Hitman Sniper Challenge is a preorder incentive for Hitman Absolution and it is an experience worth playing...a lot.
The sniper challenge is simple yet very complicated to describe at the same time...so I'll start off slow. Agent 47 has an objective to complete, in which you must use a sniper rifle, and systematically eliminate a businessman known as Richard Strong and each of his bodyguards within 15 minutes. The story is straightforward enough, and there really isn't that much to it. Remember the sniper challenge is merely something to kill time while we wait to play Absolution. While on the subject, this game is a stand alone experience and doesn't give you any sort of spoilers or anything like that into Hitman Absolution, so if you're worried about that, don't be. It's just for fun...mostly.
Gameplay....9.3/10
Hitman Sniper Challenge manages to keep the fun going for hours and hours on end, which is mostly thanks to gameplay. Some fans of past games may be disappointed that you only have limited control of 47, as he is forced to remain on a rooftop across the street and is limited to only using the sniper rifle. If that's the case, you probably didn't play it long enough to notice that it isn't about using your sniper rifle, it's about how you use it. For example, if this game was your run of the mill shooter, you would most likely be required to just shoot everyone who tries to kill you. In the sniper challenge, you don't just have to shoot guards in order to complete your objective. The area in which 47 surveys can also be used as a lethal weapon. Explosives and more can be used to dispose of your targets, and this creativity is what made the franchise what it is in the first place, realizing that you don't have to be set to just doing one thing and one thing only. It keeps the gameplay interesting and it keeps you playing trying to find everything that you can use to your advantage.
Speaking of what made this franchise what it is today, the sniper challenge doesn't try to forget about that, it attempts to improve on some of these mechanics from the past. For one, you are still able to hide bodies, find new and creative ways to kill, and achieve the coveted silent assassin rating that every fan wishes to become. The game sticks to it's roots and it is actually very clever how they did so. Perfectly timed shooting can send some targets over a building's ledge or into a pool. It's all about observation, studying your target's movements and plotting the perfect takedown, just like the other games had you do.
Another thing to note is that has been a lot has been improved in the game. If someone finds a body and you're delicately weaved plan of attacking the targets silently fails, you are given a short window of opportunity to actually defuse the situation and prevent the person who found the body from telling his friends, which would stop the alert status from being risen. This is a great thing to have in a game where every move you make is valuable.
Many people could say that this kills the tension that was so great from the past games, but in reality, this isn't really the case. This actually makes the tension in the game a little bit more serious, as you realize that if you don't manage to take out that guard quickly, you're in jeopardy of not completing your mission. It really isn't that bad and it makes the game make more sense and in some ways, intense as you realize you need to rush to stop this guy from calling his buddies and making the target escape.
However, even though the game manages to stick to it's roots and improves on quite a bit, there are a lot of things that I wish they hadn't stuck to in this game and had improved. For one, the AI can be incredibly foolish sometimes, to the point where if a guard finds a body and manages to call his friends, some guards will leave the area while some others will run for poorly placed cover positions, stand out in the open pointlessly, or start shooting into the crowd of onlookers for no logical reason. It's disappointing at times, but from what I have seen these are very little errors in retrospective and seem to never ruin the fun you can have in the game.
The troubles with AI, from what I've played mostly happen in the alert phase. The game is meant to be played stealthily, as the AI in the standard unalerted phase is decent. If guards hear a strange noise or see anything that is out of the ordinary, they will investigate the situation. Although it can appear somewhat foolish at times, it manages to shine through as an enjoyable game through the options that you are presented with. Just as the Hitman franchise has always done.
Some other things that have been added into the gameplay is a new mechanic known as Instinct mode. In comparison, this mode is quite similar to Arkham Asylum's detective mode, in which you are given a unique look into the area around you, through the eyes of the assassin. Guards are shown in a yellow silhouette, while the main target is covered in red. Points of interest are also silhouetted and are there to bring your attention to objects that could cause destruction in your benefit. It seems like a useful mechanic, however it seems as it could be overused at points as it can be used for a whole playthrough and never runs out, and also it seems to give away a lot of stuff in the game that could be used to eliminate your foes. Overall, this mode isn't horrible, it's actually ok but hopefully, IO manages to limit the amount of instinct available to you in Absolution, and makes it so that way Absolution doesn't fall into the same hole that Arkham Asylum and this game did in which you could be stuck using these helpful mechanics throughout the entire experience. Also, another mechanic included in the game is the hair trigger, which slows down time for a few moments in which you can take down moving targets in an easier way. However, the control used for this particular setting, which on the PS3 was the right trigger really needs to be improved. As I found multiple times where I was pressing down lightly on the button to activate the slow motion, but instead the controller sensed that I pressed down harder than I did and made me fire a bullet. It can be very aggravating especially when you're trying to keep things quiet. It doesn't help either if you're trying to hide bodies. Otherwise, it is a decent mechanic and is worth mentioning.
Finally, there are challenges that you have the option of completing in the game other than taking down your targets. For example, one challenge might be to find and shoot all of the garden gnomes you find in the area. What makes these challenges worth completing is that they actually multiply to your overall score at the end of the level, which allows you to compete with your friends and the world in leaderboards as well as move closer to unlocking useful improvements for your sniper rifle.
Sound, Animation, and Graphics 9.9/10
The graphics are very nice in this game. They have been improved tremendously from the past games and all I have to say is wow. The scenery is stunning, and the level of detail is quite immense and impressive. Examining the area around you is quite a treat, as you never know what secrets you'll find or what you'll expect to see. The best part about the level of detail involved in the Sniper Challenge is that most of the things have a purpose of being in the area, whether it be to capture some of the dark humor that the Hitman series is known for, or just to give each place a story, it's there. Glass splinters as you fire at a window, bricks crumble a little when you shoot them, everything seems very well designed graphically.
Animations seem like they are very fluid and up-to-date. Characters react realistically to everything that happens. Movement is excellent in the game. If you shoot someone in the back of the leg, they are tripped by the shot and are sent falling onto their backs. Each animation fits in the game too, as they also capture the dark humor one can expect from a Hitman game.
Sound is also improved in this game. The voice acting done by Diana is excellent and is very excellent during the sniper challenge, and so is the musical score for that matter. The music seems to fit your playstyle which is nice, and it makes things interesting. When looking over at the party, you hear music playing from the stereos and if you fire into the crowd, they panic and scream and this is also excellent in terms of sound. Guns sound slick and real which only adds to the experience.
At the end of the Sniper Challenge, you feel refreshed, as it has taken so long to actually play something different than one of the old Hitman games, and this is really something to talk about. This game is clearly not for everyone as the game has some quirks, but it seems to improve on most of the flaws of the past games, and it is the perfect way to get insight into exactly what we can expect to see in Hitman Absolution, even though this sniper challenge probably won't be as polished as the main game will be in the end product.
The verdict of Hitman: Sniper Challenge
Worth buying...if you want to preorder
Absolution from Gamestop, you get this. So if you're interested or excited for Absolution, you should try this out.
My Final Score.....9.6 out of 10
Final Score(My official Gamespot score)....9.0 out of 10
So there's the score on Hitman: Sniper Challenge. It really is easy to spend hours of your time playing this game, and for the most part, it's worth it because it manages to be fun and entertaining in it's own right.
For a special in-depth look at Hitman: Sniper Challenge, covering what I can't cover in a review, head over to my blog within the next few days or so for a special article all about my thoughts and opinions on this game.
Thanks for reading.