive positions, hide behind cover, not run forward like they're actually zombies.

I mean at this point they should basically just remove guns from the game then, they're so immersion breaking that there's no point of them being there...
 

justjim89

Member
Idk, that's kind of like wishing Chaos Theory allowed you to go the action route. Maybe in Absolution, it felt viable, but as a return to form, I think the shootouts not really being nice much of an option works in the game's favor

It'd be one thing if shootouts were just hard and therefore not recommended. But the way it was in Blood Money just looked stupid and made the game look bad.
 

DukeBobby

Member
All challenges complete.

I thoroughly enjoyed it, although there are a few issues (AI, animation bugs) that should hopefully be ironed out before release.

Bring on March 11.
 

Foffy

Banned
It'd be one thing if shootouts were just hard and therefore not recommended. But the way it was in Blood Money just looked stupid and made the game look bad.

They will probably be hard on the harder settings. If it's a return to form, they're going to make recoil a fucking nightmare when it comes to firing guns on the highest setting.

The key to these games is really highlighted in the guided tutorial: you are expected to be cool, calm, and clean in your actions. In fact, the worst missions in franchise history have been the "kill everyone with guns" missions that concluded Codename 47, Silent Assassin, and Blood Money, because these games are not designed around Max Payne scenarios.

I think they're focusing on their strengths, so their weaknesses will stay as weaknesses.
 
Uh really people defending the terrible AI? Like, the basic thing they could do to make it not suck is make them take cover and shoot from afar. Why even have guns in the game if the shootouts suck? And don't mention old ass Blood Money!

The shootouts should be good so when you get caught you can handle that shit, not everyone reloads the game a million times whenever their cover is blown.
 
We don't know what difficulty the beta is on so it SHOULD be better on Professional. I don't think IO would tarnish their game by having STOOOOOOOPID AI and terrible performance/optimization.
 

justjim89

Member
I will say, I wouldn't have even noticed the AI proximity trigger thing if I hadn't read about it. But I'm gonna constantly notice it and it'll bug me.

Why do I ever read things?
 
Its a pretty good excuse . It's as much of a criticismo as asking why FIFA doesn't play like NBA2K.

I've seen some bad analogies in my time, but this one takes the cake. If FIFA had half-baked basketball mechanics, you might have a point. Shooting is a pretty central mechanic in any Hitman game. Shit AI really shouldn't be excused.
 
I've seen some bad analogies in my time, but this one takes the cake. If FIFA had half-baked basketball mechanics, you might have a point. Shooting is a pretty central mechanic in any Hitman game. Shit AI really shouldn't be excused.
Shooting is. I argue that shootouts aren't
 

MUnited83

For you.
I've seen some bad analogies in my time, but this one takes the cake. If FIFA had half-baked basketball mechanics, you might have a point. Shooting is a pretty central mechanic in any Hitman game. Shit AI really shouldn't be excused.
Shooting is a central mechanic to the game. Shootouts are not.
 
They're central when they're the main consequence of screwing up. If you can just sit in a spot and gun everyone down, that's a pretty major flaw.

Yep. I wanna feel the consequences of messing up the hit through getting shot the hell up by competent AI not by forcing it on myself by restarting all the time.
 
They're central when they're the main consequence of screwing up. If you can just sit in a spot and gun everyone down, that's a pretty major flaw.
The main consequence of screwing up is killing the guy who spotted you, getting out of sight, hiding, and changing your outfit. If it escalates to a full-on shootout, I'd say it's because you stuck around and wanted a shootout.

And again, back to Chaos Theory: the game gives you the option of an assault rifle, shotgun attachment, grenades, etc. Trying the action route in that game sucks. But I doubt anyone would say the poor AI during shootouts in Chaos Theory is a major flaw because the game isn't about action and shootouts and if you get into one, you're doing something wrong. Same with Hitman
 
My own quick impressions:

- I played through the first scenario twice, and the second one once, using fairly obvious methods each time. It certainly felt like there was a good amount of content I hadn't touched on in my first run through, and I'm looking forward to going through the same scenarios tomorrow.

- I felt like events were a little too scripted as others have said, and there was too much signposting, but I'm somewhat hopeful that much of this was down to it being a tutorial. We'll see come launch...

- Gameplay-wise, it mostly felt like what I wanted, Blood Money 2 with a more elaborate disguise mechanic to keep you on your toes, and Absolution's challenge system. I didn't get into any shootouts, so some of the impressions here are a tad disappointing, even if Hitman has always had rubbish combat. Otherwise, it controlled and played well, with plenty of space and room to improvise, even in these constrained mini-missions.

-Very uneven performance. There framerate alternated between a relatively smooth if not perfect 60-ish, to sustained drops into the 30s and probably even lower in places. This was usually on crowded parts of the boat, but also in some other random parts of the first scenario. (2500k and 970, High settings with medium shadows, but I didn't tinker with them too much)
 

justjim89

Member
Got Silent Assassin on the final challenge and maaaaaaaan this is some Hitman-ass Hitman. I also noticed an instance where the proximity scripting didn't seem present at all.

I got the vodka, put it on the tray and poison in one of the glasses. I'd also done the projector event so they were all bustling around that area. I went to explore the area further and was on the other side of the building a floor up when the target and the officer went to the office again. I hurried back and by the time I got to the office, they were already toasting and the target hurried to the bathroom.

So it seems not every event requires 47's immediate presence.
 
Just played the first level in free-play. Yeah, this right here is Hitman at it's best. The new disguise system is perfect, not making you completely invisible like Blood Money's nor annoying as hell like Hitman: Contracts or Absolution's. The controls are buttery goodness just like Absolution's. And the UI is clean and informative, unlike Absolution's.

And the challenges are fun to get too after you've beaten a level. I can tell between those and the other modes like elusive targets that I'm gonna get a crap ton of time outta this game.

The graphics looked nice. They lack the flair of Absolution but honestly I'm okay with IO doing away with the dirty, grindhouse aesthetic of that game.

Oh and I like how coins are in your inventory system now. I completely forgot to use them everytime I played Blood Money.
 
Just played the first level in free-play. Yeah, this right here is Hitman at it's best. The new disguise system is perfect, not making you completely invisible like Blood Money's nor annoying as hell like Hitman: Contracts or Absolution's. The controls are buttery goodness just like Absolution's. And the UI is clean and informative, unlike Absolution's.

And the challenges are fun to get too after you've beaten a level. I can tell between those and the other modes like elusive targets that I'm gonna get a crap ton of time outta this game.

The graphics looked nice. They lack the flair of Absolution but honestly I'm okay with IO doing away with the dirty, grindhouse aesthetic of that game.

Oh and I like how coins are in your inventory system now. I completely forgot to use them everytime I played Blood Money.
Also I like that coins aren't infinite anymore. You actually have to use them methodically

Oh, and throwing things at people's heads is endlessly satisfying
 
The main consequence of screwing up is killing the guy who spotted you, getting out of sight, hiding, and changing your outfit. If it escalates to a full-on shootout, I'd say it's because you stuck around and wanted a shootout.

And again, back to Chaos Theory: the game gives you the option of an assault rifle, shotgun attachment, grenades, etc. Trying the action route in that game sucks. But I doubt anyone would say the poor AI during shootouts in Chaos Theory is a major flaw because the game isn't about action and shootouts and if you get into one, you're doing something wrong. Same with Hitman

I actually kinda want to test this theory since I haven't played CT in forever. How would it be to play CT like a TPS...hm.

*reinstalls*
 

DukeBobby

Member
Just played the first level in free-play. Yeah, this right here is Hitman at it's best. The new disguise system is perfect, not making you completely invisible like Blood Money's nor annoying as hell like Hitman: Contracts or Absolution's. The controls are buttery goodness just like Absolution's. And the UI is clean and informative, unlike Absolution's.

And the challenges are fun to get too after you've beaten a level. I can tell between those and the other modes like elusive targets that I'm gonna get a crap ton of time outta this game.

The graphics looked nice. They lack the flair of Absolution but honestly I'm okay with IO doing away with the dirty, grindhouse aesthetic of that game.

Oh and I like how coins are in your inventory system now. I completely forgot to use them everytime I played Blood Money.

The disguise system in Hitman: Contracts was great. Enemies wouldn't attack you for no reason like in Silent Assassin, but you also weren't able to run around willy-nilly like in Blood money.

The only level where I had issues was Beldingford Manor, where the guards were occasionally a bit too trigger happy.
 

MUnited83

For you.
#topdisguisingskills :p

75618AF5EF97F2E1D9FFEC29017DBDD83751759D
(Spot what's wrong)
 

Nimajneb

Member
The mechanics are solid, so far. The disguise system is a huge improvement over Absolution, but it still feels a bit goofy at times. The guard is getting suspicious, I better duck behind some crates and roll between cover like a perfectly normal citizen! No one will suspect me then.

It's also strange how every action is mapped to its own key. Q, E, F, T, X, G, and B all preform different actions that would normally all be on a generic context sensitive button. While the lack of ambiguity is nice at times, it would be about impossible to play without the onscreen prompts.

I wish they'd put a later level in the beta, rather than what is more or less the second half of the tutorial stage. The first two levels are small, rather easy, and the assassination methods are very obvious. I don't doubt the later levels will be much more complex, but it would have been nice to get a glimpse of that here.

I'm glad I bought the game, but it will live or die by its level design. We will still have to wait and see if it can be considered a worthy sequel to Blood Money.
 
The mechanics are solid, so far. The disguise system is a huge improvement over Absolution, but it still feels a bit goofy at times. The guard is getting suspicious, I better duck behind some crates and roll between cover like a perfectly normal citizen! No one will suspect me then.

It's also strange how every action is mapped to its own key. Q, E, F, T, X, G, and B all preform different actions that would normally all be on a generic context sensitive button. While the lack of ambiguity is nice at times, it would be about impossible to play without the onscreen prompts.

I wish they'd put a later level in the beta, rather than what is more or less the second half of the tutorial stage. The first two levels are small, rather easy, and the assassination methods are very obvious. I don't doubt the later levels will be much more complex, but it would have been nice to get a glimpse of that here.

I'm glad I bought the game, but it will live or die by its level design. We will still have to wait and see if it can be considered a worthy sequel to Blood Money.

And that's why it is a good thing it is releasing episodically so we can chew their asses out and get them to improve if the first episode isn't good.
 

justjim89

Member
I got that Silent Assassin, Suit Only challenge for the final test. Felt good, felt like Hitman. Most of the mission was just tossing coins and choking guards, but the key is that the guard by the window couldn't simply be choked out, because with him and the officer, there wouldn't be any room for the target in the box, and all bodies must be hidden. So how to get him away? When he follows the target out of the room for a smoke, drop a gun in the middle of the room. Just like in Blood Money, an extra gun lying around has to be taken somewhere. By a guard. Leaving me a few precious moments to garrote the target and hide his body before slipping out.

The script triggering is a lingering question of slight concern, but the rest of this game looks to be pure Hitman.
 

MUnited83

For you.
Trying to do a Silent Assassin Suit Only, No Knockouts, no equipment or distractions other than coins run. Figured a route almost completely. Shit's super hard but so so satisfying.
 

justjim89

Member
Trying to do a Silent Assassin Suit Only, No Knockouts, no equipment or distractions other than coins run. Figured a route almost completely. Shit's super hard but so so satisfying.

How do you even get up there without knockouts? There's like 3 different guards that see the scaffolding you climb on.
 
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