Hitman 5

Retr0gamer · 15-01-2016 12:54pm

Anyone wondering why Square Enix is doing a lot of episodic announcements it's kind of logical why they are doing it. Life is Strange was a massive sleeper hit for Square Enix so it's no wonder that they are experimenting with it. It's not because Square Enix hates their fans.

Generic Dreadhead · 15-01-2016 1:06pm

Retr0gamer wrote: »

Anyone wondering why Square Enix is doing a lot of episodic announcements it's kind of logical why they are doing it. Life is Strange was a massive sleeper hit for Square Enix so it's no wonder that they are experimenting with it. It's not because Square Enix hates their fans.

I'd say it's more because the heads of their marketing teams haven't a clue to be honest, they clearly live in a dreamworld.

Breaking down games like this piecemeal just because it worked for Talkies/Indies/Walking Sims/Story games doesn't make a lick of sense.

If other studios did this for other primarily single player campaign focused games it would be just as ridiculous

I've enjoyed the last few hitman games, but christ, episodic content is just ludicrous. No-one wants to play a game like this for 2 hours every few weeks/months. It destroys any flow the game has and just brings you in, reminds you of the controls, and just as you get going.... "Tune in Next Time"

This game, with this type of release schedule/pattern is going to stand as a testament as to "What-Not-To-Do"

For me, Square Enix are going to end up like Capcom or Konami, trying too hard with their existing IPs and literally burying themselves alive with trying to recapture the golden age, and more critically of a mis-step, making wild sweeping changes to formulae that worked just fine

Robert ninja · 15-01-2016 1:50pm

Retr0gamer wrote: »

It's not because Square Enix hates their fans.

Haha, good one. They practically loathe the FF7 fans ever since they demanded games fof *gasp* equal quality.

https://archive.is/GHLus

I'll take clueless suit decisions in video games for 100 points, please,

Retr0gamer · 15-01-2016 2:05pm

Cormac... wrote: »

Breaking down games like this piecemeal just because it worked for Talkies/Indies/Walking Sims/Story games doesn't make a lick of sense.

Well I'll wait and see how it works out but I'm not going to be surprised if it ends up like Half Life 2 episodes or Sin Episodes.

johnny_ultimate · 15-01-2016 2:20pm

Cormac... wrote: »

No-one wants to play a game like this for 2 hours every few weeks/months.

Hi, I'm no-one!

I tend to get fairly easily burned out when games end up being 15-20 hours plus long - I think it's difficult to maintain pace and engagement over such a long running time (hardly impossible, of course).

King's Quest is doing it really well at the moment - substantial sized of self-contained chapters that nonetheless all are held together with an overall framing device. The chapters are of satisfying length - 4-5 hours - and I think it's great to be able to come back after an interval and tackle the next chapter without ending up burnt out.

As I said, I have no interest in Hitman anyway, and think yes this will probably be a hard sell for Square-Enix. Still something I'd like to see more developers and publishers experiment with though - personally it suits the way I tend to play most games, in short bursts. And hey, given Hitman has always offered up a series of self-contained mini-sandboxes, I can think of a hell of a lot less suitable games for an episodic structure.

Kiith · 15-01-2016 2:26pm

If i buy this (and i probably won't unless it gets very good reviews), i'll definitely be waiting till all the chapters are released. It's the same thing i do with Telltale games, as i've no interest in getting 2-4 hours of play every 3 months.

Generic Dreadhead · 15-01-2016 4:03pm

I would argue this new distribution system would turn more people off, than rope people in

Mr Freeze · 15-01-2016 4:09pm

gizmo wrote: »

Assuming it returns to the series roots, why not just get the Complete Edition when it's released later in the year?

Agreed. I will wait and get it on a sale, if its worth playing at all.

The last game in the series was a serious misstep in the wrong direction.

humanji · 16-01-2016 1:46am

I think it's a great idea for them. Most people will be wary and just fork out for the first episode. Then realise that they like it and have to pay the maximum price for the rest of the episodes, as opposed to paying less to pre-order the lot.

And personally I don't mind the staggered release. Like Johnny Ultimate says, I can get burned out from playing long games, and I don't have the time anymore to be able to sit down over a weekend to play. I enjoy having something to look forward too. And if it ends up being pants, then I'll only have paid a small amount for the prologue.

ERG89 · 16-01-2016 2:07am

Kiith wrote: »

If i buy this (and i probably won't unless it gets very good reviews), i'll definitely be waiting till all the chapters are released. It's the same thing i do with Telltale games, as i've no interest in getting 2-4 hours of play every 3 months.

It was a killer for story driven telltale games or Life is Strange as I'd genuinely forget where I left off or my choices. I'd never want to replay episodes on them too much but Hitman I assume you will have incentives replay them.
I liked the idea of stuff being available for a timeframe image playing a level that suddenly had a holiday theme to it but I imagine assassinating someone on Halloween or a Christmas Parade wasn't in the thought process.
Wasn't this game always episodic tho?

tok9 · 16-01-2016 7:14am

The thing with this is they haven't actually changed much. What's happened is they have delayed the content and made it out to be episodic. Before the consumer was meant to get three areas in the intro but now they are only getting one.

I would have preferred if they just delayed the game but it doesn't really affect me anyway as I'll definitely be waiting but I'm still very hopeful for the game.

Captain Chaos · 16-01-2016 1:01pm

I'll just get the first part as a demo, seeing as I didn't like the last Hitman but I really enjoyed Blood Money. If I like then I'll buy the rest of the game. I had this pre ordered and in a way I'm glad Sony had to cancel it. I'm getting a bit worried about it now.

sheep? · 16-01-2016 1:36pm

Captain Chaos wrote: »

I'll just get the first part as a demo, seeing as I didn't like the last Hitman but I really enjoyed Blood Money. If I like then I'll buy the rest of the game. I had this pre ordered and in a way I'm glad Sony had to cancel it. I'm getting a bit worried about it now.

Pretty expensive demo.

I'm not fond of the whole idea, but sure let's see.

I mean, I get what people are saying about pacing their play-throughs, but not sure if I could wait too long between sit downs, as it ruins story pacing for me. I suppose that's easily solved with just waiting until the full game is released though. Also, Hitman is probably not known for it's groundbreaking storytelling!

Dair76 · 16-01-2016 3:14pm

I find it strange that etailers haven't updated their store pages to reflect the new price/release plan.

Zero-Cool · 08-02-2016 9:26pm

So the beta is starting this friday of you preordered on ps4 and will run for 3 days. I wonder if the division trick will work by preordering, download the beta and then just cancel the preorder.

FAILSAFE 00 · 08-02-2016 9:31pm

I am disgusted that this game is going to be chopped up into episodes. That absolutely killed it for me. I was looking forward to a complete game. The fist episode only has 2 missions in it :mad:

I can't play a few missions and then wait months to continue the story.

johnny_ultimate · 08-02-2016 9:35pm

FAILSAFE 00 wrote: »

I am disgusted that this game is going to be chopped up into episodes. That absolutely killed it for me. I was looking forward to a complete game. The fist episode only has 2 missions in it :mad:

I can't play a few missions and then wait months to continue the story.

You could always, for example, wait?

FAILSAFE 00 · 08-02-2016 9:46pm

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

You could always, for example, wait?

Absolutely destroys the immersion. I like to play a game from start to finish. Playing one or two missions every few months is not a good experience.

johnny_ultimate · 08-02-2016 9:48pm

I mean wait until the whole thing is out. It will be a full, complete game before too long.

FAILSAFE 00 · 08-02-2016 9:50pm

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

I mean wait until the whole thing is out. It will be a full, complete game before too long.

I just don't want to reward them and have them think its a viable marketing strategy so I won't buy the game at all.

Captain Chaos · 08-02-2016 9:59pm

FAILSAFE 00 wrote: »

I just don't want to reward them and have them think its a viable marketing strategy so I won't buy the game at all.

If everyone waits for the full release before buying they will get the message.

Why all the drama.

FAILSAFE 00 · 08-02-2016 10:29pm

Captain Chaos wrote: »

If everyone waits for the full release before buying they will get the message.

Why all the drama.

I don't follow. What drama?

There is no full game. The developers have stated that this game will keep expanding. They'll do this through more episodes with a couple of missions in each episode.

Instead of a beginning, middle and end we'll just be getting a few missions here and there.

johnny_ultimate · 08-02-2016 10:48pm

FAILSAFE 00 wrote: »

There is no full game.

There will be by the end of the year.

Life is Strange had a beginning, middle and end and was released episodically.
Walking Dead had a beginning, middle and end and was released episodically.
Many other games had a beginning, middle and end and were released episodically. Not sure why this would be any difference, especially since the typical Hitman structure uniquely fits an episodic release.

I've said before I have no interest whatsoever in the game or indeed franchise, but I find the hysteria surrounding the release a bit confounding. Even if you don't like episodic releases (I do when they're done right) you can just wait until the final episode is out and play it all then.

FAILSAFE 00 · 09-02-2016 12:12am

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

There will be by the end of the year.

Life is Strange had a beginning, middle and end and was released episodically.
Walking Dead had a beginning, middle and end and was released episodically.
Many other games had a beginning, middle and end and were released episodically. Not sure why this would be any difference, especially since the typical Hitman structure uniquely fits an episodic release.

I've said before I have no interest whatsoever in the game or indeed franchise, but I find the hysteria surrounding the release a bit confounding. Even if you don't like episodic releases (I do when they're done right) you can just wait until the final episode is out and play it all then.

It's a game that has traditionally had a proper campaign. I don't find it surprising that the fans are not happy with it becoming an episodic game.

It's one thing to start designing a game from scatch and saying it's x number of episodes. It's quite another to announce its a full game and then decide close to launch that it will be released in episodes.

This episode BS is just to get more money. They probably fell behind in development and want to get some return on their investment ASAP.

tok9 · 09-02-2016 12:27am

You obviously haven't being paying too much attention to this release.

It was never going to launch as a full game. The initial release was for December and it was only going to launch with some content and release the rest later.

At least now you have a clear understanding of when things come out (although let's me honest, they'll probably delay that too).

Anyway, like Johnny, I don't really see why it matters at all. You can just wait for the full game to come out. The episodic structure is fine by me.. as a fan of Hitman.

FAILSAFE 00 · 09-02-2016 12:42am

tok9 wrote: »

You obviously haven't being paying too much attention to this release.

It was never going to launch as a full game. The initial release was for December and it was only going to launch with some content and release the rest later.

At least now you have a clear understanding of when things come out (although let's me honest, they'll probably delay that too).

Anyway, like Johnny, I don't really see why it matters at all. You can just wait for the full game to come out. The episodic structure is fine by me.. as a fan of Hitman.

Nope, I have been following it very closely unlike some obviously.

It was meant to be the game and then DLC missions added later to expand on the experience. Why do you think there is this level of displeasure in the fan base.

http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2016-01/15/hitman-game-now-episodic-square-enix

http://gamerant.com/hitman-episodic/

GameRant wrote:

After a release push-back and a mysterious pre-order cancelation, developer IO Interactive announces that Hitman will no longer be a full title and will instead release episodically.

Its clear they ****ed this one up and are trying to get the money flowing. Offering only 2 missions in the first episode :eek:

I wont be following the other sheep on this one

tok9 · 09-02-2016 1:35am

FAILSAFE 00 wrote: »

Nope, I have been following it very closely unlike some obviously.

It was meant to be the game and then DLC missions added later to expand on the experience. Why do you think there is this level of displeasure in the fan base.

Could you provide a link for these dlc missions?

Here's one from E3, when the game was announced.

http://www.gamespot.com/articles/hitman-release-date-announced-at-e3-2015/1100-6428225/

Hitman will be receiving new content after it releases in a manner similar to episodic games. IO Interactive says new assassination contracts, locations, and gameplay mechanics will be made available over time. Some of these assassination contracts will only appear once, within a small time window--the example given was 48 hours. Players will only have one chance to attempt these assassination contracts. Square Enix says the game's storyline will "conclude in 2016" in this fashion.

Seems pretty clear that it was basically episodic and these "DLC missions" are concluding the story, not expanding the universe.

FAILSAFE 00 wrote: »

Its clear they ****ed this one up and are trying to get the money flowing. Offering only 2 missions in the first episode :eek:

I wont be following the other sheep on this one

What is your issue with episodic gaming?

johnny_ultimate · 09-02-2016 1:42am

FAILSAFE 00 wrote: »

It's a game that has traditionally had a proper campaign.

It still will. It's due to get a full retail release when finished. Just readjust the release date to late 2016 if you only have an interest in playing the full thing, straight through.

It's one thing to start designing a game from scatch and saying it's x number of episodes. It's quite another to announce its a full game and then decide close to launch that it will be released in episodes.

Happened with Dreamfall Chapters, and it has been working fine for them so far. Decision was made mid-development to switch to episodic releases, for practical, artistic and financial reasons.

As I've suggested before, I'd struggle to think of any AAA game better suited to this release schedule then Hitman. It's a series built around largely disconnected mini-sandboxes, easily broken down into individual sections. Even if the decision was made mid-development, I don't reckon there were many fundamental structural changes necessary here.

Anyway, I've always found Hitman a tedious, adolescent and unengaging franchise so couldn't personally be bothered one way or the other. Can't help but find some of the conversation around the whole thing hyperbolic to the extreme though, and can't ever see myself missing out on a game I was looking forward to because of an episodic release schedule. As I said in the first place: waiting until the final episode seems like the most sensible choice if you want to play but dislike gaps.

FAILSAFE 00 · 09-02-2016 2:53am

tok9 wrote: »

http://www.gamespot.com/articles/hitman-release-date-announced-at-e3-2015/1100-6428225/

Seems pretty clear that it was basically episodic and these "DLC missions" are concluding the story, not expanding the universe.

It was only announced in January that the game would be fully episodic. Hence all the news outlets reporting it and the negative reactions from the fans.

http://www.gamespot.com/articles/hitman-now-a-proper-episodic-game-collectors-editi/1100-6433830/

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2016-01-15-hitman-will-now-be-fully-episodic

http://gematsu.com/2016/01/hitman-now-fully-episodic-launches-prologue-one-location

Gamespot wrote:

Despite an insistence that Hitman would be a full game at launch, Square Enix and Io Interactive are now embracing what the new Hitman already appeared to be, as they announced today that the game will be "fully episodic."

FYP :rolleyes:

tok9 wrote:

What is your issue with episodic gaming .....in relation to the Hitman game?

It was meant to be a full game followed by DLC. Its as clear as day that they have fallen behind on the development cycle and are simply switching to episodic so they can start getting gamers to buy the game now. That way they can drip feed gamers with a mission here and there. There is absolutely no benefit to gamers at all. The developers are having a laugh.

Then they get you to buy into the idea that the content will be more refined due to the episodic release of the game. Please don't buy this PR bull****. Its a AAA title. Its not getting anymore refined than it would have been with a full campaign and retail release.

sheep? · 09-02-2016 2:55am

FAILSAFE 00 wrote: »

I wont be following the other sheep on this one

Heeey! I'm waiting until all the episodes are released....

Hitman 5

Comments