whatchu playing now

think of it as a big puzzle game

The secret to Hitman is the only thing guns are good for is shooting out security cameras

I think I also need to figure out or master the mechanics. Like, I can poison food ... but how do I make them eat it? Or just fundamentally the differences between detection status. If I'm compromised, can I just find a new disguise to reset? I'm having trouble figuring out all the different alerts (suspicious, combat, searching, hunting or whatever, et al.), how to stay sneaky/hidden versus what attracts attention, but unlike most games it's pretty fun to fail at this one. Like, if you drop a light fixture on someone, of course it attracts attention! But, for example, setting off the fire alarm, I don't really know what that does, or what advantage it gains me. Same with murdering non-targets. You can kill pretty much everyone, but why would I want to? I'm sure I'll figure that out, too.

Hitman's entire premise is based on playing the level multiple times, imo. The first time (or partial attempt) is always kind of disappointing because you either miss the timing or don't run across something obvious. Then in the second attempt, you know that if you knock out a chef at the right time, you have time to poison the food a waiter is about to deliver to the member of the illuminati or whatever.

imo it's more about making a hypothesis about cause and effect -- I know that the fire alarm will heighten security, but might also make people leave a place that I want to meddle with. Or people will leave a building in a certain way if I pull the fire alarm, so I can plant a bomb under the spot where my target will be outside the building

yeah, a lot of the game mechanic is patience plus trial and error. i'm bad at patience and dealing with error so i've never got too deep into them but i love watching them played well

well, I'll say this much, I'm learning!

for sure I'm used to more aggressive games, so it's taking some work to downshift and alter my practiced approach.

Following the Mission Stories will walk you through some satisfying goofs

I think that's the way to go. Or am I thinking of what they call "opportunities"? Anyway, those method-specific missions that provide a bit more guidance. Still challenging, but also fun and less daunting than just being set loose in a huge sandbox to try and devise some nutty plot. Though of course that is still always an option. On the first real mission, I successfully drugged the guy's cocktail and drowned him in the toilet (as more or less directed), but then managed to disguise and sneak my way up to the third floor where I somehow managed to stab the second target with scissors (not planned) and escape to a helicopter. I considered that win enough to move on to the next story level, but I can totally see returning to this level and trying different ways to be a devious murdering bastard.

I think the sheer level of freedom is what stops me getting deeper into these games

It's overwhelming! Like I mentioned, why does it let you murder random people? Why would I even want to? I dunno! Is there some sort of "kill everyone" challenge? Wouldn't surprise me. But it all feels weirdly low stakes, which adds to the fun, I suppose.

Because they're there to teach you the mechanics of the game, though in some other game modes, those randoms can sometimes be your targets.

I got so deep into the first one of these that I did go through and kill everyone on the Sapienza level and then hid all of the bodies in the meat locker at the butcher's shop just to see if you could.

OK, case in point. The poison cocktail "opportunity" comes up when you overhear two people talking about the bad guy's love of a certain cocktail. Then it directs you to find the recipe, find the poison, find a staffer with the right uniform to steal, get to the bar and mix the drink. And then you just wait there until the bad guy shows up and drinks it, which happens pretty soon. But you are able to get the recipe, and the uniform, and the poison without ever overhearing the conversation and triggering the "opportunity." Had I successfully poisoned the drink on my own, with no prompting, and waited at the bar, would the bad guy have eventually showed up to drink it? Or would I have to wait there for several minutes, if not longer? Or might it never have happened at all? That is, do the "opportunities" trigger specific events or chains of events that only occur if triggered? Or do they walk you through things that you could naturally do with no guidance, too?

you do stuff and it works if it’s meant to work. if you learned it on a previous play through just think of it as the hitman’s intuition

you can come up with wild ideas and they work sometimes, but may not necessarily result in achieving a goal, too

Yeah, the details in this game are kind of mind blowing. So many overheard conversations and specific interactions, some no doubt intended as clues/cues, others just in passing. I'm learning to slow way down and take it all in, scanning around for stuff that is interactive and seeing what works, embracing the Looney Tunes silliness. I did the mission where I dress as a male model and walk the runway. Then I followed the target like a creep and just stood there listening to her scheme with a minion for a few minutes before getting impatient, quickly killing them both and stuffing them in a closet. Gotta strike when the opportunity presents itself!

Is there any advantage to simply subduing people vs. killing them?

irl questions

I'm pretty sure that you get points taken off for killing non-targets so there is an incentive to knocking out and stashing bystanders if possible.

Wait, there are points? Just as ... achievements? Or is there an incentive to get a higher score?

yeah, you get a score at the end of each successful level completion and it can unlock new costumes, starting locations, weapons, etc.
Here's a quick explainer:
https://www.polygon.com/2016/3/22/11286282/hitman-mission-ratings-explained

That's helpful, thanks! Tbh, I've been having a little trouble navigating the menus, too, and relying on the autosave has been frustrating as well; it's not quite Dark Souls, but it's also not as obvious or straightforward as it may at first seem. I've seen a few recommendations that I should be taking advantage of manual saves, so maybe I'll try that.

I manual save often, esp after things like costume changes, tricky npc knockouts, kills/objectives, and picking up useful rare items. You can progress a lot in the ~5 min between auto saves and if you've spent that time waiting for a specific point on a target's loop or setting up a kill its a pain to lose that progress if you mess up.

Also, take note of where wrenches, screwdrivers, and rat poisons are in each level. They often come in handy.

Also also, dropping guns in the path of enforcers/bodyguards (don't drop it if they can see you!) will often result in them abandoning their loop to secure the weapon somewhere.

Wait, I can drop a weapon? Why? Per the wrenches and whatnot, it seems like I can carry more or less everything I come across, and when I'm worried someone will see me walking around with a knife or gun or whatever, I just switch to the coin, which doesn't seem to attract negative attention (which is ironic, since they're used to redirect attention).

You do have bugs bunny pockets, but you will need to drop or stash weapons when you have to get frisked by security (or find a dif route that bypasses security, but I think in some missions you need to do it by the books)

Good to know. I've only been fiddling with the first mission in the first game, so no frisking yet.

Anyone tried Hitman on Switch?

It can run on Switch!? Oh, wait, as one of those cloud hybrids, right?

I’ve never tried any of those cloud guys, I imagine if the system is at all viable in general it’d be fine in the specific case of Hitman, which involves relatively little precision in time and space.

But a lot of literal moving parts.

ok, I was inspired: I have now finished all the hitman missions from the recent series

now to replay them the right way

back on my apex bullshit

I have 1106h43m playtime lmao jesus

I'm doing better at Hitman but still struggling with some stuff a little, namely how quickly everyone around me seems to get suspicious of everything. My gameplay goes something like this: sneak, sneak, stealth, murder, disguise, sneak, sneak, stealth, murder, disguise, run to final mission, brazenly kill the target, run away and hide. It usually doesn't work out well.

Maybe watch other people play?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dF7m3BEX5Mg

FWIW I played 2 and didn't really enjoy it, probably because it stressed me out. Save scumming probably could've alleviated that, actually.

It’s not even a savescum imo to reload when you get in trouble, it’s only savescumming if you are circumventing the behavior of a game that tries to confine you to a single save file with no takebacks

yeah savescumming is an essential part of the trial and error fun when fooling about in the sandbox

xpost That video is fun, but I wonder how many failures were just edited out to make it fun? Anyway, I think the specific issue I've run into a few times is having on what I think is a solid disguise and then crossing some invisible line whereupon a baddie goes "hey, you don't belong here!" And then I turn around immediately and they stay pissed and in pursuit! I mean, it was an honest mistake, baddie, I turned around and left immediately! Though honestly, I find this game too silly to be stressful.

Also, I don't know what the deal is, but the autosaves appear so dark I barely know what point they're at. A few times I'd pop back in seconds before I was shot only to just get shot again. So I have started my own save files, which makes things more manageable for sure. I do wish there were a quicksave button rather than having to go the menu each time and select it.

Regardless, I had fun and succeeded in the second/Italian villa/bioweapon level, though I feel like I kind of did it stupidly. But I'm not following any of the challenges/objectives, which direct a specific approach. I've been freestyling it, so any stupidity is my own. Garbage in, garbage out.

really enjoying hob's barrow

it was really good. after that and return to monkey island, though, i was wishing those kinds of games were longer. i finished each in a few days.

i'm open to more suggestions of sierra/lucasarts-style point and click adventure games on the switch, please

What was that one, Tumbleweed Park?

played it! that one actually lasted longer

I wish monkey 1&2 were easier to get on iPad and switch.

OK I am addicted to Oxygen Not Included, even playing on the easy level

I found a good tips video for Hitman that has helped a lot. Between that and saving the game has both opened up and gotten a little easier. I can totally see great (uncompelled) replay value.

Could you share the tips video?

Yeah! This Russian (?) guy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7RfnHN1aV8

BTW be care about whose Hitman vids you watch, there's a guy whose handle is a Batman villain who's been accused of grooming kids.

Well, I think I'm done, but that's gross to know all the same.