Hitman Absolution

Hitman: Absolution is a stealth video game developed by IO Interactive and published by Square Enix.^[1] It is the fifth installment in the Hitman game series, and runs on IO Interactive 's proprietary Glacier 2 game engine. Before release, the developers stated thatAbsolution would be easier to play and more accessible, while still retaining hardcore aspects of the franchise.^[2] The game was released on 20 November 2012 (which is in the 47th week of the year in reference to the protagonist, Agent 47) for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.^[3] On 15 May 2014 Hitman: Absolution — Elite Edition was released for OS X by Feral Interactive;^[4] it contained all previously released downloadable content, including Hitman: Sniper Challenge, a "making of" documentary, and a 72-page artbook.^[4]

Hitman: Absolution was met with a polarized reception. Most positive comments were concerning the game's graphics, environments and locations, and the varied gameplay options. However, many critics disliked the game for not "feeling" like a Hitman game. As of March 2013, the game has sold over 3.6 million copies.

Gameplay

The game is played from a third-person perspective and takes place primarily in the United States, mainly around the city of Chicago,Illinois, and the fictional town of Hope in South Dakota. The player controls Agent 47, a master hitman.^[5] Gameplay is very similar to past Hitman games; as such, it is a stealth game that incorporates action gunplay.^[5] Players choose how to complete each level, taking branching paths to get to a target or location.^[6] Players may use pistols, bottles or bricks, assault rifles, shotguns, fiber-wire, or steel pipes, against enemies if opting for the action oriented approach, or avoid enemies all together, not being seen, using disguises, blending in the environment, and only attacking the set target(s), if using the stealth oriented approach.^[5][7][8] Agent 47 also has the 'Instinct' ability that lets the player monitor enemies more easily.^[6] There are also environmental ways to kill or distract individuals; players can use poison to spike coffee, pull switches to make a disco ball fall and break, cause a massive explosion at a gas station, pull a switch to cause scaffolding to fall down, cause fires, or set off fireworks.^[6][9] Players complete chapters in order to progress through the story. The player journeys to a mansion, library, strip club, gun store, wrestling arena, courthouse, and hotel, during the story.^[5][9]

The game introduces an online option to the series, 'Contracts', where players can create their own missions for other players to complete.^[10] Players choose one of the areas in the game and modify it to create a different level. Players change the location of items, remove items, or add items, choose an objective or add a target, add a time limit, or choose which areas of the location are inaccessible and vice versa.^[11]