Hitman Absolution (PS3)

It's a miracle just how having no multiplayer makes a game so damn good, it's reminiscent of the days of the old consoles where online gaming wasn't big and how developers focussed solely on the single player aspect of a game, it shows a lot, these days there are not enough games like this, with the ABSENCE of multiplayer (yes, there is NO multiplayer and it's not a rushing game either so don't buy it if you're looking for some sort of Assassins Creed with guns type game) you can see just how much effort has gone into this game.It is NOT a game for the rushing type of player, if this is your first Hitman game (as it is mine) you will get a surprise shock at how slow it is, you cannot simply rush into a place and kill your targets, it will take a long time stealthing your way around the environments, which I must say, are beautiful to look at, the amount of detail is stunning when running in HD, but back to the gameplay, the control mechanics take time to adjust to but are great after a while, they're fluid and avoid that clunky control mechanic seen in some games (RE6 we're looking at you here), as I mentioned previously, this game is SLOW, it forces you to take your time because if you rush, you will die, unless you're playing on easy, which I don't recommend as that will pretty much negate the point of the whole stealth aspect of the game, to stay alive you really really have to think, there are so many ways to kill your target, I had a pleasant surprise on my first one when it said there are TWELVE ways to kill one guy, which basically means a whole lot of replayability.PROS:- Superb gameplay mechanics- Points system which makes you want to replay the level to complete the challenges in each level- Story is very lengthy due to the massive amount of stealth which is rare these days- Contracts mode, create your own challenges for the world to play and for you to play others contracts- So many ways to go through a level, it's refreshing to see a game where YOU can CHOOSE your OWN way through a level!CONS:- None in particularOverall, if you're new to the Hitman series (like me) I'd say this is a good place to start, as long as you have patience, if you're an action packed game lover, who loves rushing i.e CoD, Battlefield, MoH players stay away from this unless you can adjust to the slow pace of this, I love fast paced games like CoD don't get me wrong but this is a game for patient, collected and dare I say it, intelligent players..or rather, killers. Good luck 47.

Perhaps the defining characteristic of the Hitman series was its flawed genius. Clunky gameplay and a plethora of bugs were offset by novel originality and an atmospheric sandbox world. In `Hitman: Absolution', IO Interactive have perfected the formula albeit at a price.First off, the perfection: never before has Agent 47 been so charged with menace. What's more, you feel like a killer, a professional whose trade is artful murder. This has been pulled off in a couple of ways. First, IO have brought a physicality to 47 which was missing from the previous games and translates into every kill. Second, enemies can be taken down with far greater flexibility - no more sneaking up behind them at just the right moment only to somehow miss with your garrotte. Third, the shooting system is far more innovative. The new `instinct' system - which allows 47 to blend into his surroundings and monitor his foes - also allows `point shooting': i.e. stopping time to tag your targets before effortlessly taking them down in one deadly sweep. For diehards, this may be cheating, but its availability is limited and, besides, it's by no means forced upon you, acting as a cool flourish rather than a central gameplay mechanic.However, there's a price to this: the free form sandbox gameplay in the previous games hasn't been left intact. Likely to make room for a smoother world with fewer bugs, IO have streamlined levels. The upshot of this is that the world is more economical, the gameplay richer somehow. But the structure is more linear and the settings themselves chronologically compartmentalised into sections. Generally speaking, there's just one main path through each level, with few detours - and stealth is a constant must as certain enemies will see through disguises. At no point are you being forced along. Levels focused on taking down a target have numerous approaches that can be taken, and, unless you want to go Rambo, patience is a must, just as before. But the overall feeling is that although the levels are large, their compartmentalisation makes them less complex. A mistake in one section won't affect the rest of the level, which sucks out some of the fun for perfectionists and diehards who enjoy balancing the consequences. It's much easier in this respect.But the package IO Interactive have offered up is probably their best-rounded and it feels like a lot of love has gone into it. Although the story is simple, the characters are the best yet; the guns are incredibly satisfying to use; the environments are as atmospheric as ever; and the music doesn't suffer from the absence of the series' trademark composer, Jesper Kyd. The game has been described elsewhere as Lynchian - something which is very true, the elements at play here derivative of an Americana that is dark, morbid and surreal.`Absolution' isn't flawed in the same way that its predecessors were. The perfected gameplay and streamlined structure marks a radical step in a new direction for the series. Hopefully, later instalments will keep the new gameplay system and bring back some of the freeform sandbox complexity (minus the bugs), but for now, the Hitman experience isn't going to get much better than this.