E3: Hitman: Absolution

[timeadept]

Premonition skill sounds like handholding, A.K.A. The Devil. Each to his own, but I'm not a fan, and probably won't use it.

The only way they could make that interesting for me, is if the Premonition skill lie, and more so on harder difficulties.

Anyway Hitman! I'm keen!

Captcha: Stalking of the tv, ffistia? What?

The Instinct skill sounds like a useful tool for getting newbies into the game. The skill sounds like it highlights exactly what you can interact with. This allows the environments to look and feel more natural by not needing to highlight items or points of interest at all times. Also it allows the environments to be cluttered by a lot of useless stuff, without the fear that the player will become lost in all the clutter. Not to mention that the stealth genera has not exactly been in the foreground in recent years and so there are probably a lot of people who are very unfamiliar with stealth type gameplay. I would have never known that the Hitman or Thief games existed if I hadn't been listening to Yhatzee drool over them for so long.

In any case, a skill that predicts the AI movements for you is very useful for new comers who may not yet be in the right mindset for the game or have not developed that skill before. Not to mention there may be environments where there are a great number of possible patrol paths, so instead of making the player learn them through trial and error, they can more easily predict them and make the game move more smoothly. Now that I mention it, this skill allows for the AI to take a more randomized and unpredictable path. Now the game isn't so much about learning the level as it is navigating in a truly unpredictable environment.

I bet that the longer you play the game the less you need the skill, as you start to learn what parts of the environment are important and which aren't. I would think of it as an extended tutorial personally. You can call it hand holding if you want, but I wouldn't go so far as to call it evil. The question is, will they use this skill to make the environments more unpredictable, or will it only serve as an extended tutorial.

I just can't understand the mindset that looks down on someone for needing help.

*EDIT* Btw, any game that can get more people interested in actual stealth gameplay is good in my book (as opposed to this psudo-stealth of Splintercell convictions and Assassin's Creed).

 

[AfroTree]

I hope you don't have to kill a lot of people in this game. I liked the earlier ones where it was more rewarding to kill as few people as possible than killing 8 cops to get to your target.

I'm fairly sure I've completed Hitman 2 without killing anyone other than the targets. The same goes for Blood Money and possibly Contracts. If Absolutions force me to kill anyone that is not the target I will forever curse the game. And I mean that in all seriousness. I will curse the game if it forces my hand. Like I curse that black memory that is the new Splinter Cell game.

So I'm rather worried that Absolutions will be a terrible game. Cover mechanics and guidance systems certainly makes it seem very very bad.

..did you knock them out at least?

OT; I just hope it works suitably and doesn't detract from the game..

but well see when it comes out, or if they release a public demo..

 

[The_Puppy_Prince]

Really looking forward to this game. "Instinct mode" is just one more thing nearly every game does after Batman: Arkham Asylum, but I'm cool with it if it is coompletely optional.

Wonder if its gonna be the new Bullettime

 

[Animyr]

Blood money had wonky shooting and dull hand to hand combat, but other than that it was perfect. I play it over and over.

Fix those, throw in better graphics and refineit and this is going to be out of the ball park.

 

[ChromeAlchemist]

-snip-

Well the reason this mindset exists, is simple. Old-school gamers versus new-school gamers. In the first Hitman game, I played it and screamed at the difficulty of it all, but when I finished it I got a serious sense of accomplishment afterward. I was also quite young at the time, and I remember having to restart quite a lot.

This mindset is shared by a large number of people who grew up on 2D platformers and older games that gave you no help whatsoever and revolved around trial-and-error, and when they look at new games, they just think that such hand-holding just isn't needed, because gamers will figure it out eventually.

So basically "we never had it before, and we were fine. Why is it needed now?" is how people like me think. I've no problem with people needing help, I just have an issue with it in the game I'm playing. Selfish? Definitely, but that's how it is.

Plus, it just perpetuates the whole "games are getting easier" belief. I feel like there could be better ways to help the player if the Premonition skill isn't taken into account with the level design.

What you said about the potential of unpredictability is true, but I wonder if they thought of that? Or if they just thought they'd create a bridge mechanic for inexperienced players to use?

 

[The Night Shade]

Looks awesome i need to try this

 

[YOUM@D123]

more like hitman: absolutley ..ugh too I've been reading too many hankman posts

OT: ive played and beaten all 4 so im very excited for this one