HITMAN

Just a few years ago, it was hard to believe that the episodic format of games could gain such widespread popularity among the gaming audience. At first glance, it may seem strange: what is so special about these projects? At their core, they are quests divided into small, easily digestible chapters. However, even more surprising is the fact that this approach has been applied to a variety of game genres – from budget indie experiments to big-budget AAA hits. A real pioneer in this direction was HITMAN, first presented in this format in 2016.

In March, I already shared my opinion on the first episode, and then it made a very strong impression on me. Now it’s time to return to the rest of the game to fully consider how successfully the episodic approach was implemented. It is important to understand whether it improved the overall gaming experience and whether it really turned out to be a strategically important decision for the success of the entire series.

HITMAN Free Steam Account

I previously noted in my March review that this new installment serves as a continuation of the beloved series. The storyline unfolds 20 years after Agent 47 officially joined the Agency, marking a significant passage of time. All the events from previous games have already transpired, but if you were hoping for a direct sequel to Absolution, those occurrences remain unaddressed and shrouded in mystery.

Indeed, HITMAN (2016) introduces an intriguing new narrative that, interestingly, has ties to Agent 47’s past. A shadowy figure emerges, initiating a relentless hunt for targets connected to a mysterious organization. This enigmatic antagonist cleverly employs the Agency and 47 to eliminate loose ends and deal with those he cannot personally reach. While that’s about all I can reveal regarding the plot of the first season without delving into spoilers, it’s worth noting that the developers hinted at the idea that “this is just the beginning” before the release of the final episodes. And they were absolutely correct—by the time the credits roll, it feels like merely the beginning of a much larger story, almost akin to watching just the first act of an engaging film. While this isn’t necessarily a major drawback—after all, players don’t typically engage with Hitman solely for its narrative depth—after waiting seven months for new content, a more complete and satisfying experience would have been greatly appreciated. The anticipation built over time made many players hope for a richer, more conclusive storyline to sink their teeth into.

The game’s story is primarily expressed through a series of short CGI cutscenes. The directing and dialogue are quite amazing, giving the story a cinematic feel, although the animation quality needs to be improved significantly to match the overall atmosphere. Counting gameplay, not much has changed since March. The cloaking system works effectively, allowing the player to blend into the environment, and all of Absolution’s gameplay mechanics feel seamlessly integrated into the gameplay. During this period, the developers focused primarily on eliminating AI quirks and refining the user interface. This makes it easier for players to determine which weapons are banned and which are allowed. However, the interface makes it clear that certain interactions with certain items should not be suspected, especially if you’re playing as a waiter or other character in a similar role. One notable drawback is the lack of familiar features from previous series, such as the iconic briefcase and the ability to hide items inside portable items such as shopping baskets.

At times, the game presents unique opportunities that require direct engagement with the target. Occasionally, you may find yourself stepping into rather unconventional roles, which not every assassin is equipped to handle effectively.

The AI (Artificial Intelligence) has been refined as much as possible over time. In the early stages, particularly in the first episode, it was quite buggy and often frustrating (for instance, it could witness a murder while being on the opposite side of the map). Additionally, it had clear vulnerabilities, such as the ability to easily smuggle weapons past searches by simply picking them up nearby afterward, which undermined the tension. Now, the AI behaves more rigorously and has resolved many of those bugs, creating a more immersive experience. At least, I haven’t spotted any further AI glitches in my recent gameplay sessions, which significantly enhances the overall enjoyment of the game.

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Why HITMAN 2016 Levels Are Both Delightful and Frustrated

“There’s definitely no one visible from this window.”

The game’s locations stand out as one of its greatest features, adding depth and immersion to the experience. In the first season, players can explore six unique and beautifully crafted settings, not including the training levels: a grand mansion in Paris, a quaint town in Sapienza, a vibrant market in Marrakech, a luxurious hotel in Bangkok, a rustic farm in Colorado, and a serene wellness resort nestled in Hokkaido. Each area is thoughtfully designed, intricately structured, and filled with impressive details that invite exploration. Wherever you wander, there’s always something special and, crucially, beneficial to discover, enhancing the gameplay experience. Screenshots fail to convey the true beauty and atmosphere of these meticulously crafted locations. Sadly, the PC optimization remains at a rather average level, if not worse than before. Gamers often find themselves having to compromise on visual fidelity to achieve a smoother frame rate, which can detract from the overall enjoyment of the game.

Nonetheless, while the mansion represents a unique aspect for the game and feels somewhat fresh compared to the overall series, starting with “Sapienza,” the locations began to resemble a compilation of the best levels from earlier titles. For instance, the wellness center is easily recognizable as a private clinic from “Blood Money” (with Agent Smith appearing in person), and one of the assassination methods is a direct homage to the iconic “Traditions of the Trade” level from “Codename 47.” This trend is evident throughout all the game’s locations. I’m not suggesting this is a negative aspect; personally, I find myself missing the nostalgia of those earlier times. It would simply be wonderful if the levels exhibited a bit more individuality and character, making each one feel distinct and memorable. Each location features its own starting outfit, which is an intriguing choice that adds a layer of realism to the gameplay experience. After all, if you’re going to blend in with the crowd, it certainly shouldn’t be in a formal funeral outfit. Now, I’d like to delve into the episodic system that the game employs. I intentionally refrained from discussing the number of assassination methods available in each location, their sizes, or the count of NPCs present. All these elements are intricately linked to how the game was developed and ultimately released, influencing the overall player experience and engagement with the world.

The episodic format gave me valuable insight: HITMAN (2016) is, without a doubt, a project with a limited budget. With the release of each subsequent episode, it became increasingly clear that this decision was dictated not only by creative, but also by financial considerations. Let’s consider a key aspect – the scale of the game’s locations. Paris, Sapienza and Marrakesh stand out from the rest not only for their detail, but also for their architectural complexity. A logical question arises: why are these levels so ambitious? It is logical to assume that these locations were completed (or at least are in the final stages of development) even before the official release of the game in March 2016. Later, they were supplemented only with details and polish. This is evidenced, for example, by the fact that Sapienza was demonstrated in promotional materials long before the start of sales. In contrast, it feels like the rest of the missions were developed after the release of the first episode, which inevitably affected their scale and structural complexity.

Of course, the conceptual specificity of the level also affects its limitations. For example, a mission on a farm, a significant part of which is occupied by fields, is a priori less eventful and less interactive than city levels. However, this does not cancel out the initial promises of the developers: they were talking about large, living locations filled with hundreds of NPCs (around 300 people). Unfortunately, the format with a phased release of content, apparently, dictated other conditions. As a result, players received a more intimate experience than was originally intended.

The content available in the various locations (challenges, opportunities, and methods for eliminating targets) is disappointingly sparse. Take the farm, for instance; the developers promoted it as the most challenging level in the game, featuring four targets! Naturally, when you hear “four targets,” you expect a diverse range of unique elimination methods for each one (excluding standard weapon kills) that would be comparable to those available for individual targets in other locations. In practice, however, each of these four victims offers only about 5-6 unconventional methods, or sometimes even fewer, which is quite amusing and somewhat frustrating. The situation is no better in other locations, either. While these methods might not lack creativity, it would be great to see a broader variety. The locations that truly stand out in terms of content richness are undoubtedly Paris and Sapienza, where players can explore more engaging and varied gameplay experiences.

The mission “House on the Sand,” which is one of the two extra episodes that launched in July, turned out to be significantly better than the story mission “Golden Cage” set in the same environment. However, there’s even less variability in this mission. This emphasizes that it’s not just about how much content there is, but rather the quality of that content; still, I can’t help but wish there was more of that kind of quality to appreciate. Now, let’s take a moment to explore the smaller details that significantly influence the atmosphere and more clearly reveal the budget constraints of the game.

NPC voice acting

Wherever Agent 47 goes, he invariably encounters English-speaking residents who are eager to engage with him. In Episode 6, the developers masterfully played up this moment: one of the NPCs explains that a significant number of people from the West live in this complex. However, this explanation does not apply to other regions presented in the game. For example, in Marrakesh, walking through the bustle of the market, it is easy to notice that most of the characters speak English freely – with amazing fluency and almost without an accent. Even more surprising is that the locals often communicate in English among themselves, creating a sense of a common linguistic space. A similar phenomenon is observed in Sapienza, Bangkok, and Paris, where English serves as a kind of communicative bridge between the various characters.

No license for a weapon

In the latest installment of the game, players will find that there isn’t a single licensed firearm in sight. All the weapons are either entirely fictional creations of the developers that only vaguely resemble real-life prototypes, or they share a likeness but go by entirely different names. This choice somewhat diminishes the immersive experience of the game as part of the beloved series. In previous titles, every weapon was named and designed to closely reflect its real-world counterpart. The MP5 was always an MP5, the M4 was an M4, and the WA2000 was recognized as a WA2000. But in HITMAN (2016), the WA2000 has been rebranded as the Sieger 300, which feels like a missed opportunity for authenticity. Moreover, the developers seem to lack originality when it comes to weapon designs. Most of the unlockable guns are simply variations of the same models, featuring only slight modifications in attributes. The assortment of explosives in the game, which often differ only in their appearance, raises eyebrows. It almost invites a quote from “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” to capture the absurdity of it all.

Music

“There are definitely no three identical machine guns or sniper rifles here.”

Back in March, I pointed out that the music for the game was crafted by some unknown artists, who merely fulfilled their basic requirements. Unfortunately, nothing has changed since then! In fact, the soundtrack in nearly every area sounds repetitive and fails to capture the game’s overall vibe and emotional depth. Where are you, Jesper Kyd, when we need your talent the most? It’s truly disheartening when a song created specifically for the game outshines the actual soundtrack. This situation feels like a missed opportunity for something special. Honestly, it’s all quite sad. Square Enix appears to have allocated minimal resources for this project, and they imposed tight deadlines on the developers—one episode each month, which seems quite rushed.

If the game had launched as originally intended, rolling out new locations as they were completed, and featuring at least Paris and Sapienza (which, believe me, would offer plenty of content for countless hours of gameplay), we might have seen a different outcome. Instead of just having the “best Hitman,” we could have experienced a new standard for the entire series, setting the bar higher for future installments and leaving a lasting impression on fans.

Indeed, I stand by my statement—this is undeniably the finest Hitman game out there. It seamlessly integrates the best features from earlier titles, enhancing the disguise mechanics and significantly increasing the variety of ways to eliminate targets (even the farm stage offers more options than Absolution). Almost all the criticisms mentioned fade into the background when you consider the incredible detail present in every location, the diversity and creativity of various assassination methods, and the overall enjoyment of gameplay. I can’t wait for the next season to drop. While it’s in development, there will still be plenty to engage with in the game. I briefly mentioned “Escalations” and “Contracts” in my March review, so I won’t repeat myself (there’s little more to add in that regard). However, I hadn’t yet had the chance to experience the most thrilling aspect—“Elusive Targets.” This unique contract is available for a limited time and allows players to take out a specific target that hasn’t appeared in those locations before, adding a layer of excitement and urgency to the gameplay.

The intriguing aspect is that if a player fails a contract—whether by dying or missing their target—they won’t have the chance to retry. This creates a high-stakes environment that keeps players on their toes. Additionally, the target must be located independently; it won’t be highlighted on the map or in “Instinct” mode, which adds to the challenge. This lack of guidance elevates the thrill of completing the contract. Some players go beyond merely finishing contracts; they strive for a “Silent Assassin” rating, which is quite difficult when you have almost just one shot (you can restart the contract, but only while both you and the target are still alive). Unlocking certain outfits from earlier games requires taking down a specific number of these targets, giving players extra motivation to engage deeply with the game.

That wraps up my review of this exciting experience.

My score for the game is a solid “8/10.”
According to Stopgame’s rating scale, I’d say it’s “Incredible.”

For anyone who missed my review of the first episode, here it is, and I hope it helps you decide whether to dive in!

“This is my personal opinion, and it may vary significantly from yours, as everyone has unique tastes in gaming.”

HITMAN System Requirements

To run Hitman properly and avoid frustration, your system must have at least 8 GB of RAM and about 50 GB of free space on your hard drive. While the game can technically start with an older graphics card like the GeForce GTX 660, it’s far from ideal—developers actually recommend going with the GeForce GTX 770 for a much smoother, more visually rich experience. As for the processor, the minimum is a Core i5-2500K, but if you’re serious about bumping up those settings and keeping the frame rate steady during intense action, you’ll definitely want to go for something more powerful, like the Core i7-3770 or a newer chip.

How to play Hitman for free on Steam via VpeSports

Want to get into the role of a perfect assassin, infiltrate closed events, change appearances, arrange “accidents” and eliminate targets so that no one even knows you were there – and all without paying a penny? Great news: now you can play HITMAN completely free. No piracy, no risks – just you, 47, and the perfect crime.

On the VpeSports website, you can get access to a Free Steam account with HITMAN, and it really works. All you need to do is go through a simple registration, go to a special section with free Steam games and find HITMAN in the list. Then – a download button and detailed step-by-step instructions. In just a few minutes, you enter the operation zone, study the behavior of the guards, develop a plan and get to work.

If you get hooked (and it will definitely be – a rare game gives so much freedom in approach), be sure to leave a review. It will help others evaluate the game, and will open a bonus for you: after moderating the comment, you will receive a login and password by e-mail. Didn’t work the first time? No problem – correct the text according to the hint and send again.

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