IO Interactive sure is lucky that Richard ended up liking Absolution in spite of some of those major problems. If I'd spent a decade training a legion of hardcore assassination simulator fans, the absolute last thing I'd want to do is piss them off.

Still Hitman; gorgeous levels; very replayable

Glitchy AI; appalling story; bad stealth

A series entry that puts pure stealth above silent slaying; afflicted by segmented levels and weak cinematic aspirations, but buoyed by an impressive Contracts mode.

was released more than six years ago, but I feel that it aged better than many games of its time, and this only made fans of this assassination series by IO Interactive more antsy as the developers spent years away from the franchise that made them famous.

Hitman games gained a loyal cult following due to their distinct emphasis on stealth and improvisation, as the main character, Agent 47, had all sorts of methods to deal with his assigned targets.

+Offers different experiences for different players; +Lots of creative kills; +Gorgeous graphics; +Engaging Contracts multiplayer

-Not a lot of checkpoints; -Many dull sections between actual assassinations; -Weak story filled with stereotypical characters

Hitman Absolution has been highly anticipated by the somewhat underserved fans of stealth gaming. Ben Allan delves into one of the final large releases of 2012.

Great presentation and terrific production values across the board; Larger stages with plenty of room for player choice are a blast to play (and replay).

Poor checkpoint system; Only passable gunplay; Far too many unnecessary, unmemorable and often tiny filler stages

Hitman: Absolution is the story of an Agent 47 gone rogue. You are contracted to kill your former handler, Diana Burnwood, now thought to be a traitor, but upon finding her, Diana reveals that she was blacklisted for rescuing the tortured subject of the Agency's cruel experiments, a young girl...

Lots of choices to complete objectives; freedom in approaching those choices; beautiful graphics; lots of replayability in contracts mode

Escape missions are one-off; levels are smaller and segmented; keyboard controls can be cumbersome

With the return of Hitman after a 6 year hiatus, hardcore fans were psyched with a release of a seemingly flawless product, but questions remained as it neared release date. People now began to realize some major cons in the game, as I did with my further gameplay.

Gameplay wise, Hitman Absolution is one of the most enjoyable gaming experiences of the year, which is a tall order given some of the premium experiences we have seen just in the last two months alone.

There were few people I knew who were more excited for Hitman: Absolution than myself. As the only title in the stealth genre that I've supported, it's been a fun ride. With memories that stretch all the way back from the first title, it's been a series that's always sat warmly in my heart.

Let's allay any reservations hardened Agent 47 fans might have before snapping up a copy of IO Interactive's sequel to its 2006 master class in stalking and slaying – Hitman: Absolution is one of the most incredibly gratifying stealth games of 2012, despite the massively misfired marketing campaign,...