1. Really Sucks - Animations Feel Extremely 'Old School'
For all Absolution got wrong in its level design and overly helpful 'Instinct Mode', animation and the general feel of piloting 47 around felt spot on. Seriously, go back to either of the older Hitman games and you'll notice just how much the iconic cueball was 'skating' around levels when you decided to change direction or interact with the environment. For 2016's Hitman, many contextual prompts mostly feel confident and convincing, but we've essentially reversed back to how 47 used to move, mostly showing him bumble around, triggering tons of "Oh, you hit me!" animations from the NPCs. The fiber wire animation in particular never connects properly, and sticks out to a ludicrous degree as 47 essentially plunges his hands into his target's spine, Mortal Kombat-style. This lack of polish excels to how every character moves, with the party level in particular showing characters drinking from glasses embedded in their wrists, your target typing on an invisible keyboard, others turning on a dime and flashing back to where they're 'supposed' to be, and so on. A lot of these issues have been prevalent in Hitman since the beginning, but rather like Fallout 4, the discussion now is going to centre on just how 'acceptable' this sort of thing is, when the developer has clearly been aware of it for so long. Perhaps it's the price we pay for games that are as expansive and unique as Hitman, but just how much that puts you off, will dictate your personal level of anticipation for what should really be a universally anticipated game. Did you play the beta? Are you excited for Hitman to return in his new episodic format? Let us know in the comments!