Hitman: Absolution

Hitman: Absolution is a game played on Dope! or Nope and Backseat Gaming and featured on Smosh Games Review.

Game Information
Hitman: Absolution is a 2012 stealth thriller game developed by IO Interactive and published by Square Enix. It is the fifth installment in the Hitman series and runs on IO Interactive's proprietary Glacier 2 game engine. The story further delves into the mysterious life of Agent 47. The game was met with a polarized reception, since some disliked the linear structure as opposed to the open-ended nature of previous installments.

Gameplay
Hitman: Absolution is a stealth game in which the player assumes the role of a hitman named Agent 47. Presented from a third-person perspective, the gameplay centers around completing set objectives within a series of levels. Objectives can range from simply reaching the end of the level, to killing specific individuals. Players choose how to complete each level, taking branching paths to get to a target or location. Players may use pistols, bottles or bricks, assault rifles, shotguns, fiber-wire, or steel pipe against enemies if opting for the action-oriented approach, or avoid enemies altogether, not being seen, using disguises, blending into the environment, and only attacking set targets if using the stealth-oriented approach. Agent 47 also has the 'Instinct' ability that lets the player monitor enemies more easily.

There are also environmental ways to kill or distract individuals; players can use poison to spike coffee, pull switches to make a disco ball fall and break, cause a massive explosion at a gas station, pull a switch to cause scaffolding to fall down, cause fires, or set off fireworks. Players complete chapters in order to progress through the story. The player journeys to various locations, including a mansion, library, strip club, gun store, wrestling arena, courthouse, and hotel during the story.

Absolution introduces an online option to the series, 'Contracts', where players can create their own missions for other players to complete. Players choose one of the areas from the story missions and decide which NPCs are required to be eliminated, which weapon must be used to eliminate each target, which disguise is required, whether the body must be hidden or not, and if the player is allowed to be spotted by AI.

Reception
Hitman: Absolution received a generally positive reception with plenty of mixed and negative feedback. Critics praised its graphics, environments, locations, and the varied gameplay options. However, many disliked the linear structure as opposed to the open-ended nature of previous installments..

In March 2013, Square Enix announced that Absolution had sold about 3.6 million copies at retail, but has failed to reach predicted sales targets.