Is IO teasing a Hitman announcement on Twitter?

I mean, it's not out of the question. The framework is already there, the episodic formula clearly worked, and if they're going to keep focusing on one map at a time, it's possible that this thing could be ready to go, which would be awesome news.

Take my money.

@glots said:

That would be awesome and in line with the way content was released last season/ game.

Man, I am extremely excited at all of the cool improvement they might've made to the game.

@theht: I hope you are right. Hitman was soooooo good.

A complete game this time around, released later this year 13th of November. I'm okay with this.

Also a multiplayer with co-op...but sadly just sniping.

The suitcase returns!!!

I wish it were coming sooner (and still episodically), but being confirmed for 2018 is good news. Also, while I don't generally get excited about pre-order bonuses, I'm glad to see Sniper Challenge return. The version that came with Absolution is arguably the best pre-order bonus any game has had, and perhaps the best part of Absolution itself. I'm picking this up.

I never buy more expensive versions of games but I'm almost certainly going to buy the gold edition because I have that much faith in the game and that I will want every piece of content for it. I put 300+ hours into Hitman 2016 and cannot wait for more. Was rather hoping for an E3 announcement that it was episodic with episode 1 being available that week, but oh well.

Anyone know what's in the silver/gold editions? It's not really clear on the PS store.

Good to hear Sean Bean’s Civ 6 narrator character getting some side work in the World of Assassination.

@jeremyf: On Steam, it has 4 days early access, limited edition items and two expansions for the gold version, 1 expansion, limited edition items for the silver version. Basically you're paying 20 bucks per expansion.

@heelbill: Thanks!

I'm a bit worried about it all being dropped at once instead of piecemeal like last time. Will the quality level of the maps be the same or will they have been rushed together for deadlines?

I loved the episodic nature of HITMAN but I understand why they probably didn't go that route this time. Espeically since their whole company at this point is riding on the success of HITMAN2. They'll probably make more money (at least initially) by releasing a full game instead of in pieces over time. More proven track record anyway.

Personally I'm sold on it either way. HITMAN was unexpectedly (for me) incredible. I'll buy the gold version and not look back.

To be published by Warner Bros. That’s fine, nothing could possibly go wrong with that.

@thechris: Don't worry, I'm sure we'll get an amazing PC port with all the attention it needs and deserves. ;)

I can see the marketing copy now:

"Fully immerse yourself in the role of Agent 47 by purchasing your own equipment! In-game Silverballer pistol on sale now for only $5.00! Pre-order now to get a Limited Edition box of bullets for free (bullets normally cost $.10)! Check out the in-game store for more details in this exciting limited time offer!"

Yes. On board. I hope that there's a race track massacre on par with Paris' falling chandelier.

On the subject of ditching the episodic structure, it makes sense. Any piecemeal release like that is going to suffer some attrition. Not everyone who bought Paris stuck around through Hokkaido. If IO can get $60 out of you up front, that's a safer bet for them.

I understand some of the disappointment, though. The episodic stuff gave Season 1 a really different feel, and getting everything at once, surely, will change the experience.

100% correct there. I hope they have the same quality as the 2016 release.

The episodic thing ended up working well, but I guess Hitman 2016 was originally intended to be a singular full release. When they first announced it would be episodic it was taken more as a sign that things weren't looking good, rather than how we'd probably look at it in retrospect.

So fuck it! All the Hitman at once. It's not like I'm gonna fuckin not play it because it ain't episodic.

The sniper pre-order thing is more than the last hitman sniper thingy from the 2016 pre-order. But pretty empty. That said, it is nice to hear the hitman music again.

People are bitching (oh internet) that is runs slower than before. I didn't notice this. Maybe the default settings are higher than before? It looks pretty much the same to me. Are others noticing that it runs slower?

I preface this question by saying I actually haven't spent enough time with Hitman (2016) (10 hours?) but does anyone hope this game has more levels that are slightly smaller? Like bigger than the levels in Blood Money for example but not as big as the ones in the GOTY winner? 10 medium levels instead of 5 big ones or couple big ones and some smaller ones or something.

I like doing all the challenges and figuring out different facets of the murder puzzle but from what I've played, depending on what you want to do, because certain events need be triggered in this large environment, some objectives were exhausting to even get to. I know the quick saves alleviates this issue somewhat but you do have to start from the beginning often to go down the path you want to go down.

I felt games like Silent Assassin or Blood Money were manageable and found Hitman (2016) quite overwhelming. Again, I still want and need to spent way more time with it cause I do love the series but I was wondering if any long time fans felt this way or at least know what I'm talking about?

The only level that felt annoyingly large to me was Marrakesh. Still, I enjoyed the level size overall in HITMAN. I think the breadth challenged them from a design standpoint to make the worlds dense and believable. Blood Money is great, but most of its locations felt like a diorama of sorts.

You may well get your wish, though. The non-episodic format this time might mean smaller levels, as they have to have them all ready to drop at once and thus don't seemingly have as much time to spend on each one this time around.

@notnert427: Well, haven't they been working on it for a pretty long time? Plus, they're using the same engine so who knows, I think it can fall either way. Another Hitman is always cool so I can't really complain that much though with WB publishing and seeing that there is already a $100 version, I feel like at least some parts of this game will be a bit grimy.

I would love for a Hitman game to have at least half as much mobility as lets say an Assassins Creed game, but at the same time I understand that would sort of break the level design if you could circumvent all guards by climbing around them. Still I always thought the rather stiff movement was a big drawback for the Hitman games, and I've been a fan since the terrible first game (terrible but also amazing at the time).

Hitman 2 was released in 2002.

Can 47 kill Sean Bean in a variety of ways?

@humanity: I feel like higher mobility goes against what IO percieves 47s approach to his contracts would be. The last thing I want to see 47 doing is climbing about like Sam Fisher.

47 being a tank like man that blends in with the social environment rather than skulking around in the shadows is what helps keep Hitmans mechanical identity.