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Hitman: Absolution has hardcore mode for masochists
Well, okay, you don't technically need to be a masochist, but a hardcore mode in Hitman Absolution, included specifically for veterans of the series, just may be a real blood-boiler. Producer Hakan Abrak told Eurogamer that the difficulty setting rewards methodical stealth play with Achievements and/or Trophies. "We will get into more details at a later point, but obviously it's linked to the playing style," he said. "It's more pacify your enemies, be undetected, maybe solve the challenges in a smarter way. That will probably give you a stealth assassin achievement." It might also give you an ulcer, depending on how many times you're forced to restart each mission. Abrak also hopes to silence critics who say Absolution ditches its stealth roots for the more action-packed gameplay we saw in the gameplay demo -- don't expect that, Abrak says. "Rest assured, the hardcore fans that like to have replayablity value in the game or want to have this stealth assassin -- you know, I'm the ultimate stealth assassin -- that playing style, those achievements, are very much in the game." For more info on Hitman Absolution, be sure to check out our preview from back in June.
Hitman: Absolution gameplay footage leaked
Footage from Hitman: Absolution's behind-closed-doors E3 demonstration has made its way to the internets. The video splices the trailer footage with the library scene gameplay mentioned in our preview. The gameplay footage is awkwardly played twice and -- trust us -- does the actual game no justice in terms of graphical fidelity. However, it does give a glimpse of the scene in which Agent 47 has to escape a library full of cops. The scene where he smashes the cop over the head with the statue is the more "stealth" approach, while in another scene you can see 47 taking a hostage to walk out of the place. Update: The gameplay footage appears to originate from a Danish news program that aired during E3. Thanks, Patrick. %Gallery-125879%
Hitman: Absolution trailer, screenshots require no forgiveness
All we can say is that whoever is playing as Agent 47 in the trailer is definitely not getting the "Silent Assassin" award at the end of the level. %Gallery-125879%
Hitman: Absolution preview: Stealth kills
The very first screen in the hands-off demo of Hitman: Absolution we saw at a pre-E3 event last month tells the story of what the fifth interation in this stealth assassin series is trying to be. The logo of the game appears over an extremely detailed window pane, with rain beating down on it from outside, and a blurry view of the Chicago skyline at night in the background. The image could easily just be mistaken for a menu screen -- in high definition view, it looks just plain gorgeous, like a live action piece of art. But as soon as the player presses start, you discover that it's actually an in-game shot. A body flies through the window, shattering the glass, and the camera pans down to reveal Agent 47, inside what appears to be a library of some kind, hiding in the dark from Chicago police. %Gallery-125693%
Hitman: Absolution screens sneak out of Russia
We've spotted Agent 47, and he's over at the Eidos forums, officially outed in Hitman: Absolution by one Eidos moderator known as "Acid Burn," a la Hackers. There are only two shots, unfortunately, but we've dropped them into a gallery below for your perusal.
Hitman: Absolution using 'Avatar' mo-cap tech, hollywood actors
Hollywood Reporter has managed to sneak in a few questions to IO Interactive game director Tore Blystad about the forthcoming Hitman: Absolution, and got an earful back about the development process. "We've designed a more stylized, more serious, and darker game this time around in both the story line and the visuals," Blystad told HR. Blystad also revealed that his studio employed Giant Studios for the game's motion capture -- the same studio that James Cameron used for Avatar -- and that Keith Carradine (Cowboys & Aliens) and Marsha Thomason (White Collar) will be voicing two main roles. Carradine is Agent 47's antagonist this time around, while Thomason will act as 47's handler. Blystad's betting that the theatrical approach his studio is taking to voice acting and motion capture will dovetail nicely into the next Hitman film. "The hope is that the movie will be going in a similar direction, and then when they both come out they will speak the same language," he said. In Absolution, Agent 47 finds himself on the run from police while simultaneously hunting "his most dangerous contract to date." As promised, more details will be revealed next month at E3.
Hitman: Absolution revealed in teaser trailer, next stop: E3
It wasn't much of a puzzle but we think we've finally got it all put together. Remember that Hitman ARG that culminated in the above screen? It's a grab from the game's teaser trailer, which developer IO Interactive just shared with the universe. And the game's official title? Yup, it's Hitman: Absolution, just like that trademark application hinted it would be. Lastly, if you're wondering when you're going to learn more about Agent 47's latest, we're going to guess that the highlighted "110706" in the bar code at the end of the teaser strongly suggests a June 7 reveal at this year's E3. Watch out! Update: Square Enix just shared the press release, which has a couple more details. Hitman: Absolution is being built "from the ground up" on IO's new (and proprietary!) "Glacier 2" tech. That tech is going to power "much-loved classic gameplay with completely new features never seen before in the Hitman franchise." To learn exactly what those new features will be, you'll have to wait until E3 where Square Enix says Absolution will be showcased "by invitation only." How exclusive!
'Hitman: Absolution' trademark filed by Square Enix
A trademark application for "Hitman: Absolution," submitted by Square Enix, is under review by OHIM, the European Union's trademark and designs registry. The filing has been classified under "video game software," indicating that it could be the title of the next Hitman game. Following years of shaky updates on the status of IO Interactive's fifth Hitman installment, a recent ARG pointed to an unveiling at E3 this June. If "Absolution" is indeed the name of the game, then expect to see Agent 47 finally wash all that blood off his hands. Wait -- he's been wearing gloves, hasn't he? Never mind. [Pictured: Image from the Hitman ARG]
Hitman ARG concludes with new Hitman image
When IO Interactive kicked off an ARG earlier this month for its Hitman series, all signs pointed to an E3 reveal of the long-rumored Hitman 5. Now that the gumshoe AR game has concluded, it seems downright obvious that said game will make its debut at this year's big LA gaming convention. The image you see above was unearthed by a group of mystery hitmen -- which is to say, "folks who secretly assassinate mysteries" -- and was confirmed by IO Interactive to be the final clue of the ARG. Outside of a few cursory words on the image, the IO Interactive rep didn't reveal much else, though he did say "an even more awesome follow-up" is being planned now that HitmanForum.com members have uncovered everything this ARG has to offer. As previously indicated, the ARG points to an E3 reveal of the next Hitman game.
Potential Hitman ARG suggests new announcement is coming in time for E3
Some subtle marketing suggests we'll be hearing about a new Hitman game soon. Well, okay, we have been hearing about it -- Hitman 5 isn't exactly a secret at this point, having been mentioned on IO Interactive resumes and namedropped by a voice actor. But things are heating up yet again, indicating a full-on reveal isn't far off. Some potential subtle marketing is the source of this latest uptick in attention, starting with an ad from Faircount Media Group in a catalog at the Sundance Film Festival depicting a box of Hitman Series brand doughnuts with a bardcode ending in "47." When a Hitman Forum user tracked down the agency responsible for the ad and emailed them, he received a response from an account saying "you are on the right track," along with a new image showing a pair of black gloves, what appears to be a game script, and another barcode ending in "47." Forum users claim some of the random numbers, when deciphered, point to E3. Add in the vague responses from an actual IO Interactive employee on the Hitman Forum boards (Nick@IO is his user name) and it would appear we've got the makings of an ARG -- that is, unless it's all just one big, very mean conspiracy.
Hitman 5 mentioned on a few IO Interactive resumes
If you were unsatisfied by voice actor David Bateson's kind-of-but-not-really confirmation that a new installment of the Hitman franchise was in the works, perhaps you'll be won over by some additional, recently uncovered evidence. IO Interactive's Rasmus Hoejengaard, Damien Simper and Theo Engell-Nielsen all listed Hitman 5 on their LinkedIn resumes, the latter of which includes a 2011 launch window for the unannounced title. We're not sure what stronger evidence we could find for the project's existence, aside from, like, time traveling into the future and bringing back a finished copy of the game. Can anyone get on that?
Agent 47 voice actor pleads the 5th on Hitman 5
In an interview with The Liberty Gaming.com, David Bateson, the ice cold voice of Agent 47 in the Hitman games, was reluctant to say much about the mysterious next sequel in the series. "As recently as this year, I even had someone call me up from IO Interactive to ask me to remove the fact that I was set to record the next installment in the franchise," Bateson told the site, "which I had written up as upcoming news on my website. I respect that of course, a comment like that can create all sorts of headaches to people with development deadlines to meet." "I have to plead the 5th Amendment on this one," Bateson said, before admitting that the new project has undergone "delays" -- despite the process being "a well oiled machine on recording day." That's not to say he just waltzed into the gig. "It seems that with company buy outs and global power shifts in the world of computer gaming and the Hitman franchise, there is now an LA-based caster on board, who is responsible for voice casting, and I had to audition along with the rest of the planet for the right to play Agent 47," Bateson recounted. "However, I have been informed by IO Interactive that I still have the part. I won't even bother to describe how gutted I would have been if they went for a sound-a-like."
Rocksteady 'not involved' in the development of Hitman 5
Despite the recently discovered resume indicating that Batman: Arkham Asylum developer Rocksteady Studios may be working on a game titled Hitman5 (yes, without a space), Eidos "Life President" Ian Livingstone flat out denies the possibility. Talking to Prey's World Gaming Magazine, Livingstone said, "Hitman always has been and always will be IO Interactive's baby, which it still continues to be so." Worried about miswording in that? He followed up with, "Rocksteady are not involved with the development of Hitman 5." All that said, we do know that some version of Hitman is on the way, as Livingstone has confirmed as such in the past and Rocksteady is currently hiring a few positions to produce a "AAA titile on the next generation platforms." It appears as though the two are unrelated though, at least for now. Meanwhile, IO Interactive is currently wrapping up development of Mini Ninjas for a September release -- and then the studio can get to work on the next Hitman game in earnest, eh? (Please?)[Via Blue's News]
Actor's resume lists Rocksteady-developed 'Hitman5'
According to the resume of actor Mark Sloan, Rocksteady Studios – the London-based developer behind Batman: Arkham Asylum – is bringing its British sensibilities to the next Hitman game, titled, well, Hitman5. Sloan's resume indicates that he performed motion capture work for the game. Both of Rocksteady's other games, Urban Chaos: Riot Response and Batman: Arkham Asylum, have been for publisher (and partial owner) Eidos, so it isn't much of a stretch to believe that the developer would get a crack at a major Eidos property like Hitman. Presumably, series developer IO Interactive has its hands full with the Kane & Lynch sequel and Mini Ninjas. What's harder to believe is that the same Mark Sloan is responsible for the "Soft Mark," "Pushy Mark," "Chatty Mark," and "Menacing Mark" audio performances in the resume. Such range! [Thanks, Garret!]
Livingstone: Kane & Lynch 2 aimed for Sept., more Hitman, Tomb Raider en route
In Mumbai for the Golden Cursor Animation Awards, recently appointed Eidos "life president" Ian Livingstone sat down with the folks at GamingIndians and spilled a full bag of beans. Unsurprisingly, he says the Square Enix acquisition was "a great deal in many ways" and that the various Eidos development studios would remain largely independent. "It's great news for the brand and for the people," he says. And also, apparently, great for sequels, as Livingstone confirms work on the next Hitman game, a sequel to Kane & Lynch currently targeted for a September release date and -- big shock! -- a re-imagining of Lara Croft and the Tomb Raider series. "The next Tomb Raider, I think, will surprise a lot of people and reinvigorate the franchise," Livingstone notes, stressing the relevance of game characters in mainstream media these days. Incidentally, he more than intimates that Eidos Montreal is working on Thief 4, though now we know that to be a fact -- the "worst kept secret in the industry," in fact.
