Ben Rayner reviews Hitman GO…
When your favourite franchise brings out a sequel that meets your expectations, there’s nothing better really is there.
Except, now I’m certain there is. When the same franchise brings out a game that takes a complete left turn, making you initially frightened of it’s new direction but then completely nailing it.
That in essence, is Hitman: GO. A quaint and cute looking diversion from its usually brutal and visceral third person action, this slick puzzler seems like it shouldn’t but still somehow just works. Initially released on iOS and doing extremely well, it’s just received the ‘Definitive’ treatment and porting over to the PS4 and PS Vita with cross-save functionality.
Well, it has got GO in the title, why shouldn’t you be able to start on one console only to continue on another?
Presented like a board game you might settle down to play in a new-age pub or at home during those usually cold and wet British nights, each level gives you control of the Agent 47 figurine and tasks you with completing contracts by tacking the opposing figure like a chess piece waiting to fall.
Only able to move one point at a time on a defined grid, you can’t tackle anyone head on or allow them to be within one space of you when your turn ends, otherwise it’s game over. As levels increase in difficulty and the board begins to flood with more than a handful of opposing guards who move in their own pre-defined patterns in time with you. It’ll take some serious head scratching to work out just how to get close to your intended target, let alone have him in the right position for execution.
Sure, it’ll be lots of deaths and restarts when you begin but after a few levels bite the dust, you’ll notice your brain kicking into murderous gear and begin planning multiple steps ahead. In some ways, being pulled from the third persons immediacy and action helps to make you feel more like an actual hired gun for real, as you plan your attack in a much more callous and uncaring manor.
Apart from counting your steps and planning distractions with objects that create sound ripples, you’ll eventually get hold of one shot weapons, disguises and man-holes which act like a snakes and ladders-esque tool to skip some steps. Don’t for a second think these in any way open the game to a more easy attack though, as with all puzzles there’s a set route and these tools are simply part of that wider answer, tasking you with unearthing their correct placement in your journeys timeline. Again, this reduction of freedoms, gives a clarity that only serves the games overall goal and aesthetic.
As is the nature with puzzle titles, you’ll see yourself restarting missions over and over again, especially once you reach the perfectionist mind-set and plan to beat the games challenges such as ‘complete in xxx steps’. Sadly, restarting always brings you to a loading screen, which may begin to fray your nerves as you begin to wonder, just how long does it take to set up a board game?
Controls can lack some polish, depending on the port you happen to be playing. The move from iOS to PS Vita has clearly been a smooth run, as the Vita’s touch screen is a perfect fit for the games original design. The PS4 port however suffers somewhat as you’re forced to use the Dualshock 4’s D-Pad.
This wouldn’t normally be the end of the world, if it weren’t for it’s reaction, in what can only be described as sticky. Sometimes it’ll move Agent 47 along the desired path, other times it may choose a different direction if it does;t simply ignore you at all. Thankfully this doesn’t happen all too often so it’s not a deal breaker, especially as there’s no time limit here.
Aside from this, Hitman GO is a charming and addictive little puzzler. It’s bitesize nature obviously needs to be taken into account when playing, it was ported from an iOS title after all, but it’s one that should have you quickly invested and excited to go back for more.
This is a rock solid port of a rather great little iOS gem.
Rating: 9/10
Ben Rayner
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Originally published March 8, 2016. Updated April 14, 2018.
