Hakan Abrak from IO, developers behind the widely popular Hitman franchise has recently come out to reassure players that their favourite assassin simulator will still contain all the player choice and separate routes which many enjoy the game for.
When Hitman: Absolution gameplay was shown off at this years E3 some fans noticed that the emphasis seemed to be on third-person action rather than the meticulous subterfuge that the franchise has made its name for. One of those people? Then cease your worries! Speaking to Eurogamer, Hakan Abrak the lead designer on the game said that the “hardcore gamer” would “definitely” be happy with the games stealth and famed player freedom.
Speaking about the tweaks between Absolution and past Hitman games, Abrak said “We want to emphasise on the core of our franchise, which is the freedom of choice. In the earlier games you would be dropped in the middle of a level and you would go round and explore how to solve the different obstructions and challenges in the game,” he said. “You still have that choice. To one challenge, there are several ways of overcoming it, with different play styles. It was important for us to make those choices clearer.” he added.
This wouldn’t be the first time a developer has revealed their game to the public only to later say that the footage shown was not indicative of the overall experience. You may remember seeing the distinctly on-rails footage of Fable: The Journey and the fan backlash at that. It does make me wonder why a developer – who is intimately familiar with the game they’re creating – would botch the public reveal of their product by supplying us with footage that doesn’t do justice to the games strength.
I’m a fan of the Hitman series and I enjoy it because it’s almost puzzle-like in its levels. I wouldn’t want to see it become a glorified third-person action game either so I’m happy, if a bit hesitant, to take Abrak at his word here.
Hitman: Absolution is penned in for a vague 2012 release date.
Source: Eurogamer
