Hitman Episode 1: Paris Review

The Verdict

While we've generally strayed from reviewing individual episodes of games here at GameZone, Hitman's approach to the episodic format is quite different. Since there is very little story to tell, and rather a whole lot of experimental gameplay that rewards multiple playthroughs, Hitman gets a pass on this.

While I can't say that I fully agree with the episodic nature, as I'm eager to see the new levels, I can sort of understand the developers thoughts on this. Since each level was so carefully crafted to offer players a multitude of assassination choices, it would be a shame for players to beat the level once and move on to the next, without fully appreciating all of that. Also, since there are seven episodes in total, with one releasing each month, that means Hitman will be on gamers minds for the next six months. Taking those reasons into account, it makes this odd episodic release a lot more palatable.

Better yet, if you're unsure of whether you'll actually like how Hitman plays, you can always just opt to buy the Paris episode for $15, which certainly offers enough gameplay to warrant that price, and then decide to upgrade to the full game, or just purchase levels a la carte.

The Positives

• Absolution's DNA is certainly visible almost immediately. Hitman controls just as fluidly as he did in that game, and the overall approach to completing levels remains the same; Giving players a buffet of choices of how to dispose of their target.

• This is evident right from the Tutorial missions, though on a somewhat smaller scale. The game holds your hand on your first try, but then tells you to complete the mission again, but this time try to dispose of your target a different way. Sure, I could have once again waited for an opportunity to unload my silenced handgun into his skull, but I opted for something a little more creative. After multiple disguises, I was able to end up on the ship's top roof. After quietly disposing of the patroling cop and then nabbing his uniform, I used a crowbar to loosen this heavy wooden structure while my target was unknowingly standing under it.

• The second tutorial, which was an actual level this time, introduces Opportunities, which are secondary ways to dispose of your target, based on performing particular tasks. In this case, I had to tamper with a jet's ejection seat, and then put my target through a safety check, only to have him activate his ejector seat by "accident."

• Paris on the other hand, at least compared to the two Tutorial levels, feels like a true playground of sorts. It can almost feel overwhelming when you first enter the glitzy mansion, and your head is already processing multiple different angles to eliminate both targets. This is where I realized that IO Interactive has succeeded.

• Because of its rather large size, Paris gives players a ton of different options, many of which are easier to pull off on subsequent playthroughs. What this means is that as you play through the game, you'll unlock different starting outfits as well as starting positions in the level. These variables then completely change up the way the level is approached.

• The UI is also extremely simple, and yet very effective. With the touch of the d-pad, you can scroll through all the items you own or have picked up, and then either put them away by pressing up, or put them down by pressing down. Simple and effective.

• Hitman's super vision is back once again, allowing players to see their targets outlined in the level, wherever they may be, which is a helpful tool especially in the Paris level, since it's so large and populated.

• I tip my hat to IO Interactive for also including a Locked and Unlocked framerate option in the game, as more games would certainly benefit from this. While I do love a game in 60fps, Hitman can't unfortunately hold up to the task, especially not in Paris when hundreds of NPCs are present. Thankfully the Locked option fixes this as it presents the game at a steady 30fps.

• Contracts Mode is a great way to return to levels once again, and will probably be even more so when they're all released. This mode allows players to pick their targets with certain presets, and then share their creations with other players online. Given that Paris is already loaded with NPCs, players have a wide variety to pick from, and I can only hope that the future levels offer this kind of variety as well.

The Negatives

• I only got to play Hitman on the PS4, so I'm unsure of how other consoles perform, but the loading times can be rather long, which is especially disappointing when you want to reload a save because you either messed up or want to try a different approach.

• The story is rather lackluster. While you probably won't be playing the game for it, it's still disappointing that a better narrative can't be found here.

I can't say that I've been a huge Hitman fan since day one. In fact, it wasn't until 2012's Hitman Absolution, that I really started to pay attention to the games, and really understanding what it's about. It's actually thanks to Absolution that I appreciated what the current Hitman game is setting out to do.

Instead of a fully fledged game right at the beginning, it's instead split up into episodes, much like the current trend of adventure games such as the ones from Telltale, or Life is Strange. Unlike those games though, it's not really structured like a narrative, but instead, each "episode" is essentially giving players a level, or a playground so to speak, to let loose their creative killing side shine. It's an odd choice for a game like this, but I certainly don't mind IO Interactive and Square Enix's willingness to experiment this way.

So with that said, let's take a look at what Hitman does well, where it falls flat, and our final verdict.