Tracking Opportunities
One of my favourite parts of the beta involves the opportunity tracker feature found after the tutorial mission. This feature allows Agent 47 to track any opportunities he comes across during the mission. For example, if Agent 47 overhears a conversation between characters that suggests an alternative method for killing the target, it can be tracked. Multiple opportunities can be tracked at once as well, so killing the target becomes as easy as picking a method out of a hat really.
Gameplay
Given that Square Enix and IO Interactive wanted to reboot the Hitman series, they went back to the basics and got rid of the features that didn’t work, while improving the best parts of the previous Hitman games. Costumes play a critical role in Hitman again and as such, the enemy awareness has been refined to allow a bit more free movement within the missions. Instead of being spotted by everyone wearing the same costume, there are now specific people marked as those to avoid. This focuses our intentions on strategizing for the actual mission: assassinating the target. In making stealth a primary focus as well, Square Enix and IO Interactive have brought back the simple distractions, such as coins, to allow for infinite opportunities to sneak past important characters with just the flick of the wrist. Lastly, gone is the feature of instinct where several enemies can be marked and executed in slow motion, as it has once again been simplified as a method of tracking enemies and identifying objects of interest.
I’m hoping that the full game will be just as invigorating to play, because at the end of the day, this beta was fabulous. I know, I know, I really shouldn’t get ahead of myself, but it seems like Square Enix and IO Interactive were successful in revamping the Hitman franchise, and after the way the beta played, I would be very surprised if the release of the full game was anything less than great.