“Hitman: Absolution” Review

Hitman: Absolution Review

“Hitman: Absolution” is a forceful mix of obscenity and serenity; its foul-mouthed bunch of criminals and grimy henchmen add a layer of grunge on quaint and pretty small-town streets and hot desert sands. Agent 47 is the returning anti-hero – a hard-nosed contrast to his surroundings as well as the foul criminals he tangles with. Agent 47 is a cold-blooded yet neatly turned out killer and he finds pleasure in carefully planning and executing the kills. While donning brightly buffed shoes he maneuvers his way with stealth and brute force through the underbelly of crime in order to terminate the lives of those who deserve to be snuffed out. Some of the murders are not as satisfying as you might like, but what the heck, “Hitman: Absolution” feels good and looks even better in this game.

Intriguingly, the storyline delivers a criminal underbelly populated with a bunch of worthless oxygen-thieves of such reprehensible character that you’re more than happy to help lodge a couple of bullets in their brains. You will soon get sucked into and immersed in “Hitman: Absolution”’s twisted take on Americana that positively teems with hordes of contemptible wrongdoers. You may find Agent 47’s initial act of violence hard to stomach as he executes Diana Burnwood, his former Agency handler gone rogue, but it’s all part of the gritty storyline.

The principle villain of the piece is Blake Dexter, a vicious, snarling crime boss complete with cowboy hat and lazy redneck drawl. Every word he spits is pure snake poison. The unrelenting crudeness can be a trifle over the top after a while. However, there are some lighter moments such as the humorous incident involving you, an elevator, and a delivery man. And then there’s The Saints: a gang of women assassins dressed like sexy nuns. Nuff said.

“Hitman: Absolution” sticks to the successful mechanics of previous games in the “Hitman” series. Generally you start a level with a set objective – which usually involves offing another scumbag in order to move forward with the overall mission. Assassinating despicable thugs is accomplished in several ways: you can sneak about, crouch behind objects to avoid detection, and choke the villains to death from behind by means of a nasty and deadly garrote. As with most stealth games, you need to remove the bodies to avoid your victim’s pals sniffing around – as they most surely will. This means you need to drag the fresh corpse to a place of hiding and dump it into a bin or a cupboard.

On the other hand, should he get caught, 47 can handle himself in a tough situation; he can absorb a lot of hits and he knows how to dish out the punishment using a whole host of weapons: pistols, shotguns, machine guns – you get the picture.

One thing’s certain – it’s great having Agent 47 back. It’s obvious he was sorely needed to dish out brutal justice in the grungy underworld he inhabits. It’s kind of cleansing and utterly satisfying to take on the guise of Agent 47 and dispatch so much human trash in one sitting.