Five Things We Learnt from Playing The New 'Hitman'

For veterans of the series this is a no brainier, but for rookies jumping into the series it’s pretty vital that you take notice of what’s going on around you. Exploring the mission area, knowing what areas are off limits, and scoping out points of interests are all integral in completing your objectives - particularly for those who have an OCD-like tendency to do things in a flawless manner. Bare in mind that time is of the essence but rushing ahead is a fools errand, take your time out and plan your route. A good way to get to grips with this is the engaging tutorial prologue which begins at the start of the game and will help guide you through the basics.

One of the best lines in a video game was in Metal Gear Solid, the Cyborg Ninja made a valid point that “Only a fool trusts his life to a weapon”. And that statement definitely applies to Hitman. The series has always prided itself on unique ways to eliminate your target, basically encouraging you to let out your inner Dexter, via video games (That might seem a tad bit psychotic but that’s a discussion for another article). What we’re trying to say is that creating instances where the target kill is made to like an accident (e.g. a death by falling chandelier), poisoned through beverages or eliminated via disguise and deception is much more fun and challenging. Anyone with two brain cells to rub together can go down the bloody sociopathic path but you’ll find it more rewarding and feel perhaps a touch cleverer when you’re using much more intricate methods to complete your tasks.

In Hitman fortunate favours the bold, but you’ll also discover that being patient has its rewards. Waiting for the right moment and observing openings will benefit your playthrough in the long run. This isn’t a by the numbers game where you can run-up and start clapping fools. Take your time and listen out for conversations from NPC’s that are within the vicinity as they may reveal information to help you along the way.

Okay, we said it’s more fun to go the stealth route but there is nothing holding you back from going on a bloody rampage if that’s how you really feel. Maybe you've had a bad day at work or your significant other has run off with the cleaner – the beauty of Hitman is that it won’t really punish you if you approach the mission in an aggressive manner. It will make it difficult that's for sure but if your thing is to 'Bring the Noise' like a Public Enemy concert, then you to go for it, dammit.

Hitman will be the first AAA-title to use episodic content. What this means is that instead of developers/publishers providing you a full gaming title, they’ll be presenting you with new content at set periods. This formula has already proved fruitful for TellTale Games (The Walking Dead, Tales From The Borderlands, Game of Thrones), however Hitman is the first major blockbuster title that will experiment with this blueprint. Will it change the way we play games? That will depend on the success of Hitman, it’s a risk but considering their success as a franchise they may just pull it off. We’ll be watching with cautious eyes.