This is very different to Blood Money, I must say.
The lack of a main map (you have a mini-map with a small range) means you really can't predict what will happen in each stage, meaning you must solve a mission on an area-by-area basis, working your plan out as you go along. Expect to restart missions a lot of the time if you want a good score. It means that the way forward is not as clear as in the other games. Personally, I appreciate the change as it forces you to think a lot harder about what path you will take.
The controls are sublime, this has a cover system that is very similar to Splinter Cell: Conviction. The amount of actions, weapons, tools and interactions are staggering. I can trick guards into thinking I will surrender once I've been found, take one as a hostage, then kill the other with a silenced pistol before either can call for help. In each level with a target, going by the challenges there are dozens of unique ways to kill each of them.
It is also still home to lots of the really funny stuff you can do. I'm only very early into the game but already I've had a lot of laughs from all the random stuff I can do. I picked up a knife in one level and proceeded to throw it at five different police officers, each time dislodging it from their heads. I've run in on a woman in nothing but make-up and a robe and punched her out whilst jumping in and out of buildings. It is just so much fun.
This is fantastic so far. I am a bit concerned that the plot does seem to take itself a lot more seriously than previous games, but eh, it isn't as bad so far as what I heard. Even then, I'm not really interested in the plot of a Hitman game.
Definitely living up to expectations, though again, it is quite a bit different functionally to other games.
The only real issue I've had so far is the disguise system - it can be annoying trying to ration your Instinct to get past NPCs in the same attire as you. However, I think it works in the game mostly because there are actual proper stealth elements in this game - unlike Blood Money where disguises were everything, Absolution actually has proper Splinter Cell-style cover and stealth.
And yeah, that PC Gamer review was complete and utter trash. The amounts of lies that I've already disproved is laughable.
