If Hitman 2 has you itching for more sneaking and silent assassinations, then you'll be happy to know that two of Agent 47's more recent globetrotting adventures have been given the HD remaster treatment. According to an announcement from Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and IO Interactive, players will soon be able to revisit Hitman: Blood Money and Hitman: Absolution as part of the Hitman HD Enhanced Collection.

Much like Agent 47 himself, this latest HD collection announcement snuck up on us and caught us totally by surprise. It's apparently something IO Interactive has been working on quietly in the background for a while now, as the Hitman HD Enhanced Collection is getting a digital launch next Friday, Jan. 11, for $59.99. Whether you're gaming on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One or either of their enhanced counterparts, it sounds like this blast from the past will deliver some familiar Hitman narratives with a host of current-gen enhancements.

This Hitman collection features 4K visuals and 60 frames per second, along with increased texture resolution and upgraded texture formats. Need some more high-tech finagling? Then get ready for super-sampling, upscale support, heightened shadow mapping and mirror resolutions, as well as improved lighting. And while both of these Hitman games played well back when they first launched, the controls have also received an update to make things as smooth as possible.

According to IO CEO Hakan Abrak, the team was excited to work on this HD collection because both games helped provide a foundation for the more recent series entries.

In Blood Money, players will go toe-to-toe with The Franchise, a group of assassins Agent 47 needs to put a stop to. This quest will take him to Chile, a Paris Opera House and over to the good ol' U.S. of A to sneak through The White House. Hitman: Absolution put a stronger focus on creating an engrossing narrative, boasting an all-star cast of characters and taking players on a trip through a whopping 20 missions.

If you're still in the market for contracts after all of that, consider this a reminder that the recently released Hitman 2 is a fantastic game. Its missions are fun, the locations are great, there are hundreds of challenges to tackle and all kinds of live events giving players plenty of reasons to come back for more. You can also get Hitman as an add-on, making for a pretty impressive package. Combine that with these new HD remasters and Agent 47 is going to be one very busy assassin.

IO Interactive and Square Enix are bringing back Hitman: Absolution ahead of the launch of the 2016 reboot of the series simply titled Hitman. The 2012 outing will be made available as a part of the Xbox One's backwards compatibility service, giving owners of Microsoft's latest console an opportunity to play the seventh gen outing.

VG 24/7 is reporting that IO and Square want to work with Microsoft to bring Hitman: Absolution to the Xbox One as a backwards compatible title. As far as the timing goes for when gamers can expect it to appear on the One... that is supposedly up to Microsoft.

There are no specifics on when the game will arrive, but Microsoft has been taking a different route with unveiling backwards compatible titles for the Xbox One instead of releasing them in batches each month.

Many of the games are being bundled in with the Xbox Live Games With Gold program and also made available as a BC title in order to allow Xbox One owners to potentially gain up to four free games each and every month if they're signed up with Xbox Live. It's extremely hard to deny the value of the service when you can technically get anywhere between $60 and $100 worth of games for free each month.

For instance, the free Games With Gold for the Xbox 360 this month are Gears of War 2 and Sacred Citadel. In the case of Gears of War 2 it's possible to play the game on the Xbox One as a backwards compatible title since it was made available as such when Microsoft and The Coalition unleashed Gears of War: Ultimate Edition back in August of 2015.

This means that even if you don't have an Xbox 360, so long as you have an active Xbox Live account you can add Gears of War 2 to your digital library, or if you have the physical disc you can pop it in and install the game. Last month there was Deus Ex: Human Revolution made available for the Xbox 360 that game is also backwards compatible with the Xbox One, so gamers not only were able to add the games to their library that were free for the Xbox One but also the games that were free for the Xbox 360.

I wonder if Microsoft will hold off on announcing the backwards compatibility for Hitman: Absolution until the release date for the newest Hitman draws closer and use it as a way to lure in fans and newcomers alike?

Just a short while ago, it was leaked that Rockstar Games' highly popular Red Dead Redemption would be made available as a backwards compatible title and that it's currently undergoing emulation testing to ensure that everything works as intended. Some gamers were able to find a loophole and start playing it early thanks to a Microsoft's employee's Xbox Live profile having the game in their recommended list.

Regardless of when Microsoft decides to pull the trigger on these new batch of games such as Hitman: Asbolution, they certainly have an exciting line-up of seventh gen titles in their stash that Xbox One owners will likely be excited to play in the coming weeks and months.

Square Enix, following in the footsteps of other publishers like 2K and THQ, is offering their own Humble Bundle. Gamers can get 16 full titles for a price of their choosing.

The Humble Square Enix Bundle includes some recent releases like assassination game Hitman: Absolution, open-world sandbox Just Cause 2 and stealthy shooter Deus Ex: Human Revolution - Director's Cut. They're joined by old classics like Thief Gold and Deus Ex: Game of the Year Edition. They're all games I'd pay full price for so getting them at a steep discount seems like overkill.

Square Enix also threw in some deep cuts. Maybe the most surprising game in the bundle is Anachronox. Anachronox is a sci-fi RPG with combat modeled after JRPG's like Chrono Trigger. It didn't sell well back in 2001 but it's a hilarious, inventive addition to the genre. It's well worth the $1 you'll need to spend to get it in this bundle.

Actually, scratch that: the most surprising title in the bundle is Daikatana. Like Anachronox, Daikatana was an Ion Storm Dallas that flopped. The difference, though, is that Daikatana wasn't all that great. It was billed as the next big shooter from Doom and Quake designer John Romero but fell well short of the expectations set by those other games. It's considered one of the most disappointing games of all time. You probably won't enjoy Daikatana, but playing it will at least let you understand the hate.

While you can get the bundle just by paying $1 or more, you'll get more games if you spend more money. Here's a full-breakdown of the different tiers:

Pay $1 or more:

• Thief Gold
• Daikatana
• Mini Ninjas
• Anachronox
• Hitman: Codename 47
• Hitman 2: Silent Assassin

Pay more than the average customer (currently $6.44):

• Deus Ex: Invisible War
• Deus Ex: The Fall
• Hitman Absolution
• Nosgoth Veteran Pack
• Battlestations: Midway

Pay $15 or more to get these titles as well:

• Deus Ex: Human Revolution Director's Cut
• Just Cause 2
• Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light
• Deus Ex: Game of the Year Edition, and
• Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days

Additional games will be added to the bundle soon. I imagine that Square Enix will throw in a Tomb Raider game or two. Or maybe they'll give us the Legacy of Kain series. These new additions should be announced in about a week. Gamers who buy the bundle this week will get keys for these extra games after they're revealed. In other words, you're not getting screwed by purchasing the bundle early.

Unlike some Humble Bundles, the Humble Square Enix Bundle doesn't provide you with DRM-free copies. Instead, you'll be getting Steam keys for each game. Also, Hitman: Absolution and Deus Ex: Human Revolution - Director's Cut appear to be the only ones with Mac versions. All of the other titles are PC only. To make sure your rig can run each game, check out the bundle's system requirements page.

The Humble Square Enix Bundle will be on sale for the next two weeks. It'll disappear from HumbleBundle.com on August 5th at 11 AM PDT.

This afternoon Steam began offering two very nice last Midweek Madness deals. Dark Souls and Hitman Absolution now cost $7.50 and $6.24 for the next couple days.

Dark Souls is an action RPG known for its brutal difficulty. Players must navigate dungeons filled with monsters and traps that can kill them in a matter of seconds. Making matters worse, they have to watch out for other players that can invade their game and try to kill them. Other players can be help as well, though; they can leave helpful hints throughout the world or even fight alongside you.

The PC version, called the Prepare to Die Edition, also comes loaded with new features. A new chapter of the game will pit players against scarecrows, stone knights and Artorias of the Abyss. Through this adventure through Lordran's past, players will earn new armor and weapons. From Software also introduced a new matchmaking system for PvP. Players can easily find competitors for 1v1, 2v2 or four-player free-for-all matches.

Hitman Absolution is the fifth title in the long-running assassination series. Players take on the role of world-renowned hitman Agent 47. They must complete missions using a combination of stealth, disguises and violence. It's up to the player to decide how exactly they'll fulfill each contract. A new Instinct Mode lets players see enemy movements, better avoid detection, and spot hidden details in the environment.

Absolution introduced the series' first multiplayer with a new Contracts mode. In Contracts, players design custom missions and share them with the community. Designing the missions doesn't require much effort - you just select a premade level, set the targets, and specify the kill conditions. After they complete a contract, players receive scores based on how quickly and cleanly they completed them. The money they earn can be used to unlock new items like weapons and disguises. Leaderboards keep tabs on who the best assassins in the world are.

The Professional Edition of Absolution received a discount today as well, bringing it down to $7.50. The Professional bundle unlocks an upgraded silencer and laser sights for your weapon customization. It also gives you access to the Jagd P22G pistol, HX UMP submachinegun, and SPS 12 semi-auto shotgun. This bundle provides some insight into the development process for the game as well with a 72-page artbook and making-of video.

The Absolution and Dark Souls discounts will run until 4pm Pacific Standard Time on Thursday.

It's the first Tuesday of the month, which means it's once again time to break down the PlayStation Plus main offerings for the next 30-ish days. It's an odd mix this month, featuring a murder-tastic action game, an endless runner, pinball brought to us from a galaxy far, far away, and a portable brawler featuring creatures of the night.

First we'll take a look at the Plus core games for August, then we'll dip into the offerings specific to this week. First up is the PlayStation 3 game, Hitman: Absolution.

Agent 47 once again steps out of the shadows in Hitman Absolution, shortly followed by murdering a dude with a pair of scissors, then retreating to the shadows once more. In Absolution, players get to tackle a whole new single player campaign featuring oodles of dirty criminals and clueless henchmen, all just waiting to get offed in the most creative ways imaginable. The world's pretty open, meaning you can choose your own path to victory by either going in full guns blazing or, say, sneaking in through the kitchen disguised as a chef. Whatever your play style, however, the goal is always the same: Kill some dudes.

Starting with this afternoon's PlayStation Network update, 47's latest mission can be yours as part of the Plus package at no additional charge, complete with the Deus Ex disguise DLC, the Zenith handgun and an additional discount on the digital version of Sleeping Dogs, in case you missed out on it as a freebie through plus a couple of months ago.

Three other games will be added throughout the month, including the highly addictive endless runner, Bit.Trip Presents Runner 2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien. Zen Pinball 2: Star Wars Pinball will also be available for both the PS3 and the Vita, giving players access to a trio of tables taken directly from the Star Wars universe including offerings inspired by Episode V, the animated series, The Clone Wars, and everybody's favorite bounty hunter, Boba Fett.

The Vita is getting additional love this month from the likes of Darkstalkers Chronicle: The Chaos Tower, a PSP fighter that's compatible with Sony's new handheld gaming machine. There's also the Vita version of Machinarium, a beautiful and mind-bending adventure game.

Along with a copy of Hitman, today's PlayStation Plus update will also offer discounts on various other games. Escape Vektor for the Vita will be marked down by 20 percent ($2.99) while Wicked Monster Blast! HD for the PS3 will be discounted 80 percent ($1). The newly released cross-buy game, Superfrog HD will also see a day one discount for Plus, dropping two dollars and on sale for $7.99.

Finally, pretty much everything Rayman will see a discount this week. For a full list of those sale prices, drop by the PlayStation Blog.

Square Enix's president and representative director Yoichi Wada will be stepping down. The company announced the resignation on the same day that they predicted "extraordinary loss" in the current fiscal year.

Wada joined Square in 2000. During his time as president, he oversaw the merge of Square and Enix into Square Enix. The combined company made high-profile acquisitions in subsequent years, gobbling up Taito and Eidos Interactive.

The company had been expecting net income losses of ¥3.5 billion, or $37 million. Today they revised that estimate to ¥13 billion, or $137 million. The change was attribute to "sluggish performance" by its arcade machine business, as well as the less-than-expected sales of major console games in North America and Europe.

Sleeping Dogs, Hitman: Absolution and Tomb Raider were some of the "major console games" mentioned in the financial estimate. Absolution and Sleeping Dogs, both released in late 2012, sold 3.6 million and 1.75 million respectively. Tomb Raider, meanwhile, has sold 3.4 million since its release in early March. Those sound like impressive figures but apparently they were below Square Enix's projections.

Wada will step down from his position in late June according to Square Enix's notice to shareholders. Yosuke Matsuda will replace him. Matsuda, who joined the company in 2001, is currently serving as chief financial officer.

It's not clear how Square Enix's losses will affect their future plans. I'm hoping it doesn't affect any of their Western console development plans. I was promised a new Thief game, damn it.

Hey! You got your Deus Ex in my Hitman! IO Interactie A/S and Eidos Montreal have announced that, starting this week, players of Hitman: Absolution will be able to download a special pair of Deus Ex: Human Revolution DLC bonuses to help Agent 47 take dudes out in style. Actually, this might be a case of two great tastes that taste even better when combined.

Hitman: Absolution started murdering fools across Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC last week and, this week, you can beef up your game with the “Deus Ex Suit” and “Deus Ex Zenith gun” add-ons.

Here’s a little snippet from the official press release from Eidos Montreal:

“Dres Agent 47 in the iconic combat armor used by Adam Jensen in Deus Ex: Human Revolution and get better protection from firearms with advanced armor. The Zenith pistol was the handgun of choice for Adam Jensen in Deus Ex: Human Revolution and can now be used by Agent 47 in Hitman: Absolution. The 10mm compact pistol can be equipped with a Steiner-Bisley silencer to make sure that Agent 47’s missions can be completed like a Silent Assassin.”

Each piece of DLC will be going for $1 on PS3 and PC, or 80 MSP on the Xbox 360. If you’ve grown tired of dressing Agent 47 up like a cop or a chef and no longer find joy in offing your enemies with swords, scissors and, you know, normal guns, then this first bit of DLC for Hitman: Absolution should shake things up nicely.

If you want to play the new Contracts Mode introduced in Hitman: Absolution, you won't need a new copy of the game. Publisher Square Enix has decided against using an Online Pass.

An Online Pass is a one-time-use code included with new copies of a game. If you buy a used copy that doesn't have the code, you need to buy a code online. It's become an increasingly common tactic among publishers who are trying to curb the sale of pre-owned games.

Square Enix's choice not to include a premium Online Pass seems to have been made at the last minute. Copies of Absolution issued to press for reviews actually came with a one-time-use code for Contracts. The same goes for copies arriving to stores outside of North America tomorrow. Regardless of whether your game came with a code or not, though, it won't affect your access to the mode.

"If you’re in North America you’ll see the mode automatically appear in the game menu," says the official Absolution blog. "If you’re elsewhere, you can redeem the code inside the box, or you can simply select the BUY CONTRACTS PASS option. From there, head to the store where CONTRACTS will be free to access."

In Contracts mode, players create custom missions that they can share with other players. They can select the assassination targets and other conditions of these missions. Players can then tackle these missions and try to get as high of a score as possible. The money earned in this mode can be used to unlock new items and disguises for use in other Contracts.

Absolution will launch in North America, Europe and other PAL regions on November 20th. If you're not sure whether or not you'll make a purchase, read our review.

A Chinatown crime boss was killed by an explosive planted in his car. Days later, twenty people were gunned down in cold blood in a gun store outside Hope, South Dakota. The same day, a local gang member died in a freak barbecue accident. These were very different deaths but all had the same culprit: me.

Hitman: Absolution is the first game in the series in six years. That long wait hasn't resulted in any change to the fundamentals of the series. Players take on the role of super-assassin Agent 47 and use a combination of deception, stealth and violence to complete their tasks. Violence is still an ingredient to use sparingly.

IO did make some concessions to action game fans. Agent 47's health regenerates and he can hug cover to avoid gunfire. Furthermore, he can take out multiple enemies at once with a new slo-mo mechanic. Still, even with these changes, Absolution isn't a shooter. You'd be hard pressed to play it like one. The ammo is limited, the enemies are great in number, and the health bar drains quickly.

Absolution isn't very fun as a straight shooter, either. Winning gunfights when you're greatly outnumbered requires you to sit in a corner of the map and wait for enemies to walk into your line of fire. Enemies don't have many surprises up their sleeves, either; they'll dive into cover and then go into whack-a-mole mode, popping up every so often to fire a full clip of ammo at you. The gunfights are a very one-note experience. Every time I decided to embark on a killing spree like this, I felt like I had skipped or cheated my way past the actual mission.

To really appreciate each mission, you need to take it slow. Eavesdrop on a conversation between characters. Search for alternate routes to your objective. Find a disguise to let you walk around unseen. Discover a way to take out your target that won't alert a single soul to your presence. Or just find new weapons to slaughter people with. Absolution, like all the Hitman games before it, presents players with several possible ways to complete their missions. There's not just one stealthy path and one violent path.

The exploration of each mission is made easier thanks to Instinct. Instinct is a new special ability that Agent 47 can use to scan his surroundings. Objectives, characters and patrol routes can all be seen through walls when this ability is activated. Points of interest, such as the sleeping pills you can slip in a guard's coffee, are also highlighted. Instinct can also be used to go into a "point shooting" slow-mo mode where 47 can queue up multiple shots on enemies, almost like the Dead Eye targeting in Red Dead Redemption. Finally, this ability can be used to prevent an NPC from temporarily seeing through your disguise. All of these actions drain the Instinct meter, which will be refilled by completing objectives or performing stealthy actions.

The basic description of Instinct might make it sound like a more controversial addition than it is. For starters, you can turn it off entirely if you want. Furthermore, it's a great way to make the sneaky playstyle more accessible. Seeing points of interest through walls lets you locate the special, subtle ways to complete missions with a minimum of blind fumbling. Instinct doesn't tell you how to kill the gangster in front of his friends without them noticing; it just points you in the right direction. The combat and disguise-enhancing aspects of Instinct, meanwhile, are "oh shit" buttons that let you avoid triggering an alarm and needing to restart the whole level.

Instinct is just one way that the game makes all of the stealth mechanics very clear to the player. The user interface is brimming with information. When a character is examining your disguise, you'll see a semi circle on the screen pointing in their direction. As they become more suspicious, the curve of this semi circle will grow a point that becomes larger and larger until they decide to confront you. If a disguise is blown, you'll be told (and reminded if you put the disguise back on). A mini-map lets you see nearby characters and their level of alert. Again, all of this information can be turned off if you're a more advanced player. Still, even as a Hitman veteran, I appreciated the extra clarity that this game's UI brought.

Absolution is a rarity among stealth games in that it doesn't let you freely save whenever you want. On lower difficulties, there's generally one manually-activated checkpoint in a given level. Even if you happen to find it, it will only apply to your current play session. You'll often find yourself replaying levels from the very beginning. This is less daunting than it sounds, though. The missions for Absolution are split into a series of smaller, self-contained levels. For example, a mission at a hotel will have a separate level for the lobby, the upper levels, and the roofs. Replaying a level from the start is a matter of replaying a few minutes rather than a half-hour.

IO Interactive's division of each mission into smaller segments is a decision they'll catch hell for. It doesn't make much sense to shoot up a bunch of mercenaries in the lobby and then have their friends upstairs completely unaware of it. Nonetheless, the smaller mission size is perfect for the new scoring system that IO implemented. At the top right, players can see a running score for their current level. At the start, they'll even find out what the average player performance for the world or their respective region is. As they complete objectives or perform stealthy deeds, players will see their score increase. If they kill non-target characters or act conspicuously, points will be deducted. By breaking the game's campaign into a larger number of small missions, the development team is making it easier and more desirable for you to replay parts of the game to boost your score.

The drive for a better score and for the cleanest assassination possible is at the heart of the new Contracts mode. Contracts is the closest thing that the series has ever had to multiplayer. Players create their own missions from campaign levels, and then share them with the community. In these custom contracts, you can use any weapons or outfits you've unlocked from completing a myriad of challenges throughout the campaign. You can unlock additional items by purchasing them with money earned from playing Contracts mode. The exact amount of money earned depends on how stealthy and quick you were, as well as how closely you stuck to the custom conditions of the contract.

In a very creative twist, Contracts mode doesn't require players to use a toolset to build missions. Instead, you make missions by playing the game. You select a mission and then dive right in yourself. You mark up to three characters in the level as the kill targets, eliminate them, and then escape. The game generates your contract based on the manner that you completed the mission: what exit did you use, what weapons did you use, were you spotted at all, and so forth. Creating a contract is as much of a test of your skills as it is of other players' skills. It's like a really violent version of HORSE.

Hitman: Absolution aims for the broadest audience possible without dumbing anything down. It provides new features that make the series' unique mixture of bloodshed and subterfuge accessible to newcomers. At the same time, Absolution keeps the traditional Hitman formula. Newbies and veterans alike will enjoy this new adventure with Agent 47. Contracts mode and the long list of unlockables will keep both groups hooked long after they finish the campaign.

Players: 1

Platforms: Xbox 360 (reviewed), PS3, PC

Developer: IO Interactive

Publisher: Square Enix

ESRB: Mature

Rating:

Square Enix sent out the final trailer for Hitman: Absolution this weekend. The montage supplies some story details on the game and summarizes some of the critical praise lavished upon it.

In Absolution, Agent 47 is given a special mission by his former handler Diana Burnwood. He must find and protect Victoria, a girl being sought by the shadowy group called the International Contract Agency. To do that, he'll need to employ his usual tactics: disguises, stealth, and violence.

Players can choose how to approach each level. They can shoot up everyone in sight if they're skilled enough. However, they can also employ more subtle methods. They can disguise themselves and sneak up on targets. In some cases, he can even create an "accident" for his targets and slip away unnoticed.

Absolution will launch on the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC on November 20th.

Square Enix has released two DLC packs for their open-world game Sleeping Dogs today. The Dragon Master Pack provides you with all of the game's pre-order bonuses, while the Square Enix Character Pack lets you pretend like you're playing a different game entirely.

BR> The Dragon Master Pack is a bundle of five pre-order packs. They provide you with a mix of new outfits, items and missions:

• Triad Enforcer Pack - "It’s a high-speed shoot-out in Triad Highway; armed with a high-capacity machine gun, fight a tide of Triads… after your head. Death by 1,000 Cuts puts you in a brutal fight club taking on the Triads with a razor-sharp golden cleaver. Wear the Triad Enforcer outfit for added Face and more punishing damage."
• Police Protection Pack - "Catch criminals like a true SWAT officer with the Police Protection Pack. Unlock the exclusive High Speed police mission featuring the SWAT outfit, SWAT Police Cruiser car and SWAT Assault Rifle."
• Martial Arts Pack - "Unleash the power of the Shaolin with the Martial Arts Pack. Unlock the Shaolin Warrior outfit (with increased melee damage), the Shaolin Showdown mission and Wing Chun dummy decoration for your safe house."
• GSP Pack - "Dress like Mixed Martial Arts champion Georges “Rush” St-Pierre with this collection of shorts, t-shirts and bandana, and devastate your enemies with GSP’s signature flying punch. Also adds increased grappling and throwing damage."
• Deep Undercover Pack - "All the style of an undercover agent. Unlock the Plain Clothes Detective outfit (with a reduced heat penalty), the Undercover Police Ghost Car and a CB Radio for your safehouse."

The Square Enix Character Pack, meanwhile, adds three outfits donned by other Square Enix heroes - no, not Cloud. The Hitman-inspired outfit is a suit that makes police less likely to pay attention to you. It also includes a silenced Silverball pistol. The Sarif Industries ballistic armor and combat rifle are a nod to Deus Ex: Human Revolution. The Just Cause garb lets you hijack vehicles from farther away, and also comes with a pistol with explosive bullets.

The Dragon Master DLC is priced at $7.99, while the Square Enix pack is $1.99. For a closer look at each, check out the trailer and images below. .

Square Enix released the last of their introductory trailers for Hitman: Absolution. This video doesn't focus on any specific feature of the game. Instead, it's a collection of gameplay footage showing why Agent 47 is the best assassin-for-hire in the world.

Agent 47 can use stealth, disguises, and violence to complete his assassination contracts. The third option is really emphasized in this trailer. Someone who had no prior experience with Hitman might conclude from this video that it's just a third-person shooter.

In truth, though, the game shares more DNA with Dishonored and Deus Ex than Call of Duty or Max Payne. While there's always a direct, violent approach to a mission, players are encouraged to find more subtle methods. On the higher difficulty levels, you'll need to play smarter to survive.

At a few moments in the trailer, Agent 47 sees the silhouettes of characters through walls. This is his new Instinct ability. He can rely on it in limited doses to help him complete missions. It's also possible to use Instinct to slip past a guard that might otherwise see through your disguise.

Absolution will debut on November 20th across the world.

The newest trailer for Hitman: Absolution isn't about Agent 47 at all. Instead, it focuses on all of the other characters in the world and how they can make Agent 47's missions easier or harder.

The characters in Absolution aren't just standing around and waiting for 47 to kill them. Instead, they're living their lives. They puke in the bathroom, argue with each other, practice boxing and more. The net result is a realistic, living world.

The activities of these characters might seem meaningless at first. However, they can have a tangible effect on Agent 47's missions. Two clubgoers flirting with each other will be too distracted to notice 47 slipping by. On the other hand, it will be harder to knock out a guard if he's engaged in conversation with someone else. Also, listening to these conversations can help the player learn vital details, like what character is carrying a key to a restricted elevator.

These aspects of Absolution will be familiar to Hitman veterans. However, it's worth highlighting the dynamic nature of the game because it's been six years since the last entry in the series. Absolution is essentially a reintroduction of the Hitman brand.

Square Enix has sent out a new set of stills from Hitman: Absolution. This particular batch of screens shows off two important features of the assassination game: disguises and Instinct Mode.

Disguises have been a key part of the Hitman series since its inception. Agent 47 can wear the outfit of any dead or unconscious character. This disguise will make it easier for him to infiltrate areas without arousing suspicion. Just make sure that you hide the half-naked person whose outfit you stole, or else your cover will be blown.

Instinct Mode, meanwhile, is a brand-new feature. This special ability can be used to see enemies through walls, or freely walk past someone who could see through your disguise. You can only use Instinct sparingly, even on the lower difficulty levels. If you think it makes the game too easy, you can play on the highest difficulty level and turn it off altogether.

Absolution is set to arrive worldwide on November 20th. You can read what early reviews have been saying about the game here.

At the Golden Joystick Awards, Square Enix showed off a new trailer for Hitman: Absolution trailer. In addition to being an overall entertaining bit of video, it hints at the game's storyline.

Agent 47 is a world-class assassin with an unusual mission: protect a teenage girl named Victoria. For unknown reasons, she's being sought by Blake Dexter, an arms manufacturer. 47 will have to face off against Dexter and his cronies to keep Victoria safe. Meanwhile, he'll also have to keep the police off his back.

"How many lives will you take to save one?" asks the trailer. The answer will depend on your playstyle. You can perform the missions with subtlety and stealth, or...not.

Absolution won't be out until late November but reviews are already rolling in. The first two reviews have both been extremely positive.

The first two reviews for Hitman: Absolution have been published. The UK editions of Official PlayStation Magazine and Official Xbox Magazine both have high praise for the return of Agent 47.

In Absolution, Agent 47 must find and protect a girl named Victoria in order to honor a friend's dying wish. This quest will take him to the United States and will bring him into conflict with powerful arms dealer Blake Dexter. He'll have to evade assassins and police alike on his mission.

Absolution, like previous games, gives players plenty of options in their missions. Players can sneak past enemies and make his assassinations look like accidents. Alternately, he can be a trigger-happy psychopath.

OPM says that the basic Hitman formula is present in Absolution but also "perfected". They add that this is a "peak for the series."

"It takes the ideas that made the original games so great and presents them in a modern context of checkpoints, hints and forgiveness but without sacrificing any of the challenge, excitement or shivery-skinned thrill of pulling off some impossibly and beautifully planned hit," says the mag.

OXM's review makes similar points, saying that it's "everything that fans have ever loved about the series." The review goes on to call it "slick" and "thrilling." They also give special recognition to the Contracts mode, in which players design their own custom adventures.

Absolution will launch on November 20th on the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC. The latest issues of OXM and OPM, with the full versions of the reviews, are hitting subscribers' mailboxes this week.

The latest trailer for Hitman: Absolution is a bit less violent than previous videos. It focuses on Agent 47's use of disguises throughout his various assassination missions.

Agent 47 can take the outfit of any character he has killed or knocked out. These outfits give him access to otherwise restricted environments. For example, dressing as a doctor will allow him to walk freely through a hospital.

You have to be smart while wearing a disguise, though. The person whose outfit you stole has to be well-hidden or guards will be alerted to your presence. Furthermore, you can't carry a weapon openly if it's inappropriate for your disguise. Also, your disguise won't hold up from prolonged inspection by guards so try not to linger anywhere.

The trailer shows off the various disguises you'll use, which range from practical to wacky. For example, at some point you'll be able to dress like a chicken; interestingly enough, this won't be the first game in the series to let you do that.

IO Interactive is trying to make Hitman: Absolution cater to a vast array of players. The game will be playable in five different difficulty levels to ensure that everyone will be challenged by the game.

The difficulty levels, revealed by Kotaku, vary in many different ways. For starters, they determine the amount of enemies you'll face in a mission as well as their reaction times. The difficulty will also determine whether or not you can create checkpoint saves.

One key variable in the difficulty levels is Instinct. Instinct is a brand-new gameplay mechanic introduced in Absolution. It's a special ability that the player can activate at will. Instinct can highlight enemies and their patrol routes even through walls. It will even let you stroll past someone who might otherwise blow your current disguise. Instinct is a finite resource in all difficulty levels, but its exact rarity varies.

Here's a run-down on each of the five difficulties:

Easy

• Players can activate additional checkpoints
• Instinct regenerates
• Instinct will provide hints
• Enemies react more slowly than normal

Medium

• Players can activate additional checkpoints
• Instinct does not regenerate
• Instinct will provide hints
• Normal enemy presence with normal reaction times

Hard

• Players can activate additional checkpoints
• Instinct depletes when used and does not regenerate
• No Instinct hints
• Additional enemies with improved reaction time

Expert

• No player-activated checkpoints
• Instinct depletes when used and does not regenerate
• No instinct hints
• Maximum number of enemies with fastest reacton

Purist

• No Help
• No guides
• No Interface
• Only a crosshair

Personally, I prefer it when a game allows you to toggle individual difficulty settings rather than giving you levels to choose from. For example, I'd like to have enemies with the fastest reaction time possible but also be able to create additional checkpoints. Still, this broad range of difficulty levels should accommodate most players.

So, readers, what's your plan for Absolution? Are you going to brave Purist mode, or stick to a more manageable difficulty level? Voice your opinion in the poll below.

In Hitman: Absolution, Agent 47 be able to kill enemies in a vast variety of ways. A new trailer from Square Enix demonstrates the different approaches you can take to violence.

For starters, you can be like Solid Snake and sneak your way through missions. After carefully creeping up on enemies, you can kill them without making a peep. Just make sure to hide the bodies, though.

You can take this subtle approach to a whole different levels in Hitman games, though. Instead of murdering targets silently, why not make it look like they weren't murdered at all? You can arrange a variety of "accidents" for your enemies using, say, a falling chandelier or a malfunctioning surgical robot.

If these strategies fail, though, Agent 47 is more than capable in a gunfight. He looks more capable of straight-up gunfights than he was in previous games. I guess IO Interactive is trying to make Absolution accessible to more action-oriented players as well. Hopefully they don't pull a Resident Evil 6 and go too far with that.

If you're a fan of Jesper Kyd and you're a fan of Hitman there's some bad news in store for you: The famed composer won't be lending his talents to the upcoming game from IO Interactive and Square Enix. Why? Well, basically the same reason David Bateson, Agent 47's voice, wasn't originally part of the game either, IO just didn't reach out with open arms.

In an interview with Kyd, we asked the film, TV and video game composer a number of questions, one in particular about a series he helped shape with iconic tunes, Hitman. When asked if he would be providing the score for the upcoming Hitman: Absolution, Jesper simply replied with...”No, I wasn’t approached to score Absolution.”

It's kind of hard to deny the impact the original theme song had once the game booted up back in 1999 and it was even harder to deny how that theme transitioned through and evolved with the series, even making Jesper's rendition of Ave Marie the goto promotional choice when it was time to market both the game and the movie.

Speaking of the movie, we asked Jesper about his absence from scoring the soundtrack to the Hitman movie, to which he replied...

Ouch.

It didn't feel like a Hitman movie at all,actually...it felt like trash. But that's besides the point.

It's very unfortunate that Kyd's work won't be attached to the latest Hitman game. Fans also mounted quite a bit of protest when they found out that David Bateson, the original voice for 47 throughout the entire series, wasn't going to be part of the game either. After some negotiating and some flames from fans, IO finally caved and brought Bateson back.

There have been jokes floating around that Absolution will probably replace Jesper's style of music with dubstep in an attempt to appease the kiddies.

You can check out the rest of our interview with Jesper right here, or you can visit the Official Website to learn more about Hitman: Absolution.

Square Enix has provided gamers with a lengthy preview of Contracts Mode, the online component of Hitman: Absolution. The new video is over 18 minutes long so it's probably more gameplay footage than you ever hoped for.

Contracts mode tasks players with completing custom missions. They can get these missions from other players or design their own. Players choose the map, weapons, enemies and other conditions and the mission is automatically generated.

The objective with Contracts is to complete the mission as quickly and silently as possible. Note the scoreboard at the top left of the screen. Your score will be measured against friends and even the world.

By performing missions, Agent 47 earns money. This money can then be spent on abilities or equipment. You can earn upgrades through the single-player campaign for use in Contracts as well.

Judging from these videos, these Contracts missions are surprisingly complex. They don't feel like they were churned out by a mission generator. Hopefully they'll feel that way even after players have beaten the campaign missions.

Square Enix sent out ten new screenshots for Hitman: Absolution today. These images show off the many faces of Agent 47 and the myriad of locations he'll travel to.

In the course of fulfilling his contracts, Agent 47 can don a variety of disguises to slip past security and get closer to targets. Because he's a burly bald dude with a bar code on the back of his head, his disguises are generally a source of unintentional comedy. In this latest batch of images, he's dressed up as a cowboy and sewer maintenance worker among other things.

Disguises are handy in Absolution but not necessary. The player is free to use whatever level of subtlety he's comfortable with. For example, he can just run in and shoot everyone in the level if he's so inclined. This is generally a tough proposition, though because Agent 47 doesn't have a lot of health and enemies are often numerous.

Absolution will debut on November 20th worldwide on the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC.

Hitman: Absolution is only a couple of months away from release, which means it's time for another piece of media geared at pumping you up for the game. This time we get a tutorial on the “Tools of the Trade,” in a video hilighting Agent 47's wide arsenal of weaponry.

The trailer opens with a sweeping shot of all manner of firearms. As the narrator soon informs us, though, 47 won't be limited to just loud, violent guns when Absolution finally arrives. He'll also have quiet, violent weapons to add new holes to the bad guys like scissors, a bent pipe, a naked lady statue, etc. We even catch a quick glimpse of 47 stabbing a dude through the throat with a katana. Now THAT is how you conduct an assassination.

Okay, am I the only one who saw 47 pick up that gas can and thought “Oh, snap! Dude's about to light someone on fire. Maybe he'll due it from atop a balcony and sort of rain down death on his enemies!” And then he freaking konks a guy on the head with the thing. Way to use your imagination, 47.

Anyway, as this trailer so wonderfully demonstrates, you're going to have more than enough ways to dispatch your foes once Absolution finally hits store shelves. And if murdering a dude with a bit of wire isn't your taste, you can always fall back on those trusty firearms. It looks like you'll have more than enough to choose from.

Get to killing creatively when Hitman: Absolution drops on Xbox 360, PC and PS3 on Nov. 20.

In Hitman: Absolution, Agent 47 will face off against villainous businessman Blake Dexter. A new ICA file video provides background information on Dexter, who might be the "most vicious adversary" 47 has ever encountered.

Dexter is the head of Dexter Industries, an arms manufacturer that also makes anti-theft systems. He has poured a lot of money into the small town of Hope, North Dakota. This aid has given him a tremendous amount of power over the area.

In Absolution, Agent 47 is trying to rescue a girl named Victoria from Dexter's clutches. He's doing it as a final favor to his friend and former handler Diana. It's unclear what Dexter wants from Victoria. Nothing good, I'm sure.

Dexter is voiced by Keith Carradine. Carradine previously played Wild Bill Hickok in the show Deadwood and FBI agent Frank Lundy in Dexter. His half-brother is the deceased Kung Fu star David Carradine.

One of the things that irked me a bit during the demos of Hitman: Asbolution was the change in the voice actor for agent 47. The new guy sounded younger, hipper and mostly less threatening. It reminded me of how Ubisoft is trying to youthinize Sam Fisher for the Splinter Cell games by knocking off the wrinkles and getting a younger voice actor to pretend like he sounds tough. Well, on the upside, IO apparently worked out some kind of deal to get the original voice of Agent 47 for the upcoming Hitman: Absolution, because Bateson is back.

For those of you who don't know, David Bateson has been the voice actor for Agent 47 for the entire Hitman series. He's done a superb job of capturing the distant, almost inhuman vibe and persona (or lack of one) for Agent 47. In simple terms, he really brought 47 to life.

A lot of fans questioned about whether Bateson would be back for Absolution and what was up with some other guy doing the voice over work for 47, but nothing was properly clarified early on, other than that Bateson had not received any phone calls nor was he contacted to return as Agent 47.

Well, today, after getting a tour of the IO studios, the young kid who won the Vote For Hitman contest was given a ton of swag, a look at the gametesters doing their thing and a small USB device that the IO guys told him not to upload until 16:00 GMT+1, today, (August 28th). Check out what was on the file below.

Hmm, seems legit, yeah? Well, there's also a forum thread on the official Hitman site explaining how the kid got his hands on the USB stick and what it was like getting all the swag after visiting IO Interactive's studio.

Now is it possible that this is all some sort of elaborate internet hoax for some “lulz”? Well, so long as it's on the internet it's possible. However, the likelihood of this seems quite legit and I wouldn't be surprised if this was more-so part of an elaborate marketing scheme to keep the interest in the game high as well as get old-school Hitman fans chatting up the game in a positive light on forum boards, chat rooms and aggregators across the web, I mean, who wouldn't? It's David Bateson, the original Agent 47.

Hitman Absolution is set to release this November for the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. Need more info? Feel free to pay a visit to the Official Website.

Yesterday IO Interactive revealed a new pseudo-multiplayer mode for Hitman: Absolution called Contracts. Today they've sent out a gameplay trailer so we can see it for ourselves.

In Contracts mode, players create their own custom missions. It's a pretty straightforward process; they choose the level, enemies, weapons and contract conditions. No scripting or level design is necessary on the part of the player. Once created, these missions can be shared with other players.

The game scores your performance at the end of the mission. You and your friends can trade missions and see who can rack up the higher score. The trailer seems to show global leaderboards as well.

Contracts mode is buttressed by an interesting progression system as well. You earn money by completing missions and can then spend it on equipment and abilities for Agent 47. The single-player campaign will give you additional upgrades for use in Contract missions.

For a few screenshots of Contracts mode, head here.

Hitman: Absolution will ship with a Contracts mode that lets you compete with friends. Players will be able to create their own customized, scored challenges and then share them with other gamers.

Contracts mode doesn't give you a full map editor. Instead, you pick a level, enemies and weapons. Then you specify the requirements for success, such as a time limit and whether or not witnesses are allowed. The game will come with several Contracts missions designed by IO Interactive, in case you need a little inspiration.

After finishing a mission that you or a friend designed, you'll get reward money based on your performance. This money can then be spent on unlock new weapons, items, and abilities for Agent 47. You can unlock additional tools of the trade by playing Absolution's single-player campaign.

Completing single-player challenges and comparing your scores with friends isn't the multiplayer that some might've hoped for. Still, Contracts is true to the "lone wolf" style of the series. It makes the post-mission scoreboards - which I ignored in past Hitman games - much more important as well. Custom missions should give Absolution a lot of staying power.

IO is showing off Contracts mode at Gamescom this week. If you're not in attendance, you'll have to settle for the screenshots.

Square Enix dropped a 17-minute gameplay video for Hitman: Absolution on us today. It shows Agent 47 raising hell on the streets of Hope, North Dakota.

Agent 47's ultimate target in this mission is a local gang leader named Lenny. In order to get to him, 47 will have to quietly make his way through the town and take out Lenny's fellow gang members. He uses a mixture of stealth-kills, disguises, and good ol' fashioned sneakin' to accomplish his mission.

This video only shows one possible play-through for the level but Hitman games generally give players a bit of leeway. You can accomplish missions with a variety of tactics, stealthy and otherwise. The guns blazing approach is generally a crapshoot, though.

This is the first Hitman game that IO Interactive has developed in 6 years. It seems like they've maintained the basic formula that made the series so popular in the first place, though. It looks good enough to make us forget their two Kane and Lynch games.

Square Enix has rolled out a new television ad for Hitman: Absolution. For reasons unknown, they've decided to use the song "Video Games" by Lana Del Rey. It's enough to drive anyone to a life of contract killing.

The footage is from last year's E3 cinematic trailer. Agent 47 sneaks into a heavily guard estate, wipes out all the guards, and then kills a woman while she's taking a shower. It's awesome footage but that song tries its best to ruin it.

Music criticism isn't my forte but the track's called "Video Games" so she's kinda stepping on my turf. With that in mind, let me just say: Jesus, that song is terrible. Lana Del Rey sings with the energy of a golf announcer shot with a tranquilizer dart.

The fact that the song and footage from the trailer are both over a year old makes me think that Square Enix made this awhile ago. Did someone just find the DVD under their car seat or something?

Anyway, yeah, Absolution. The game launches on November 20th.

Back in May, Square Enix released a cinematic trailer for Hitman: Absolution in which Agent 47 was ambushed by a group of PVC-clad nuns. To clear up your confusion, Square Enix has released a trailer that divulges the backstory of these young ladies.

You may be surprised to learn that these woman are not actual nuns. Instead, they're a group of assassins called the Saints. They were hired and trained by the ICA, Agent 47's former employer. They were very effective at their job, too, until they were asked to kill 47.

As shown in the cinematic trailer, Agent 47 single-handedly wipes out the group. This latest video reveals that one of the Saints survived, though: Lasandra Dixon, the leader. She's laid up in a hospital bed here but no doubt she'll survive and cause some havoc in Absolution.

In case you're wondering: no, they don't explain why they dressed up like nun strippers. Presumably a nun is treated with less suspicion than a normal person but a nun with a skin-tight bodysuit and automatic weapons probably isn't given the benefit of the doubt. It's worth remembering, though, that the the main character in this game is a dude with a barcode on the back of his head - realism is not the top priority, here.

Square Enix has released another screenshot of Hitman: Absolution, along with an image from the fictional newspaper "Hope News Times." The paper features an article that details a bloodbath at a "local social club."

It seems that someone walked into this club and shot 14 men in cold blood. The encounter lasted only a few seconds and the assailant slipped away before law enforcement could arrive. The sheriff vows to track down this "silent assassin" and bring him to justice, though.

Players will take on the role of this brave sheriff and hunt down the - just kidding. You're the bald, super-powered assassin who shot everyone. Lot cooler than being a small-town lawman, isn't it?

Hope is a small town in North Dakota that, for whatever reason, draws the attention of international hitman Agent 47. It seems to have something to do with Blake Dexter, the owner of a defense company. He's the antagonist of the game and appears to have some stake in the town of Hope.

Absolution will be available on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC on November 20th.

Hitman: Absolution is one of those games that could go in one of two directions: complete disaster or one of the greatest games of the year. You play as a hitman (who really *looks* like a hitman, to hilarious effect. Smile from time to time, dude!), and really take on the modern day assassin experience from top to bottom.

Each mission involves, what else, killing people. Small photos of your targets appear in the top right corner as you scout for them, occasionally turning on the Instinct feature, where their bodies turn red.

The game features a rating system, where you get more points depending on how silent an assassin you are. Staying undetected, hiding the body, creating distractions, leaving no trace of your presence and stealing disguises from unconscious bodies all up your score. In the demo we watched, some of the decisions the developers made were so specific, I had a hard time believing they could be figured out without help - more help than the optional in-game clues offer.

One of my favorite moments watching the demo was when Agent 47 pushed a target off a roof, then set off an intricately planned explosion. The idea was to make it look like the target died in an accident. There is also a great feature where you can go into slow motion and target multiple enemies at once. It's messy and leaves a lot of bodies to hide, but man is it cool to look at.

When I got my hands on Absolution I found the target easily enough, but couldn't deduce out how to take him out stealthily, so eventually just shot him in the head and did my best to then hide from police. Master assassin that I am, I got caught hiding in a dumpster. I'd like to think that with more time, my brain could be able to strategize in the way the game calls for, and if all the pieces come together, this fifth installment of the Hitman franchise could be an epically successfully stealth game.

Hitman: Absolution will be released for Xbox, PS3 and PC on November 20th and is definitely worth checking out. If it lives up to its potential when it comes to stealth strategy, it could end up being THE game of the fall.

A 10 minute video was released featuring actual gameplay of Hitman: Absolution. A lot of the fears gamers had about the upcoming title are laid to rest as IO Interactive confirms that stages are still non-linear and taking out targets is ripe with optional kill zones.

The video comes courtesy of VG 24/7 who managed to get a lengthy walkthrough out of a member of the IO team who shows off the different aspects of gameplay, as well as using various professional and flashy methods for taking out opponents.

I especially liked the one where 47 leads the King of Chinatown into the room where he's sniffing coke and then cuts him down. It would make the thing look like he died in a drug deal gone bad. I'm curious if they will continue on what they established in Blood Money by having newspaper clippings of the hits after each hit, that would be pretty neat.

A lot of the gameplay still seems to be inherent to the classic Hitman gameplay mechanics, save for more atmospheric immersion, lots of more environmental ambiance and of course, a whole, whole, whole bunch of AI NPCs flooding the stages, which definitely helps bring the realism factor up a notch.

You can expect to see more of Hitman: Absolution during this year's E3. For more info feel free to visit the Official Website.

As expected, Square Enix confirmed the release date for Hitman: Absolution today. They've also outlined some additional details on the Hitman: Sniper Challenge pre-order bonus revealed earlier in the week.

Sniper Challenge is a standalone, downloadable game exclusively available to GameStop pre-order customers. Players, must assassinate the CEO of a munitions company along with all of his bodyguards using a sniper rifle. They'll be scored based on their performance. Over time they can unlock upgrades for their sniper rifle.

Your accomplishments in Sniper can reward you outside the game as well. The Kazo TRG sniper rifle in Challenge can be used in Absolution as well, along with all the upgrades you've earned. The top player on the North American online leaderboards for the game will get a trip for two to Copenhagen, Denmark. During that trip, they'll meet the development team and get their likeness recorded for use in the next Hitman game.

Hitman: Sniper Challenge will be downloadable by PS3 and Xbox 360 pre-order customers starting on May 15th. PC gamers will have to wait until August 1st.

Most pre-order incentives are just bonus items themselves. That's exactly what Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart are offering to Absolution pre-order customers, actually. It's cool that Square Enix put the effort into creating a game to dispense these rewards. I'm not sure what negotiations are involved in determining what retailer gets what promotional item but GameStop pulled out a big win here.

As fun as Sniper Challenge sounds, though, it won't keep you entertained until Absolution's release. Absolution won't be available until November 20th

Square Enix revealed three additional pre-order bonuses for Hitman: Absolution this afternoon. Amazon, Best Buy and Walmart will each offer customers a unique weapon and suit for Agent 47's latest adventure.

What's cool about each of these weapon/suit combos is that they provide a distinct look for Agent 47: commando, James Bond, or gangster. Granted, most gamers aren't playing Hitman to obsess over fashion but I'm still glad IO put some effort into making sure all these items are cool in their own way.

Here's what each retailer is offering you:

Amazon

• High Tech Suit and Bartoli Custom Pistol -- The advanced High Tech suit provides Agent 47™ with 50% increased armor paired with the Bartoli Custom, an engineered precision weapon, complete with sight and silencer.

Best Buy

• Public Enemy Suit and the Bronson M1928 submachine gun -- The Original Assassin can dress in a stylish Public Enemy gangster suit armed with the Bronson M1928, a classic submachine gun with high fire rate and deadly stopping power.

Walmart

• High Roller Suit and the Krugermeier 2-2 Pistol -- The High Roller suit dresses Agent 47 in a fancy tuxedo discreetly outfitted with the Krugermeier, an accurate, reliable stealth weapon with a built-in silencer.

Square announced yesterday that GameStop will give its pre-order customers a stand-alone sniper challenge game. A bonus game will probably be more popular than bonus items. Still, if you want a closer look at the pre-order suits and weapons, check out the screenshots below.

The steady drip of Absolution news from Square Enix makes me wonder whether they're gearing up to announce a release date. All we know so far is that the game will be arriving later in the year.

If you were worried that Agent 47 wouldn't have a large plethora of weapons and kill devices at his disposal, you need not worry because Agent 47 has plenty of weapons, sharp objects and devices at his disposal to kill lots of people in lots of different ways.

The trailer basically re-introduces gamers to Agent 47, as he uses human shields, breaks necks, disarms foes and slices and dices them to pieces using knives, axes and anything else he can get his hands on.

Most old-school Hitman fans, however, are a little worried about this latest game because they feel it mirrors a lot of the similarities of Splinter Cell: Conviction while also trying to appeal to the Assassin's Creed audience. At this stage it's still difficult to determine how open and free the game is, but you can check out the snazzy new combat sequences in the trailer below.

The one thing that still comes across as worrisome is that we have yet to see any of the classic, open-world type scenarios that made the Hitman games famous. I suppose IO Interactive could be building up to the actual stage layout designs to give gamers a sound idea of what they can expect from the title.

I'm also quite sure that we'll finally get to see a full stage in action (outside of the Chicago demo stage that we keep seeing), enabling gamers to get a firmer grasp on Hitman: Absolution. The title is set for release for the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. You can learn more about the game by paying a visit to the Official Website.

Square Enix has released a pair of screenshots for IO Interactive's stealth, third-person shooter Hitman Absolution. Accompanying the images is a new issue for Hope News Times.

We've already seen a screenshot of protagonist Agent 47 within Hope, North Dakota. The latest set of screenshots of the game, meanwhile, are set in the southern province of Dakota.

Hope is a town which is experiencing swift growth thanks to the wealthy character named Blake Dexter. His support and influence on the town has led to an increase in population. However, Dexter is touted as one of Absolution's main villains so expect 47 to be playing an important role within the town.

In addition to the new screenshots, Square Enix has released another mysterious edition of Hope News Times. We're not sure how the newspapers relates to Agent 47 or the game in any capacity but I'm sure we'll find out as the game's launch nears.

Hitman Absolution is currently scheduled for a release sometime this year.

IO Interactive has taken a bold new approach to the design philosophy of their latest Hitman game, employing Hollywood talent for key role characters. A new behind-the-scenes video gives gamers an idea of what the process is like for veteran actors Powers Booth and Shannyn Sossamon.

Booth looks completely uninterested during the whole thing. It's not even feigned enthusiasm that some Hollywood types put on for some games, it's just flatout disinterest. Shannyn seems a little more into the process despite noting a bit of apprehension over the increase of her character's bust size. Both give cookie cutter impressions of conditions and performances and you can check it out in the video below.

I'm more curious why the original Hitman voice actor won't be returning, David Bateson. It's obvious IOI is going for a more Hollywood-sized production route for Absolution, including the Hollywood talent, but I always felt like Bateson was Agent 47, and he really helped bring a unique characterization and personality to the stone-cold killer and proverbial anti-hero.

Still, we haven't seen enough of Hitman: Absolution to tell if it will be returning to roots like the exceptional Hitman 2: Silent Assassin or if it will aim for the casual audience by channeling more of the Splinter Cell: Conviction route. At least gamers will know that the performances of in-game characters will be handled by veteran actors...if that's any consolation.

Hitman: Absolution is set for release on the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. For more info feel free to visit the Official Website.

To start your weekend off right, IO Interactive released a new screenshot for Hitman: Absolution. In this shot, Agent 47 seems to have found an assassination job in an unusual place: Hope, North Dakota.

Hope, North Dakota is a sleepy town of 258 residents in the real world. In Absolution, Hope is growing rapidly due to the influence and support of a wealthy man named Blake Dexter. Dexter is said to be one of the main villains in the game so no doubt he has less-than-honorable intentions toward the town.

In the screenshot, Agent 47 is dressed up like a sheriff. Disguises have always played an important part of Hitman gameplay. They help 47 get into areas that might be otherwise inaccessible. They work pretty well as long as you make sure to hide the poor soul you killed to get the disguise.

However, you don't need to wear disguises to success in Hitman. These games give players a lot of choice in how to carry out their missions. You can use stealth or disguises if you wish but you've always got the option of rushing in through the front door with your guns blazing - it's just a bit harder.

Absolution is due later this year on the Xbox 360, PS3, and PC.

When Hitman: Absolution hits stores, it will be available in two flavors: Standard and Professional Edition. The Professional Edition is a bit more expensive but comes with a number of extras.

The Professional Edition comes in a special clamshell box. Inside this package, you'll find a behind-the-scenes DVD as well as a hardcover art book - common components of any limited edition. The Professional Edition also provides you with access to an Agency Gun Pack, with the following in-game weapons:

• Jagd P22G - A modern top-tier pistol
• HX UMP - Powerful high-caliber SMG
• SPS 12 - A brutal semi-automatic shotgun

Nope, no Agent 47 sculpture or replica Silverballers. They opted for a less crazy CE, which should translate to a lower price tag. There was no mention of the price today, though.

Absolution is said to be a more "personal" Hitman game than previous entries in the series. Legendary assassin Agent 47 has been betrayed by the Agency. He must fend off the police and criminals alike in his quest for redemption.

Square Enix expects to release Absolution sometime this year.

Square Enix has quietly trademarked another title for a possible Hitman game. The new title - Hitman: Sniper Challenge - suggests that they're taking the series in a very different direction.

The name Sniper Challenge, unearthed by Siliconera, sounds like some sort of shooting range simulator. It's a much less ominous title than, say, Hitman: Absolution. Perhaps I'm reading too far into this but I'd guess that this game isn't a "standard," story-driven Hitman game. After all, Agent 47 never felt the need to limit himself to just rifles.

If it's, as I said, a shooting range game then you'd need Kinect or Move support to make it notable. A shooting gallery just wouldn't be much fun with a standard controller. It wouldn't exactly be ground-breaking even with motion support but it sounds like a plausible premise for a game.

Square Enix will be opening a Montreal studio this year. Once created, Square Enix Montreal will start work on a new Hitman. IO Interactive, creators of the series, will collaborate with them on the game once they've finished Absolution.

Square Enix also filed a trademark for Hitman: Profession in late December. It's possible that that it's either a completely different game than Sniper Challenge, or Square is still mulling over potential titles.

IO Interactive has explored the idea of making a Hitman game with a cooperative multiplayer component. However, Hitman: Absolution director Tore Blystad said that it wouldn't be a good fit for the franchise.

"Of course we have been discussing co-op for many Hitman games but it never felt right," Blystad told OXM. "Agent 47 is a loner and we have never found a way to give him a partner, because to be honest, he doesn't need one."

The idea of a co-op assassination game is interesting. Splinter Cell: Conviction's two-player campaign is probably the closest we've seen to that. As Blystad said, though, Agent 47's always been a lone wolf. At this point in the series, it would be tough to introduce a buddy. Plus, a new character with equal skills and abilities would make Agent 47 seem a bit less bad-ass.

Absolution is due later this year on the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC.

Square Enix decided to show off a new trailer for Hitman: Absolution during the Spike Video Game Awards. This latest CGI trailer shows Agent 47 doing what he does best: kill scores of people without ever wrinkling his suit.

In the trailer, a group of armed men invades a hospital. They're after one of the patients, a young woman. However, Agent 47 also wants her and he's willing to fight for it. He dispatches thug after thug before they even know he's there.

Who's the girl and what does Agent 47 want with her? It's not clear yet. There's a lot of little clues throughout the trailer, though. The developers are no doubt hoping the amateur detectives on the web (ie you) will fill in the blanks.

Absolution is due in 2012 on the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC.

Get More: GameTrailers.com, Hitman: Absolution - VGA 2011: Exclusive Trailer, PC Games, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

A re-released version of the near 17 minute Hitman: Absolution trailer has appeared online, with IO Interactive’s gameplay and game directors giving commentary and insight for the gameplay walkthrough video, as well as giving hints about key gameplay features.

One of the things I was most worried about after seeing Absolution was whether the game would be more or less linear than previous versions of the game given the very point-to-point kind of mechanics present in the 16 minute trailer. However, the game directors quell some suspicions by pointing out that some levels will apparently stray from Hitman fashion and include segments and scenarios as seen in the following video.

Is it me or did Agent 47 look a lot like Dolph Lundgren and less like traditional Agent 47 in that elevator segment?

Anyway, I think after hearing the commentary I’m a lot more excited about the game. Knowing that hiding in plain sight will play a bigger role in getting in and out of tight situations, as well as the enhanced melee and stealth mechanics are expanded for more espionage-style gameplay, I think Hitman: Asbolution has an opportunity to become the game Splinter Cell: Conviction was meant to be (and I mean that as a compliment).

The new instincts features also seem to be fairly interesting…being able to “sense” where NPCs are going or use the instincts to hide away 47’s face from suspicious onlookers gives the game some added thrill-factors that could work really well for tense missions. Hopefully the gameplay will help distract from not having David Bateson voice the iconic hitman…he really helped bring the character to life like very few other voice actors could do. I’ll always remember the dry-witted line in the original game at the hotel where 47 blatantly says to a bewildered bartender, “I’m looking for some action…” If you hear it, it’s hilarious.

Anyway, IO Interactive’s newest Hitman title is scheduled to release in 2012 for the Xbox 360, PC and PS3. For further information on the game feel free to visit the Official Website.

IO Interactive released the complete 16 minute gameplay walkthrough trailer for Hitman: Absolution. The new gameplay footage showcases a lot of Agent 47’s new abilities as well as a few striking changes made to the character.

The one thing that you may notice first and foremost in the trailer is that the scenario is completely different from most other Hitman games. Players are now in an action-oriented progressive scenario where it’s required to battle through to get out alive. It’s hard to tell if the entire game will be like this or if it’s just this one level, but it’s definitely a different take on the Hitman franchise and reminds me a lot of what the original Splinter Cell games used to be like.

Kind of cool, eh? I’m a little torn because it sounds like the original Hitman voice actor is no longer doing Agent 47’s voice. This new guy sounds younger and far less threatening or menacing.

The music scheme seems pretty fitting, though, and it really helped drive home the intensity and desperation of the situation. Also, I do like the additional melee and stealth attacks. The platforming looks seamless enough and could greatly add to the overall scaling of stages and ways to take out targets. I just hope the entire game isn’t a linear shooter, though; it would vastly take away from what made the original games so much fun to begin with.

On the bright side, the footage is very old in regards to development cycles and the video was obviously put together for promotional purposes. We won't really be able to tell what the overall gameplay will be like until IO releases a more up-to-date trailer.

Hitman: Absolution is set for release in 2012 for the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. Need more info? Feel free to visit the Official Website.

IO Interactive, Eidos and Square Enix released a new trailer for Hitman: Absolution featuring some shooting, some hiding and some of Agent 47’s up-close-and-personal melee skills.

I’m a little torn on the trailer because ultimately what we see looks to be like Splinter Cell: Conviction or Uncharted 3, which may be a little unsettling for fans of the original Hitman gameplay mechanics. Nevertheless, the following trailer is just a teaser and they probably wanted gamers to get a feeling of intensity while also showing off a few of Agent 47’s badass abilities.

You can keep track of the game and its progress by visiting the Official Website. Hitman: Absolution is set for release in 2012 for the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.

The Hitman series has traditionally been single-player-only. However, IO Interactive is looking to inject a little multiplayer action into the newest installment, Hitman: Absolution.

"First of all, I want to say we do have something very, very interesting coming up in Hitman: Absolution on the online side," said IO Interactive producer Hakan Abrak in an interview with Eurogamer published today. "We're not ready to talk about it right now. Hitman is an assassin who works alone, but you never know in what form or in what way we could give you an online experience."

So, will Agent 47 be accompanied on his mission by Agent 48, a fast-talking assassin voiced by Chris Tucker? No, he will not. The multiplayer component will be separate from the campaign.

"It's unfortunately not something I can talk about right now, but I can say, in the story part, Agent 47 definitely works alone," said Abrak.

The other stealth games on the market gives us some ideas on what this multiplayer could be. Splinter Cell: Conviction had a completely separate co-op campaign in which two players conducted covert ops together. Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood went the competitive multiplayer route, with teams of players attempting to assassinate each other in crowded towns. IO could probably make either concept work for Absolution.

The Hitman series centers around Agent 47, a mysterious assassin-for-hire. What really set the game apart was the non-linear gameplay. You were given a target but not told how to kill him. The game merely offered up options. For example, you could go in guns blazing, sneak in without a noise, knock out a guard and take his uniform, or find some other method. Elsewhere in the interview, Abrak said that this core experience will be maintained for Absolution but with more choices.

Agent 47 came out of hiding just in time for E3. IO Interactive has released a new CG trailer as well as several pieces of art for Hitman: Absolution.

In the trailer, Agent 47 infiltrates a home on an apparent assassination mission. He takes out the well-armed security forces with either his bare hands or improvised weapons. While this isn't in-game footage, it's a pretty good indication of what the game is like.

Absolution is the fifth game in the Hitman series, which tasks players with assassinating targets with a combination of stealth, disguises, and brute force. This will be the first game in the series to be released for the PS3. It's also in development for the PC and Xbox 360.

IO Interactive plans to release Absolution in 2012.

Next Monday there is going to be a lot of hoopla and the possible explosion of the internet when a whole bunch of big announcements get underway for this year’s E3. The fact that there’s so much anticipation based on what we don’t know is one of the things that could make this year’s the biggest E3 yet. What’s more is that some of our favorite franchises and video game series will be on showcase with some brand spanking new titles, including the likes of Tomb Raider, Hitman and Deus Ex.

Speaking of which…Square Enix announced today that they have a full line-up of games in store for this year’s E3 as well as a few surprises. You can check out the complete list of the game’s Square will be headlining at the biggest gaming event of the year.

Mike Fischer, president and chief executive officer of Square Enix commented in the press release, saying...

Square will be at booth 1647 in the South Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center. You can learn more about their showings by visiting the Official Website.

Square Enix E3 2011 Line-Up

• TOMB RAIDER, from Redwood City-based studio Crystal Dynamics, ratchets up the intensity and takes gamers into the world of Lara Croft as they have never seen before.

• A new tale continues the story of FINAL FANTASY XIII. With new characters come new destinies in FINAL FANTASY XIII-2, which will be playable for the first time at E3.

• Gaming in 2011 gets augmented with DEUS EX®: HUMAN REVOLUTION from Eidos- Montréal, marking the series’ triumphant return.

• Agent 47 takes on his most dangerous contract to date in HITMAN ABSOLUTION from IO Interactive A/S.

• The island of Banoi may seem like paradise — until players realize they are among a handful of survivors of a zombie outbreak in DEAD ISLAND from Deep Silver.

• Obsidian Entertainment’s DUNGEON SIEGE III offers intuitive action gameplay, a robust RPG system with an extensive selection of abilities, an endless variety of loot and an engaging storyline.

• WAKFU is a fantasy MMO adventure with a tactical combat system and a unique anime style from Ankama Studio.

• HEROES OF RUIN is a brand new adventure for the Nintendo 3DS featuring a lineup of unlikely heroes and deep social functionality.

The second full week of May comes to a close and there’s still some problems with the PlayStation Network. As of the writing of this recap Sony was supposed to have Qriocity and PSN back up and running but the entire thing seems to be in critical condition as the company desperately tries to restore services that were hacked by…hackers. Amid the chaos of the past few weeks for Sony, Namco Bandai has announced a slew of new games including Soul Calibur V. Joining them in new game announcements Square Enix and Eidos have confirmed that Hitman: Absolution is also on the way and this time, it’s personal. Although, isn’t it always personal? Also new Modern Warfare 3 trailers have been released. These stories and more in this May 14th, 2011 edition of the Gaming Blend Weekly Recap.

Sunday

Rumor: Call of Duty Blacks Ops PS3 Bundle Coming Soon. Lots of console-war talk over this, but Activision doesn’t care…there’s money to be made.

Test Drive Unlimited 2 Exploration DLC Pack Hits PC. Feel like the environments are a little dull? Well, no worries there are additional areas to explore with the brand new DLC pack.

< a href=http://www.cinemablend.com/games/Team-Fortress-2-Replay-Feature-Goes-Live-31831.html>Team Fortress 2 Replay Feature Goes Live. You can now scope out the competition’s skill or simply marvel at your own shooting prowess with the brand new replay feature.

Peyton Hills Not Sweating Madden Curse. Yeah well, he’s saying that now…just wait until the knee injury hits.

Monday

Troy Website Launched, Closed-Beta Starts May 13th. Famous Greek myths get reborn in this new MMO.

Destructoid Playhem Open Xbox Live Style Service Called Fight. Challenge your friends to a fight with the new service…Fight.

Rumor: Metal Gear Solid 3DS Pushed Back To November. A slight delay for the autostereoscopic version of Metal Gear Solid? Well your eyes will just have to wait a little before you can view Snake in 3D.

Capcom Says PSN Outage Could Cost Them Millions. Well when no one can spend money at the online store then no one is making money as a result.

Rumor: Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 Release Date November 8th. A little guestimating and some insider sources could mean that you could be experiencing the third trip to a modern warfare environment this holiday season.

EA Says They Don’t Have The Next Xbox. And come on, why would they? Really.

Tuesday

Lace Mamba Global E3 2011 Line-Up Revealed. A few unpopular games aiming to become slightly more popular.

Rift Free Trials Now Available. If you’ve been skeptical about the game but have been hearing all sorts of good things about it then now is the time to check it out.

Paradox Interactive E3 2011 Line-Up Announced. A complete listing of the games coming out this year and the next from Paradox Interactive.

Candygun Using Unreal Engine 3 For Upcoming Zombie Shooter, Dead Block. Epic is just making a killing on the Unreal Engine 3 and with good reason.

Hail To The King Baby, Army of Darkness: Defense Coming To iOS. Ash returns to fight deadites and the hordes of the undead with his Boomstick and chainsaw.

Hitman Absolution Announced. Hitman Absolution Announced. What could Agent 47 possibly do next? Well, click the link to find out.

Next Alan Wake Probably Coming This Fall. There’s a new one in the works and Remedy has made that fact known…sort of.

Wednesday

Battlefield 3 Screenshots Head Back To Karkand. Karkand never looked so beautiful.

Dragon Ball Game Project Age 2011 Announced For Xbox 360 and PS3. Today’s selection of news is basically Namco Bandai day, so every other article under Wednesday will be Namco Bandai related. And without further ado…yet another Dragon Ball Z game is on the way.

Tales Of Graces F and Tales of Abyss Coming To North America. Two new RPGs courtesy of Namco Bandai are heading to North America.

Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Impact Announced. Yet another Naruto game…go figure.

Ace Combat Assault Horizon Taking Flight This October. Flight sim fans will finally have something to clap about as the console-based simulator adds another game to its illustrious franchise line.

PSN Restoration Still A Few Days Away. Poor thing acts like it’s trying to recover from a stroke. One day…one day it will walk again, but never the way it walked before.

Soul Calibur V Coming To PS3 and Xbox 360 In 2012. Fighting fans will have more to look forward to than simple Capcom rehashes from the Street Fighter IV engine.

Thursday

Shift 2 Unleashed Speed Hunters DLC Trailer Released. Awesome new cars and tuning options available in the new DLC pack for Shift 2.

Witcher 2 Dev Doc Explains Combat Tactics And Magic System. There’s a little more to the system than the standard clickety-click found in most other games.

Jeremy McGrath Offroad Racing Announced For PSN, Xbox Live. Well, it will appear on the PSN whenever it gets back up and running.

Microsoft Profiting From PSN Outage With Xbox 360 Game Prices? Maybe or maybe not…only the NPD charts will tell.

Ubisoft Cancels Multiple Games, Teases Ambitious PC Project. No titles were mentioned but the banhammer is going to stretch far I imagine.

Lineage Shutting Down In North America. Well, of course it is. Can they now bring back Tabula Rasa and make it F2P, please?

Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection Resurrects Original Trilogy On PS3, Xbox 360, PC. Ho Sung Pak and crew make a return to form in the new original trilogy.

Friday

Parasite: UE3 Powered Trilogy Coming To PC. An indie dev is looking to step into the big leagues with an epic-sized Unreal Engine 3 trilogy.

Pandora Tower Is Wii’s New Legend Of Zelda? Nintendo has an intriguing new adventure title in the wings, could it be the new Zelda?

Space Western Starhawk Is PS3 Exclusive The PS3’s answer to Mass Effect…sort of.

Beyond Good and Evil 2, I Am Alive Not Cancelled. Ubisoft only cancelled games no one cared about, and why not?

APB Reloaded Heads Into Open Beta May 18th. This time the game actually works, and that’s good news for gamers.

XBLA Shooter Hybrid Delayed To 2012. Another delayed title…it’s for that extra, extra shiny polish. Even more polish than any other delayed title. Yes sir, we have to have that polish.

Saturday

Gatling Gears XBLA Review. Is this arcade shooter worth your MS Points? Click the link to read the review and find out.

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 Teaser Trailers Preview Global Conflict. A bunch of new trailers are up and available for the upcoming military shooter.

SOE Apologizes With Free Game Time Game And Bonuses. You pay for it yet you can’t play it…so SOE is rewarding customers with some special bonuses.

Free Brink DLC Coming In June. With the game finally out on store shelves there will be some additional DLC available for gamers to get their grubby hands on.

The Darkness 2 Hands-On Preview. Some hands-on time with the brand new shooter from Top Cow.

That wraps up this edition of the Gaming Blend Weekly Recap. You can check out some of the motion capturing techniques used in Red Faction: Armageddon with the new video below. Enjoy.