Hitman GO: Definitive Edition (PS4) Review

HITMAN on the GO?

I must have been living in a bubble because I had no idea what exactly HITMAN GO was. Is it a side story, a totally different game? Well it’s definitely got the theme of Hitman. Bald assassin, taking out targets, sneaking by. The flavor is extremely Hitman in nature, but the gameplay is extremely different, yet the same. Let me explain.

Game of Life.

Hitman GO has the premise of a board game. Each chapter is a different and unique theme and target with different rules, pieces, and options. Some offer guns, other offer traps, and enemies all change up their pattern or behavior. Yet everything is done on a grid like system and calculated. When players move their piece, so do the enemies (if they are mobile). It becomes this weird game of almost cat and mouse and strategy. It’s not exactly hard at the start but soon enough more abilities, options, and enemies make it so that the easiness of it all becomes nothing but a distant memory.

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MSRP: $7.99
Platforms: PS4, Vita, PC
Price I’d Pay: $7.99
Multiplayer: N/A
How long to beat: 10+ hours

At first I was at odds with how this really felt like just an idea that had Hitman tacked into it. It has a simply and modest design choice to go with the board game theme, and yet after getting father into the levels, the intensity of figure out the levels and how to progress, sometimes retry after retry became addicting and then it really started to remind me of how in the original Hitman games, it was sometime trial and error, but also experimentation. While it’s different in presentation, rules, and style, it still ends up feeling appropriate for the franchise in a way and works to its favor.

Each board game consists of a new theme and new mechanics, offering various levels within each one. All have various bonus points to earn via side objectives. Killing all enemies, finishing levels within a time limit, or picking up collectibles are some of the different objectives and all give the player more points to unlock the later chapters. Simply finishing the main levels will get you to see other levels but replays definitely will have to occur as they get more expensive to unlock the later levels.

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Hit me, Hitman.

It’s fairly obvious that Hitman GO was a mobile game. That doesn’t make it any less of a game either, it just seemingly does feel more suitable “on the go” gameplay. Presentation is minimal in lots of ways with lack of vastly huge animations, or environmental effects. It’s all rather sublime and sterile in ways, but feels both fitting for Hitman and the board game flair but also a tad disappointing. The game can be downright addicting and frustrating all the same. It offers hints for how to complete them, though at the cost of an achievement. Hitman GO is a unique spin to a franchise and feels like the perfect combination of puzzle and strategy game, especially in quick bursts. I can only handle so much in one sitting, but every time I do play, I find myself sucked in just a little bit more.

Review copy of game provided by publisher.

Good
  • Strategy and puzzle solving
  • Various side objectives
  • Board game aesthetics
Bad
  • Feels more apt for “on the go”
  • Very minimal soundtrack
  • Frustrating at times
7.5
Good
Written by
Justin is a long time passionate fan of games, not gaming drama. He loves anything horror related, archaeology inspired adventures, RPG goodness, Dr Pepper, and of course his family. When it comes to crunch time, he is a beast, yet rabies free we promise.