As an avid fan of the series, seeing the gameplay I loved reduced to this...let's just say my impressions of screenshots and gameplay weren't positive
But the forum impressions and reviews convinced me to give the game a chance and I'm glad I did. Hitman Go may not be the kind of Hitman I would have preferred on IOS but it's far from the abomination I had been anticipating. Rather than being a strike against the franchise, Hitman Go somehow is able to remain true to the series' core mechanics while distilling those elements to a mobile-friendly package with a fantastic presentation.
Compared to other stealth series like Splinter Cell and Thief, the Hitman franchise was always best enjoyed as stealth puzzle games IMO. Methodically setting up your assassination, putting pieces in motion, the right disguise in the right place at the right time. Hitman Go takes that foundation and strips the gameplay down to its purest stealth puzzle form. The series' key elements still remain - distractions, disguises, guards and targets - but are presented in a wonderfully realized board-game aesthetic. The gameplay is as methodical as ever, perhaps even more so here than in its console/PC brethren, since enemies move when you move and without planning ahead, the wrong move will find you cornered or dead. Different guard behaviors and various objectives for missions that require different routes add replay value and challenge
Hitman Go is an excellent game that remains true to the series while presenting the gameplay through an interesting unique aesthetic.
