We have brand new details regarding Hitman Absolution from the latest issue of Edge. Check them out below.
- Game is primarily set in Chicago
- Begins with Agent 47 on the run from the Chicago police
- IO’s Glacier 2 engine supposedly offer fantastic facial animations
- Use of cover mechanics.
- Bigger focus on staying hidden, rather than staying in disguise (sounds a lot like Splinter Cell: Conviction so far)
- Instinct mode highlights enemies and their patrols through walls, like Arkham Asylum’s detective mode.
- It’s powered by silent take downs
- No big scale map screen as in previous games.
- Mini map still highlights points of interest
- New threat meter is a grey circle that wavers in directions where enemies may spot 47 (again as in Conviction)
- There will be lots of improvised weapons players can use that are unique to each location
- Players can take hostages as human shields as in previous games
- This hostage taking prompted some complex AI patterns in the demo, with cops fanning out realistically to keep sight of the target.
- Levels will be divided into checkpoints for the first time.
- Some stages will be as large as in old Hitman games, others will be much smaller
- New structure allows for greater variety and complex set pieces, as well as story driven moments
- Having a disguise doesn’t mean you’ll be able to fool everybody
- Plot will be more personal to 47, with the Hitman knowing some of his targets.
- 47 and Diana will have new voice actors
- Hand to hand combat will be involved.
- Instinct mode increases disguise effectiveness. As cops in the demo questions 47’s movements while he’s disguised as a police man, he enters instinct and uses his police radio to fool them
- Each disguise has safe spots, like a box of doughnuts for police men.
- You’ll be completely safe in that disguise for as long as you want
- New engine offers on the fly editing for AI. AI can also affect group behavior now.
- Whatever you do, the AI will react to that dynamically
- The way crowds will be used will be different
The game releases in 2012 on the PS3, 360 and PC.