Incredible Depth from an Episodic Design
Hitman broke series tradition and adopted for an episodic approach to both storytelling and release schedule. Each of the game’s levels was broken out as individual packages, with players expected to spend dozens of hours combing through each of them. This new approach wasn’t initially popular with fans, but the bonus was that IO Interactive had to treat every single level as if it were an individual product, and that did wonders for the overall quality. The result is some of the smartest, most exquisitely crafted experiences that the series has ever seen.
Each level can be tackled in a multitude of ways. This has always been true for the Hitman series but never has it been so fully realized here. Side challenges and mini-assassinations keep things fresh and exciting, meaning that it’s possible to replay each stage twenty times over before things start to repeat. Hitman: Definitive Edition may come as a complete package, but it still holds the intricate level of detail born of the developer’s episodic approach to the game’s design.
