Hitman Beta: 4 Things It Gets Right (And 6 That Really Suck)

6. Gets Right (Mostly) - A Better Third-Person Cover System

I say 'better', because in practice the third-person shooting still feels weirdly erratic in that sense Hitman has never really gotten away from. Bodies fly as though pistol rounds are rocket-powered, but the best thing is, you can duck down and take cover, occasionally popping up to trade fire with foes if need be. More so than any other game in the series, it feels like going in guns-blazing is dissuaded, simply because the overall sensation of shooting, taking cover and dealing with enemies face-to-face is so unsatisfying. Many a gamer has had fun throwing the rulebook out the window and going on a crazy rampage (hell, that was the best part about Blood Money's phenomenal ending), but the key word here is stealth, no matter what. That said, when you are taking cover, 47 doesn't 'stick' to the respective surface very well; instead, say you come up on the end of a wall, he'll often sidle right on around a corner and into the enemy's line of sight. It is possible to get better at this, but its utilisation doesn't feel anywhere near as reliable as something contextual like Splinter Cell, or dynamic like Metal Gear Solid.