Hitman Go: Definitive Edition Review

It would be the status quo, if as a console gamer I was to rain all over the parade of a mobile game to console port but something’s different here and for whatever reason Hitman Go on Playstation 4 and PSVita is a title brimming with the console IP’s experience. Here is our Hitman Go review for Playstation 4 and Playstation Vita.

Hitman has been around a long time from developer Square Enix and has carved itself a bit of a niche in the gaming community looking for hardcore stealth action in open world environments. Hitman for all intents and purposes is a genre unmatched. So last year when Hitman Go arrived on mobile devices many would have questioned why the move was made. Similar moves had been made with Square Enix moving Tomb Raider over in a similar guise. However Hitman Go has been a huge success and a thoroughly addictive mobile game.

“Picking your path and mastering the patterns of guard movements is key to each levels success.”

Moving from third person open playpens to turn based puzzle levels is a real game changer for the genre. It shouldn’t cater for the typical Hitman player and it doesn’t. This is the key, if you are looking for a puzzle game to challenge you don’t dismiss this because of the fact it’s titled Hitman. Hitman Go clearly found a mainstream audience on the mobile platforms and I believe much like Square Enix that this game can flourish on consoles as it allows the genre to reach a whole new audience.

Turn based games seem to be a bit in fashion at the moment with Banner Saga and massive chalice leading the way. However Hitman Go is a puzzle game at heart. Each level is a location with a selection of paths laid out across the map.  As agent 47 you the player are tasked with navigating to the end point of the level. Seems easy but in your way are likely to be guards, guard dogs and other pesky obstacles. Picking your path and mastering the patterns of guard movements is key to each levels success.

“this game will challenge you, restarting is fast and painless so never be afraid to hit square and have another go.”

Now levels are located within game locations and there’s a handful of areas to master in the game. Each area grows in complexity and the levels almost work to educate you as you progress. Within each level are a series of objectives to complete. These will range from the standard “no kills” to tasking you to do things in under a prescribed number of turns. There’s also level pickups such as collect the briefcase that will add to your replay ability of Hitman Go.

Each level has three of these prescribed objectives but if you complete a level and attain two of these then a second playthrough to facilitate grabbing the third is an option. Something casual players will love and as it makes the game more accessible and made me feel at points it’s achievable but I want to come back to it when I’m ready. The levels are short in the main anyway so a typical replay of a level depending on its complexity would set you back 5 minutes. In the event you are struggling and trust me this game will challenge you, restarting is fast and painless so never be afraid to hit square and have another go. After all mastering some of the levels to get it done in under a certain number of turns will take ages to perfect.

What I really liked about Hitman Go was its sense of style, it plays homage to the original IP on consoles in terms of its graphical looks and characteristics so if you’ve played Hitman games in the past some things will be instantly recognisable here. In addition the interface is clean and easy to navigate however unlike the gameplay which has been ported from mobile perfectly I do feel some of the menu’s and general interface do feel a little blown up and stretched in places perhaps an oversight from the initial port. With the game being a turn based puzzle game there is no in game music or narration to occupy you. There’s the subtle in game sounds which match the environment you’re in but beyond that there is some gaps here that could have been better served. Ill not be too critical as it’s easy to forget the limitations a mobile game would have been designed with but porting to console and asking for considerably more in price should have opened up some expansion in these areas. Story not required but better in game sounds please.

What Square Enix have invested in and I love them for it is the ability to use cross save between the PS4 version and the PSVita. Hitman Go is a cross buy title so you will own both versions from your initial purchase and in doing so you can play Hitman Go on the PSVita. Personally this is where I will be sinking more of my time into in search of the Platinum trophy as the smaller form factor is ideal for this game. Simply one of the best games you could own on your PSVita right now to kill a boring commute.