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Tag: IO Interactive

  • Turn-Based ‘Hitman’ Mobile Game Announced

    Turn-Based ‘Hitman’ Mobile Game Announced

    2012’s Hitman: Absolution was relatively well-received by critics, yet still didn’t live up to Square Enix’s sales expectations. Especially considering the huge marketing push the publisher made for the game.

    Now Square Enix is giving Hitman the same treatment so many of its other properties have gotten recently. The publisher today announced Hitman GO, an upcoming mobile game based on the Hitman franchise. According to Square Enix the game is “almost ready for launch” and will undergo testing in the coming weeks.

    Hitman GO is a turn-based strategy game in which players will command Agent 47 around small “diorama-style” levels. The challenge will be getting 47 into position to take out his targets while avoiding enemies. Square Enix Montreal promises that players will have access to all the tools commonly associated with the Hitman franchise, including disguises, weapons, and other tools of the assassin trade.

    The news that Hitman is going mobile probably comes as a disappointment for fans of the series waiting on another full title, and it seems even Square Enis realizes this. The publisher also used the Hitman GO announcement to tease “something else” Square Enix Montreal is working on that “fits perfectly within the Hitman fantasy.” The announcement stated that fans will not have to wait long for a reveal that may come “sooner than you think.”

  • Hitman: Absolution Launch Trailer Drops the Bass, Of Course

    After a dozen trailers covering everything from the weapons to the silly costumes of the game, Square Enix has finally released its final statement on what Hitman: Absolution is trying to be.

    The launch trailer for the game focuses on the story behind Agent 47’s actions, but manages to pack in the sexy nuns, strippers, and some ultra-violence, including a nifty katana-through-the-mouth kill. Oh, and a dubstep soundtrack, of course. That’s required for game trailers now. Over the top of all of this, short segments of good reviews of the game are shown, and early reviews look to put Absolution in the company of other well-reviewed Hitman titles such as Hitman 2: Silent Assassin.

    The story of Hitman: Absolution seems simple enough. Agent 47 saves a little girl against the wishes of the International Contract Agency (ICA). The ICA, in turn, sends its other best assassins to eliminate him. Because they can’t abide a single act of mercy from the world’s greatest assassin. There’s sure to be intrigue and mystery, though, as the mythology of the Hitman series is actually a lot deeper than its mission structure might suggest.

  • New Hitman: Absolution Trailer Digs Into 47’s ICA File

    Last week’s “Ultimate Assassin” trailer seemed as if it might be the last Hitman: Absolution trailer coming from Square Enix and IO Interactive before the game’s launch trailer. It covered all of the different aspects of the game and introduced the magical Agent 47 “instinct” powers. However, it seems that Square and IO are determined to try and keep Absolution in the minds of gamers who are busy with Assassin’s Creed III, Halo 4, or Call of Duty: Black Ops II.

    Yet another trailer for Hitman: Absolution was released today, this one continuing the ICA (International Contract Agency) file trailer series. Previous ICA trailers detailed the enemies Agent 47 will encounter in Absolution, including the weapons baron Blake Dexter and The Saints (the sexy nuns). Today’s ICA file details Agent 47 himself, using the same motion comic style as the other trailers.

    Judging from the trailer, it seems that Agent 47 has gone rogue, and is now playing by his own rules. The ICA has issued a kill order on the former agent, meaning all those other ICA agents will now be after the world’s best assassin.

  • Hitman: Absolution “Ultimate Assassin” Trailer Released

    It’s Friday, and that means another Hitman: Absolution trailer has arrived. Today’s trailer – dubbed “Ultimate Assassin” – is the last in Square Enix’s and IO Interactive’s series of trailers that reveal the details of just about every aspect of the game.

    Previous trailers have mostly focused on what players will be able to do in their role as Agent 47 – the weapons they can use, the methods they can use to kill targets, or the silly disguises they can don, for example. Today’s trailer focuses on Agent 47 himself, and the preternatural abilities that IO Interactive has given players. By “tapping into” Agent 47’s genetically-engineered instincts, players will see targets, threats, and opportunities highlighted in bright colors.

    The powers appear to make the game incredibly easy, highlighting potential assassination scenarios and threats instead of letting players discover them on their own. The trailer does make it clear, however, that players don’t have to use 47’s powers. A “purist” mode is available for those who want a more classic Hitman experience.

  • New Hitman: Absolution Trailer Shows “Living, Breathing World”

    Square Enix and IO Interactive today released the latest Hitman: Absolution trailer. This one highlights the non-player characters (NPCs) found in the game, and how they can help Agent 47 eliminate his targets.

    One of the most difficult things for any game to do is provide believable characters who react to player actions. It’s difficult because it’s not possible for video game characters to pass the turing test – at some point, players are going to hear repeated dialogue, see them take stupid actions, or see NPCs get themselves and others killed. This is the main reason escort quests are a scourge upon the gaming landscape.

    Bethesda did a fairly good job with believability in Skyrim, but the “arrow to the knee” meme makes it clear how far there still is to go. Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto games always provide extra entertainment from the way characters react to ultraviolence, and it’s a given that the upcoming Grand Theft Auto V will feature much better AI than was found in GTA IV.

    Judging from today’s trailer, it appears Hitman: Absolution has taken a heavily-scripted route to controlling NPCs. The dialogue is obviously written to make them seem like real people with concerns outside of pacing back and forth along a set route. It’s a nice touch, and hopefully it will be believable enough to make aspiring Agent 47’s think twice about simply murdering everyone in each level.

  • New Hitman: Absolution Trailer Highlights “Dynamic” Audio

    Square Enix and IO Interactive want gamers to know every detail of Hitman: Absolution before its release. Already, trailers detailing over-the-top bad guys, varied weapons, assassination methods, and silly costumes have been released.

    Today’s trailer demonstrates how the audio in Hitman: Absolution will relate to the gameplay. The audio engineers who worked on the game talk a bit about what “dynamic” audio is and how they’ve incorporated it. The big, cinematic music stings will be saved for special moments, while more demure ambient music will be played during the “stalking” phase of missions.

    When it comes to the game’s dialogue, IO had the game’s voice actors record dialogue while they were also being motion captured. According Thomas Bartschi, audio director for Hitman: Absolution, believable dialogue is the most important piece of audio in the game.

  • New Hitman: Absolution Trailer is Full of Death

    Another week is here, and another Hitman: Absolution trailer is here. Fresh off their trailer series featuring the bad guys of the game, Square Enix today released the first in a series of trailers that will show off the options will have while playing as Agent 47.

    Today’s trailer, seen below is called “Kill Mode” and demonstrates the wide variety of ways players will be able to assassinate their targets. Players can be as subtle as poisoning or as bombastic as a John Woo-style shootout.

    From the look of things, the kills in Absolution are more about style than anything else. This fits well with the type of game IO Interactive has said it is going for, which is based on 70s-era grindhouse and exploitation movies.

  • Hitman: Absolution “Tools of the Trade” Trailer Released

    Square Enix has been releasing plenty of trailers for Hitman: Absolution, mostly ones detailing the various enemies in the game. Today’s new Hitman trailer, though, is about something a little more more important than good-old-boy weapons barons or sexy, leather-clad nuns. The latest trailer delves into the topic of what tools players will use to accomplish their goals in the game. In a word, the trailer is about weapons.

    Overall, the gameplay of Hitman: Absolution doesn’t seem to have changed much from previous Hitman games. Players going for stealthy kills will certainly want to stick with the garrote and silenced weapons. Those not looking to be subtle can a wide variety of high-powered guns, including shotguns, assault rifles, and hand-cannons. Snipers will have plenty of opportunities to practice their aim, and almost any heavy object lying around can be used to brutally bludgeon targets and henchmen.

    Those who have seen the E3 gameplay footage will attest that IO Interactive has certainly provided players with plenty of options when it comes to assassination. In addition to the weapons in the game, there are many environmental hazards Agent 47 can use to cause an “accident.” In keeping with the 70’s exploitation film theme of the game, it seems many of these environmental assassinations will be a bit silly.

    Hitman: Absolution hits stores in two months, on November 20.

  • New Hitman: Absolution ICA File Trailer Released

    The run-up to Hitman: Absolution has been packed with content and not a little controversy. Square Enix announced back in May that the game will be released on November 20 and then released some pre-launch DLC for customers who pre-ordered at GameStop. Then came the trailers.

    More specifically, then came the nuns trailer, which featured tall, leggy women in skimpy leather outfits wearing nun habits. The video understandably caused accusations of sexism and misogyny, and IO Interactive promptly apologized.

    IO then began releasing teaser trailers featuring the backstory of the villians in Hitman: Absolution, including the nuns. The vignettes revealed that the game is told in the style of a 70s-era exploitation movie, making the ridiculous costumes and conceits at least make sense in context.

    Today IO released its latest “ICA File” trailer, this one featuring the villain named Blake Dexter. Dexter is a good-old-boy weapons manufacturer who uses violence to forward his business. He will be voiced by Kieth Carradine, who TV viewers may know as Frank Lundy from Dexter or Wild Bill Hickok from Deadwood.

  • Hitman’s Sexy Nuns Get a Background Story

    Hitman’s Sexy Nuns Get a Background Story

    The teaser trailer for Hitman: Absolution that featured sexy nun assassins got the attention of the gaming industry, but not in a good way. Instead of focusing on the sheer ridiculousness of the concept, charges of sexism were thrown around because of the way the nuns were dressed and portrayed. The charges even prompted an apology from game developer IO Interactive, which explained that Hitman: Absolution will have a 60’s-era exploitation movie theme.

    Today, Square Enix is releasing a new teaser video for the new Hitman that gives some background on just who theses nuns are (or were, in the trailer). The video is the latest in the the International Contract Agency (ICA) files series of teaser videos, which give overviews on the main cast of the game. The new video shows that the nun team is made up of former felons, cage fighters, junkies, and, of course, strippers:

    Well, that explains it. Because strippers love to wear thigh-highs, leather body suits, and high-heels in their spare time or while out on assassination missions, right? This video certainly won’t help to do away with those sexism charges, but it looks as if the style IO Interactive is going for might work in the larger context of Hitman: Absolution.

    Oh, and remember the leader of the nuns? The one who was able to hide a rocket launcher in her habit? Square Enix announced today that the character will be voiced by Vivica Fox, of Kill Bill and Independence Day fame. Watch the video below to see what Fox thinks about her character and how motion capture acting for video games compares with acting in a movie:

  • IO Interactive Apologizes For Hitman/Nun Trailer

    Stating a desire to capture the grindhouse theme made popular by the exploitation movies of the past, developers at IO Interactive have apologized for their Hitman: Absolution trailer, which leads this post. Given the apparent sexism contained within the trailer, which features a scantily-clad team of female assassins disguised as nuns, the apology was given to address any offense that may have been taken during the trailer’s viewing.

    The apology, which was given to IGN, via The Escapist, comes from IO Interactive Game Director Tore Blystad, who says:

    “We’re sorry that we offended people – that was truly not the intention of the trailer. We were surprised that it turned into such a huge topic. Something similar happened with our Sniper Challenge pre-order bonus… We just wanted to make something cool, it wasn’t the intention to stir up anything.”

    Regardless of your position on the trailer–some say it was sexist, others disagree–the apology has been given, meaning enough offense was taken to make the trailer’s content an issue. Blystad also offered the “grindhouse feel” explanation as a way of explaining the motivation for making such a stage:

    “The grindhouse theme is something that we’re using throughout the game. It tends more towards sixties exploitation movies – these were a fascination [for us] because they were so extreme.”

    With that in mind, does the explanation let IO Interactive off the hook? If so, should Robert Rodriguez be criticized for dressing Rose McGowan up like this in Planet Terror, his segment of the Grindhouse double feature?

    Rose McGowan

    Much like The Escapist’s article points out, while Blystad’s apology seems genuine, the claim that he or the rest of the IO Interactive collective wasn’t trying to stir things up with such a trailer rings hollow. Why else use that kind of content? Does this mean IO Interactive didn’t want their upcoming game to be noticed? Of course not. The truth is more likely along these lines: If we knew the sexism cries would follow, we would’ve use different content in our Hitman: Absolution trailer.

    But then again, perhaps they’re playing the “any press is good press” angle…

  • Hitman: Absolution Gameplay Footage Revealed

    The pre-E3 game reveals are continuing today, and Hitman: Absolution joins Metal Gear Rising, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2, and Star Wars 1313 by having teaser footage released before E3 even starts. Perhaps IO Interactive is trying to get discussion of Hitman: Absolution back on track after its recent teaser trailer featuring sexy nuns derailed the conversation into sexism discussions.

    VG 24/7 got an interview with Luke Valentine, a producer for IO Interactive who showed off a mission from the game that is set in Chinatown. It looks as if the game is taking a page from the Assassin’s Creed playbook, as Agent 47 wades through a large crowd of people while scoping out his target. Valentine stated that the “crowd tech” the developers have implemented can be used to hide or escape from police. The video then goes on to show the myriad of ways the assassination of the “King of Chinatown,” who stands in the middle of an open market with a police escort, can be accomplished.

    Check out the interview interview below and see for yourself how the new game will play. The Chinatown mission will be playable at E3 next week, allowing players to get a feel for where Hitman: Absolution is taking the Hitman series. From the looks of it, the game will be taking the series back to a patient puzzle-like assassination game. The release date for the title is November 20, but some fans who pre-order the game can play some pre-launch downloadable content called Hitman: Sniper Challenge.

    (via VG 24/7)

  • Agent 47 vs. Nuns in the New Hitman: Absolution Trailer

    E3 is almost here, and game companies are hyping their big-name titles in anticipation. Yesterday, Ubisoft released a Far Cry 3 teaser trailer to promote its live-streaming conference session at the gaming expo. Today, Square Enix and IO Interactive have followed suit and released a teaser trailer for the upcoming Hitman: Absolution.

    The trailer does not feature any gameplay footage, but it does feature animation from Visual Works, the CG production department inside Square Enix. Visual Works is famous for working in video game cut-scenes such as those in the Final Fantasy games. The Hitman trailer features Agent 47 evading and eliminating eight of the most conspicuously sexy nuns to ever walk across the parking lot of a cheap motel. From the video’s description:

    A run-down motel room allows Agent 47 the time to treat his wounds. Meanwhile, his former employer, the ICA, send a deadly specialized wetworks team after him: “The Saints.” The ICA wants 47 dead, but that’s easier said than done…

    Check out the trailer for yourself below, and experience what IO Interactive is calling the “very special vibe and atmosphere” of Hitman: Absolution. The game itself launches worldwide on November 20. If you simply can’t wait that long, IO Interactive has provided GameStop pre-orderers of the game with pre-release content called Hitman: Sniper Challenge.