The forthcoming instalment of the Hitman series is IO Interactive's latest stab (or fiber wire takedown) at recapturing the glory of the series' formative years. The last game, Absolution, wasn't bad per se, but it was no Blood Money or Silent Assassin.
The franchise reboot that's closing in on a March 11 release date looks to emulate the games of yesteryear with modern flair. Over the weekend, we got our hands on the game's beta, where we steered Agent 47 around a posh knees-up at a faux-boat party-cum-art gallery as we put his skills to the test. Here's five reasons to be excited about Hitman.
1. Fancy dress murder mystery
Well, chances are it was you "Who Done It", Mr Agent 47, but it wouldn't be a Hitman game without being given the chance to dress for the occasion.
Be it a bartender, a boat mechanic, a security guard, a wealthy art dealer, or even a KGB soldier's outfit - what we've seen so far from the stealth 'em up shows little signs of slowing down on the costumes front, as you sleuth backstage undetected and isolate your prey. Just remember to dump the resultant incapacitated naked person in the nearest body-sized trunk, locker or meat freezer.
Now, the question is: does this pristine white sailor's uniform clash with my Silenced Tactical Pistol?
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2. No pyro, no party
One of the most endearing features of the Hitman series has always been choice. Do you dance around silently in the shadows before ambushing a suspect unawares? Or do you burst in guerrilla-style adding an ASBO to the inevitably long list of kidnapping, murder and such like that undoubtedly should await you post-mission?
In Hitman, choice once again goes hand-in-hand with the kill. Sure, you could tiptoe around being all sneaky and shifty and sly, but then again you could also attach an ICA Remote Explosive to a target's back and paint the walls with his insides.
Equally, you could send a Soviet spy into orbit by intentionally malfunctioning his private jet's ejector seat, watching him soar into the air in a blaze of glory. It's your call.
3. Can I get you a drink?
Sometimes you just need to take a load off, though. All this killing and capturing folk against their will can get even the most cold and detached assassin down. What's everyone else drinking? "A glass of Merlot, garçon," you say as you make your way to the bar.
Hmm...but there's the target. And he's left his glass of red unattended. And you just happen to have a pellet of Emetic Rat Poison in your back pocket. Just as well you choked out that affluent party goer earlier, relieving him of his fancy threads, you think to yourself. Otherwise they might be onto you.
You pop the pellet in and, voila, a perfectly measured Agent 47 cocktail ready for consumption. Licensed to swill.
4. Feeling flush
Suddenly the target looks very unwell. Best follow him into the toilets to make sure he's alright, yeah? This is your doing, after all.
While he's blowing chunks into the pan, the thought of blowing a hole in the back of his head and letting his brains join in does cross your mind. But this is a classy affair and that sounds a bit crass. Maybe he could use a glass of water, you think to yourself as you hold his face into the vomit splattered toilet bowl until he utters his last desperate breath and his body goes limp.
At least he's stopped spewing. I think we're gonna need a bigger plunger...
5. Throwing the next one
When all else fails, there's something entirely satisfying about throwing things at people. Again, the standard practice of stealth and fiber wires and silencers is best advised in the majority of situations when killing folk on the fly; but knocking them unconscious by way of lobbing crowbars, fire extinguishers and priceless sculptures at their heads can on occasion work too.
And if it doesn't, again, it's bloody fun. Quite literally. They don't teach that one at the academy.
Hitman will infiltrate PS4, Xbox One and PC on March 11.
