Hitman Review Roundup

Square Enix's new Hitman game will be available from March 11 ... sort of. As previously announced, IO Interactive's latest entry is taking the episodic release strategy, which means what becomes available on that date is a small part of a larger experience.

But is it one that you should invest in? Reviews for the introductory portion of the new Hitman have appeared online ahead of its release and, to answer that question, we've gathered them up and put them in a list below.

Take a look and by the time you're finished reading you should have a good feel for how critics are receiving it. For a wider view on the game's critical reception, head to GameSpot sister site Metacritic.

• Game: Hitman
• Developer: IO Interactive
• Platform: PS4, PC, Xbox One
• Release Date: March 11 (Episode 1)
• Price: $15/£11.59 (Intro Pack), $10/£7.99 (additional episodes), $60/£44.99 (full Digital Edition),

GameSpot -- 7/10

"Hitman's opening act isn't ground-breaking, with a host of tiny problems lending it a dated feel ... However, Hitman's a veritable playground that will delight you with its open-ended design, comical NPCs, and contract creation tools. These qualities, and the flexibility to be as hardcore or laid back as you want, are much appreciated, even if they don't disguise Hitman's lesser qualities." -- Peter Brown [Full review]

Next-Gen Gaming Blog -- 9/10

"Hitman's debut in 2016 is a fantastic starting point for this franchise reboot. Shaking off the mis-step that was Absolution has clearly not been easy, but Io have managed to create a brilliant sandbox that will allow you to dispatch of your target using methods from dropping a chandelier on their head (Del Boy would be proud), to blowing them away with an AK47, to making them throw up thanks to rat poison and then drowning them in the toilet bowl ... If IO can keep this up with the rest of the missions, then they've got a special game on their hands." -- Ben Ward [Full review]

Eurogamer -- Recommended

"Without wishing to knock Ubisoft's work too much, Hitman's design is much more rewarding to ponder--it asks for experimentation and mastery, rather than mere patience and the ability to follow a waypoint. Agent 47's return is long overdue, and so far, very welcome. Roll on episode two." -- Edwin Evans-Thirlwell [Full review]

Destructoid -- 7/10

"Stealing a staff uniform from the locker room, dropping your gun into a wastebasket so you can let a guard frisk you before he lets you into the room of a Sheik, then knocking the Sheik out, stealing his clothes, and infiltrating a high-society sale of state secrets so you can tamper with an outdoor heater and let a woman blow herself up when she goes to grab a smoke. That's Hitman's highs. But IO's unique pricing model means an investment in future levels that might not add enough new ideas or scenarios and you're largely relying on user content to pad out time between new areas." -- Steven Hansen [Full review]

Digital Spy -- 4/5

"So far, Hitman feels like the perfect blend of Absolution and Blood Money; the accessibility and polish of the former, but with the same approach to level design and characterisation as the latter. It looks fantastic and the frame rate even holds up during the busiest scenes on PS4." -- Kirk Mckeand [Full review]

VideoGamer -- 8/10

"Despite its failings, Hitman's first episode offers hours of classic play before you even consider the secondary targets, time-limited contracts, and the prologue, which features a smaller yet feature-complete training mission. What's here represents a strong start, and a fine return to the more traditional Hitman play that fans have been clamouring for. Elsewhere, it needs to improve." -- Steven X. Burns[Full review]