Hitman's November Update Brings Offline Profile, More

[Lizzy Finnegan]

Hitman's November Update Brings Offline Profile, More

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IO has detailed a new mandatory Hitman update, which brings with it offline profiles, display changes, and more.

Developer IO detailed in a post today [https://hitman.com/en-us/updates/november-update-release-notes#] a mandatory Hitman update. This is "the first of a series of planned major game updates that will add new content and improvements" prior to the physical disc release on January 31, 2017.

The most notable change is the addition of an offline profile, which lets players take unlockable items earned online into the game's offline mode. You will still have to be connected to the servers in order to unlock new items, though.

The update goes live today, and will have an expected download sizeof 2.4GB on PS4, 13.6GB on Xbox One and 2.1GB on PC.

You can check out some of the more notable changes below, or read the full list of changes and fixes here [https://hitman.com/en-us/updates/november-update-release-notes#].

Offline Profile
All unlockable items that are earned when connected to the game's servers, are now also saved to an 'offline profile', meaning that they can be used when in Offline Mode.
Items include all mastery items; including weapons, gear, starting/pickup locations as well as Elusive Target suit rewards and Challenge Pack unlocks.
Note: You must be connected to the game servers in order to acquire new unlocks.

Opportunity Completion Checkmark
We've added functionality to mark an opportunity with a checkmark when it has been successfully completed, similar to how we show that a challenge has been completed.
This will show you the completed opportunities at-a-glance and make it easier to track completion when trying to achieve the achievements/trophies linked to opportunities.

Silent Assassin Rating Display
The scoring screen now displays "Silent Assassin" when a player completes a mission with that rating.

Major Update to Statistics Page
The 'Statistics' page has been overhauled with a new visual design that displays the challenge completion, mastery level completion and overall location completion.

Contracts Mode 'Success State'
After playing a Contract, the menu will now show either a checkmark (complete) or a cross (fail) to show your status for the Contract.

Improved consistency for Elusive Targets Challenge Images
The Elusive Targets Challenges now have a more consistent style.

Pull an Enemy
In this update, we've added the ability for 47 to pull people over balconies or out of windows, when he is hanging on a ledge or below the balcony/window.
Unfortunately, there is a known issue for this move: NPC's that see this move will not blame 47, even if they are looking directly at the NPC or at 47.
For that reason, we will remove this ability with our December Update and fix this. It will then be re-introduced with a game update in January, around the same time as the disc release.

Permalink

 

[Saelune]

Got to love updates that add stuff that used to be a feature in the series already.

 

[sephthewind]

Pull an Enemy
In this update, we've added the ability for 47 to pull people over balconies or out of windows, when he is hanging on a ledge or below the balcony/window.
Unfortunately, there is a known issue for this move: NPC's that see this move will not blame 47, even if they are looking directly at the NPC or at 47.
For that reason, we will remove this ability with our December Update and fix this. It will then be re-introduced with a game update in January, around the same time as the disc release.

Am I reading this right? They're goin' forward with introducing a broken feature this patch, only to remove it in the next patch, so they can hopefully get it working to reintroduce it in the patch after that? Thanks, Square Enix.
(EDIT: I guess on second thought this is probably another symptom of the difficulties of getting your patches approved on consoles that I seem to keep hearing about recently, huh?)

Anyway I haven't touched this game since the first chapter, though it's on that steam autumn sale so maybe now's as good a time as any to get back into it.

 

[gigastar]

Am I reading this right? They're goin' forward with introducing a broken feature this patch, only to remove it in the next patch, so they can hopefully get it working to reintroduce it in the patch after that? Thanks, Square Enix.

Well remember theese are the same people that put always online DRM on a singleplayer title...

(EDIT: I guess on second thought this is probably another symptom of the difficulties of getting your patches approved on consoles that I seem to keep hearing about recently, huh?)

Actually if Warframe is any indication then cert on consoles only takes a couple of (buisness) days.

I guess IO doesnt think its an urgent issue and wont shell out for a another cert before they plan to submit thier next cert anyway.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

I'm still waiting for the complete version. Until that is released I won't even try to treat this as anything other than a sneaky Early Access game.

 

[josemlopes]

I'm still waiting for the complete version. Until that is released I won't even try to treat this as anything other than a sneaky Early Access game.

At least treat it as a good one.

 

[gigastar]

I'm still waiting for the complete version. Until that is released I won't even try to treat this as anything other than a sneaky Early Access game.

At least treat it as a good one.

It can be the best peice of the best greatness ever.

Doesnt change that its only a peice.

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

Remember, they're calling this "season 1" ...the fun never has to stop with the slicing and dicing of content in squeenix land. Am still unsure how many of these levels or "episodes" will be in the disc release, if they think they're charging full retail AAA price for 7 levels in the guise of a complete game, then my stealth addiction will have to be indulged elsewhere where the kool aid doesn't taste like the bellowing cackles of smug CEOs.
Also, that online problem with not allowing a save to work offline and vice-versa is unnecessary bullshit! Stop ruining your IPs for greed and illusions of control, squeenix.

 

[Lillowh]

So much hatred in here. This is cool to hear, though yeah the inability to unlock stuff offline is still a bummer.

It can be the best peice of the best greatness ever.

Doesnt change that its only a peice.

I'm still waiting for the complete version. Until that is released I won't even try to treat this as anything other than a sneaky Early Access game.

The complete version is out. The thing you can buy right now is it. It has all 7 environments with the 2 remixed (one pretty drastically) environments. It was early access for sure, as they tweaked AI, UI, etc. but it has allowed it to become vastly improved over launch based on ability to communicate during development. It's a game that has gone from "eh" to "Great" over the past year and delivered a more complete Hitman experience that easily rivals Blood Money, if not surpasses.

Remember, they're calling this "season 1" ...the fun never has to stop with the slicing and dicing of content in squeenix land. Am still unsure how many of these levels or "episodes" will be in the disc release, if they think they're charging full retail AAA price for 7 levels in the guise of a complete game, then my stealth addiction will have to be indulged elsewhere where the kool aid doesn't taste like the bellowing cackles of smug CEOs.
Also, that online problem with not allowing a save to work offline and vice-versa is unnecessary bullshit! Stop ruining your IPs for greed and illusions of control, squeenix.

Remember, this was originally called "The Full Experience" because that's what it actually is now that it's all finished. Far more full than other titles squeenix has stealthily diced up. As someone who beat Human Revolution upwards of 6 times, Mankind Divided reeks of it and is so unfulfilling that I haven't done a second play-through as much as it pains me to say. However, Mankind Divided this is not.

The only reason for the title change is because this did well enough to warrant them being funded to make more, and why throw out this new engine and framework when instead you can build a second game directly on top of it, and keep full compatibility of unlocks. You can EASILY put 20 hours into this game, especially if you enjoy using creative thinking and careful observation to attempt to figure out how to complete certain kills to unlock more gadgets. I put in 44 just doing SASO, Sniper Assassin, and reach full unlocks. 7 levels seems paltry compared to Blood Money's 13 (though 1 was just a guided tutorial and Requiem isn't really a mission, so more like 11), but the sheer size, scope, and amount of stuff to do in HITMAN far eclipses those missions. Trust me, for as weird as the episodic decision seems, like I said above, it has greatly improved the quality of the game and is easily worth the full price, especially compared to the amount of games that came out this year that really weren't.

 

[Kahani]

A mandatory update for a game with a functional offline mode? How exactly do they plan on enforcing that?

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

Remember, this was originally called "The Full Experience" because that's what it actually is now that it's all finished. Far more full than other titles squeenix has stealthily diced up. As someone who beat Human Revolution upwards of 6 times, Mankind Divided reeks of it and is so unfulfilling that I haven't done a second play-through as much as it pains me to say. However, Mankind Divided this is not.

The only reason for the title change is because this did well enough to warrant them being funded to make more, and why throw out this new engine and framework when instead you can build a second game directly on top of it, and keep full compatibility of unlocks. You can EASILY put 20 hours into this game, especially if you enjoy using creative thinking and careful observation to attempt to figure out how to complete certain kills to unlock more gadgets. I put in 44 just doing SASO, Sniper Assassin, and reach full unlocks. 7 levels seems paltry compared to Blood Money's 13 (though 1 was just a guided tutorial and Requiem isn't really a mission, so more like 11), but the sheer size, scope, and amount of stuff to do in HITMAN far eclipses those missions. Trust me, for as weird as the episodic decision seems, like I said above, it has greatly improved the quality of the game and is easily worth the full price, especially compared to the amount of games that came out this year that really weren't.

No doubt the developers have done a great job and created some good Hitmanning material, it has always been high up on my list of favourable IPs along with Deus Ex, Just Cause etc etc. It's merely the way the producers seem to crap all over that hard work with "innovative" business practices that seem to be obliviously disrespectful of the medium. It's difficult to put any faith in modern Squeenix to not push as far as they can with optimising profit at the expense of developer's artistic vision. I will eventually get round to trying it though, when there is more disposable income and time. But am very cautious with what business practices are worth rewarding, no matter how enticingly the stealthy carrot of stabbing beckons.