Hitman Go
Hitman Go | |
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Release |
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Genre(s) | Puzzle |
Mode(s) | Single-player |
Hitman Go is a
The player guides Agent 47, protagonist of the Hitman franchise, through a series of grid-based levels. Levels are composed of nodes and lines, and presented like a board game with characters modelled as miniature figures. Enemy characters can be dispatched by moving onto the node they occupy during a turn, similar to chess. As the player advances through levels, new enemy types and mechanics are introduced to increase the complexity of puzzle solutions.
Following its announcement, Hitman Go was met with some scepticism from critics. However, the game received a positive reception with praise for the art, aesthetics, simple gameplay mechanics, and translation of Hitman to a mobile device. It also received several nominations and awards from gaming publications and award organisations. A successor set within the Tomb Raider franchise, titled Lara Croft Go, was released in August 2015.
Gameplay
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/c/c8/Hitman_go_screenshot.jpg/220px-Hitman_go_screenshot.jpg)
Hitman Go is a
Levels become more complex as the player progresses, introducing different mechanics and new types of enemies. Each enemy type is dressed in a unique colour, allowing the player to recognise their movement patterns. Some enemies remain static or rotate on a single node, while others will patrol the board along a specific route.[7] Later stages may require the player to collect keys located on the board and unlock doors that block access to the level objective.[3] Trapdoors connect one location on the board to another and allow the player to move between them during a turn.[6] Some nodes contain potted plants, the player will not be detected while occupying these nodes.[7] Coloured disguises can be found and equipped to let the player walk past an enemy type of that colour without being detected.[6] There are throwable objects that are used to disrupt and change enemy behaviour patterns.[7] Firearms can also be found on certain levels, they are used to shoot targets or obstacles from a distance.[6]
Most levels have bonus objectives such as collecting a briefcase or finishing the level without killing anyone, completing these will reward the player with stars. Stars are used to unlock the next chapter of levels.[6] The game launched with five different chapters,[2] one of which was inspired by a level from Hitman: Blood Money.[6] Post-launch, two additional chapters were added, one based upon a level from Hitman 2: Silent Assassin.[8][9] The game features in-app purchases which provide hints to the puzzles or unlock level chapters immediately.[1][8]
Development and release
Hitman Go was developed by Canadian video game studio
During the concept phase there were four people working on the Hitman Go.[13] Initial prototypes were built on paper using printed out characters.[14] The project was pitched and greenlit for production in mid 2013.[1] Daniel Lutz served as creative director,[1] and the team size peaked at eleven people throughout the remainder of the game's development.[13] The studio looked at several different engines for building the game, but opted with Unity early on as it had a low barrier of entry, provided support for the main mobile platforms, and some members of the development team had previous experience creating projects in the game engine. An initial working prototype and a basic level editor were developed in a few days and after two weeks the first version of the game was presented to the remainder of the studio.[13]
While designing Hitman Go, Lutz and his team considered some specific factors such as the game's price, gameplay time, the brand, the genre, the audience's expectation, production restraints, and the business model.
Hitman Go was announced in February 2014.
Reception
Aggregator | Score |
---|---|
Metacritic | iOS: 81/100[22] PC: 72/100[23] PS4: 77/100[24] VITA: 80/100[25] |
Publication | Score |
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Destructoid | 8/10[2] |
Eurogamer | 7/10[7] |
GameSpot | 6/10[26] |
IGN | 8.2/10[6] |
Joystiq | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
PC Gamer (UK) | 72/100[4] |
Polygon | 8/10[5] |
TouchArcade | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Hitman Go received "generally favorable" reviews from professional critics, according to video game review aggregator Metacritic.[22] Several reviewers noted that they were sceptical about the idea of Hitman departing from its roots in third-person stealth action and taking form as a mobile puzzle game, but upon playing the game admitted that it was a pleasant and creative take on the franchise.[2][6][5][7]
The game's visual presentation and board game aesthetic were widely praised.[6][5] Joystiq editor, Anthony John Agnello thought the colouring and motif of Hitman Go was more appealing than the visual design employed in Hitman: Absolution. He highlighted the level selection screen and use of board game boxes in the menus as positives.[3] Writing for Destructoid, Brittany Vincent also expressed approval of the clean menus and user interface icons, and thought that the game levels resembled dollhouses.[2] Eurogamer and IGN writers compared the character design to miniature board game pieces.[6][7] The simplicity of the gameplay mechanics and minimalistic approach were praised by Polygon reviewer Arthur Gies. He believed that Hitman Go brilliantly captured and expressed elements of the series through the use of a sophisticated board game.[5] Joystiq reviewer, Agnello called Hitman Go an impressive debut title for Square Enix Montréal and said that the play style suited touch-based devices.[3] Reviewers complimented the replay value and challenge found in completing the additional bonus objectives.[3][5]
One aspect of the game's design that drew criticism was that limitations of the grid system had led to a lack of paths available to complete a level. While Gies of Polygon thought that the mechanics of distraction and murder had been interpreted well in the board game setup, he was disappointed that some levels could not be completed without killing non-target guards.[5] Vincent of Destructoid also shared this opinion, disappointed that an element core to the Hitman series had been stripped away.[2] Both Eurogamer and IGN writers thought that the in-app purchases were overpriced but remarked that they could be easily ignored when level solutions are so regularly shared on the Internet.[6][7] Reviewing the "Definitive Edition", Phil Savage of PC Gamer stressed that the PC version failed to cover up its mobile roots. He found the click and drag mouse interaction to be less than ideal but still complimented the game's aesthetics and gameplay.[4] GameSpot writer Mat Paget was left dismayed with the VR version of Hitman Go. He felt that the game failed to offer the escapism he expected from a virtual reality game. While he admitted the game itself was excellent, he dissuaded readers from purchasing the VR version remarking that it was not worth the hassle.[26]
Hitman Go received two nominations—Best Visual Design, Best Mobile Game—at the
Successors
At E3 2015, Square Enix Montréal announced
References
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- ^ a b c d e f Agnello, Anthony John (April 24, 2014). "Hitman Go review: The game of death". Engadget. AOL. Archived from the original on August 9, 2015. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
- ^ Future Publishing. Archivedfrom the original on December 5, 2016. Retrieved December 5, 2016.
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- ^ a b Carter, Chris (July 3, 2014). "Hitman Go gets 15 new levels via a free update". Destructoid. Archived from the original on July 20, 2015. Retrieved July 16, 2015.
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- ^ a b Sinclair, Brendan (November 18, 2015). "When a AAA studio makes the jump to mobile". gameindustry.biz. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on July 23, 2015. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
- ^ a b c d e "Go Time". unity3d.com. Unity Technologies. October 8, 2014. Archived from the original on July 23, 2015. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
- ^ a b Crecente, Brian (April 12, 2014). "Hitman Go: From tabletop game to slick, addictive mobile puzzler". Polygon. Vox Media. Archived from the original on July 25, 2015. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
- ^ Watts, Steve (February 13, 2014). "Hitman GO takes Agent 47 to Mobile Devices". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on July 23, 2015. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
- ^ Matulef, Jeffrey (April 10, 2014). "Hitman GO due next week on iOS". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on July 14, 2015. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
- ^ Sarkar, Samit (June 4, 2014). "Hitman Go now available on Android". Polygon. Vox Media. Archived from the original on July 15, 2015. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
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