Hitman: The Complete First Season is almost out at retail and we thought we’d take a look back at the game which released in an episodic format throughout 2016. Some episodes were amazing and some episodes were good, but the game lived up to the quality set by its predecessor, Hitman: Absolution. While the story might be convoluted and the ending not as satisfying, it’s still a lot of fun especially when it comes to uncovering the various modes for assassinating your targets.
Episode 1
I can safely say that Hitman is a great game that’s worth the price tag. It offers a great stealth-action experience and replayability. Hardcore fans can also get plenty of challenges by completing feats and achievements. I hope to see more epic content release soon and can’t wait to experience Morocco and Japan. You’re getting a proper high-quality experience and I definitely recommend this purchase.
Episode 2
The second episode of Hitman pushes the game to new heights. It features vast open world-like exploration, intelligence gathering, and best of all, beautiful scenery. If you liked the previous episode, you’ll love this one even more. I hope IO Interactive can top this because they’ve raised the bar considerably.
Episode 3
Episode 3 stays faithful to the quality standards of the previous episodes and has quite astonishing graphical improvements. However, the stealth required has also increased drastically, limiting possible creative playstyles. Nonetheless, it is still a great chapter that offers all you expect from a Hitman game.
Episode 4
This episode keeps up the trend of excellent Hitman adventures which, while becoming harder, are starting to tie the story together. The game is getting really interesting now and feels more optimized than ever before
Episode 5
Episode 5 felt like it was just there to set up the explosive season finale than provide a standalone mission everyone would enjoy. I realize that games have to set up how they’re going to end but they should still be self-contained. Hopefully the next episode ends on a bang.
Episode 6
The first season of Hitman is a great game overall. The thrill and excitement offered by stealth infiltration is immense. Additionally, the season finale is satisfying and hopefully Season 2 comes out soon. I don’t want to wait a long time for it. I’m hoping it’s out next year. Until then, I think I’m going to play through the entire season again from start to finish as that is a more cohesive experience because you follow the plot closely over the course of a few days instead of months.
As the season progressed, IO Interactive made improvements to the game engine so it ran smoothly. Maybe it’s just me but I also thought that the lighting in later episodes became even better than when the game first released. Hitman, despite some weak episodes here and there, is exactly what the franchise needed.
Summary
The appeal of Hitman lies in the fact that the game is all about finding new and creative ways to assassinate your targets. The story is great but it’s not as rich as other games. What’s on display here is just sheer creativity because there are numerous ways to take these dubious characters out. If you can dream it, you can probably do it. The first few episodes felt contained but the series blossomed as it went on. I hope Season 2 focuses on even more creativity but also enhances the story. That would be my perfect Hitman game.
Asher is a games journalist, former News Writer (Gaming) at Windows Central. They contributed 1110 articles to ICXM between 2015–2017, focused on opinion pieces, game reviews, Windows and PC, and Xbox news: wrote over 1,100 ICXM pieces on Xbox news, hardware reviews, and platform commentary before joining Future plc’s Windows Central in 2017.