There was a calculated scoring system that punished players who wanted to explore the freedom of the levels and experiment with gameplay tactics. The iconic design of open-ended assassinations was omitted in favour of linear action-stealth missions and a bigger focus on narrative over the simulation.
I think I’m in the majority when I say Hitman: Absolution was a bad move for the series. The Hitman games have executed this mantra perfectly. Immersive sims are fun for the fact that players feel they’re in a believable world – where they have agency, full control over their environment and experience a narrative that isn’t necessarily force-fed to them. I remember spending hours on that first mission, titled ‘Anathema’, where you had to infiltrate a Sicilian villa, rescue a priest and kill the kidnapper.
It’s been a part of me ever since my cousin showed me Silent Assassin when I was seven years old.
Many people know me as the guy who loves Hitman games.
