Hitman go

Level in Hitman GO . Agent 47 is located on the left. The player's goal is to pass the enemies to the final node located in the upper right corner

Hitman GO is a turn-based video puzzle game from the Hitman series ^[2] . For each level in the game, a game board is created on a grid basis, consisting of nodes and lines. Nodes are positions that a player and his opponents can take, and lines are used to move between nodes during a move ^{[2] [3]} . Players take control of the protagonist of the Hitman series of games Agent 47 . Using touch control on mobile devices, the player traces a finger along the line in the direction where the Agent should go ^[4] . In the “Definitive Edition” version for computers, the sensor is replaced by clicking, holding and moving with the mouse ^[5] . As soon as the player finishes his turn, all the enemies on the board begin to move simultaneously ^[6] . At each level, there is a main task for its passage: at some levels, the player will need to spend the 47th to the final node or kill a specific target. A player can kill enemies by moving to an enemy node, and Agent 47 can just as well be killed by an enemy who has moved to his node ^{[7] [4]} .

As the game progresses, the levels become more complicated, new enemies and mechanics are introduced. Each type of enemy has clothes of its own color, which allows the player to track their movements. Some enemies may remain motionless, while others move along certain routes ^[8] . At high levels, the player sometimes has to unlock doors that close the path to the goal; To do this, he has to collect the keys hidden on the board ^[4] . Hatches connecting different points on the board allow the player to move between them on his turn ^[7] . As in all games of the Hitman series , the Agent can disguise itself by dressing in the clothes of the opponent. With its help, you can pass by enemies of a certain category without attracting their attention ^[7] . Knots with fern leaves allow Agent 47 to go unnoticed. There is an opportunity to distract (or attract) the attention of the enemy with the help of throwing objects ^[8] . Firearms can also be used - it is necessary for firing at targets or obstacles ^[7] .

At most levels, there are bonus tasks - for example, collecting a portfolio or completing a mission without killing anyone (except the target). For completing bonus tasks, stars are given that are needed to unlock the next series of levels ^[7] . The game was originally released with five such episodes ^[3] , one of which was a reference to Hitman: Blood Money ^[7] . The game has the ability to make microtransactions that give clues to puzzles or open new series of levels ^[2] .

Hitman GO was developed by the Canadian studio Square Enix Montreal ^[2] . The game was the first in the history of the studio, which was founded in late 2011 by employees of another studio, Square Enix Europe ^{[2] [9]} . After its creation, the studio announced that its first project would be a video game in the Hitman series of games ^[9] . The initial plans of the founders of the studio included the creation of console games of the AAA class and the expansion of the team to 150 people ^{[2] [9]} . A year later, when the development team was still expanding, work on the console game was canceled and it was decided to switch to mobile games ^{[2] [10] [11]} . This decision entailed the departure of approximately a third of employees ^[11] .

Four people worked on the development of the Hitman GO concept ^[12] . The first models were built on paper using figures printed on a printer ^[13] . Direct development of the project began in mid-2013 ^[2] . Its creative director was Daniel Lutz, and the size of the team over the course of further work reached 11 people ^[12] . Square Enix Montreal chose between several different engines , on the basis of which the game could be built, but quickly made a choice, stopping it on the Unity engine, since it had a low entry barrier and was supported by major mobile platforms. In addition, some members of the development team had experience creating projects on Unity . The first working prototype and basic level editor for the engine were developed in a few days ^[12] .

When developing Hitman GO, Lutz and his team took into account such specific factors as the price of the game, brand, genre, expectations of players, etc. ^[10] Describing the Hitman GO genre, Lutz said that Square Enix Montreal could design an endlessly playing platform game on The basis of the game world of Hitman . However, the developers decided that such a game style would not correspond to the values ​​of the series and would be poorly received by Hitman fans ^[10] . Therefore, it was decided to integrate the world of Hitman into the surroundings of the board game , since this genre gives players time to think and plan their actions before completing the move. This fit well into the concept of the series as "games for the thinking person" ^[2] . Designers, among other things, tested a function that allowed players to sit in ambush, cautiously aiming for how it is done in the games of the main line of the series. As a result, however, this function was not included in the final version, since with its help players could kill any target on the board, which prevented the puzzles from working normally ^[2] . The style of images imitated architectural models and dioramas ^[2] . Characters were created in fixed poses, with fixed limbs. Instead of creating detailed textures that require additional memory, the artists decided to limit themselves to using a set of colors as a way to distinguish characters. This method allowed developers to create many vivid color characters without spending significant resources on rendering ^[12] . Square Enix Montreal also decided not to include dialogs and videos in the game and to simplify the overall plot as much as possible, citing the fact that people usually do not play for a long time on a smartphone ^[12] .

Hitman GO was officially announced in February 2014 ^[14] . On April 17, 2014, the game was released on iOS ^[15] , and on June 4 of the same year on Android ^[16] . Versions for Microsoft Windows and Windows Phone were released on April 27, 2015 ^[17] . At E3 2015 , Oculus VR demonstrated the VR version of Hitman GO for Samsung Gear VR ^[18] . On December 5, 2015, at the PlayStation Experience conference, the game was announced on the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita consoles with the subtitle “Definitive Edition” ^[19] ; the game was released on consoles on February 23, 2016. The “Definitive Edition” version was released on Linux and Windows through the Steam Store ^[20] .

Hitman GO received generally favorable reviews from critics according to the Metacritic aggregator site ^[21] . Before the release of the game, many were skeptical of Hitman GO due to the departure from the original idea of Hitman and turning it into a mobile puzzle game , but after playing this game, critics admitted that Hitman GO is pleasant and creative in its franchise concept ^{[3] [7] [6] [8]} .

The visual and aesthetic component of the design in the form of a board game was positively evaluated by most reviewers ^{[7] [6]} . According to Joystiq editor Anthony John Agello, the color scheme and graphic motifs of Hitman GO are more attractive than the design of Hitman: Absolution . In his review, he highlighted the level selection screen and the use of board game fields in the menu. Agnello called Hitman GO an impressive debut for Square Enix Montreal and stated that the game is ideal for touch screen devices ^[4] . Destructoid Brittany Vincent also spoke positively about the interface, noting that the minimalistic design of the levels, making them look like doll houses, does not prevent one from enjoying the game ^[3] . Eurogamer and IGN reviewers ^{[7] [8]} also pointed to the similarity of character characters with chips from the board game. The simplicity of the gameplay and minimalistic approach was highly appreciated by Polygon 's Arthur Gis. According to him, the creators of Hitman GO brilliantly grasped and expressed the essence of the elements of the series using a complex board game ^[6] . Reviewers praised replay value and the intellectual challenge that bonus tasks ^{[6] [4]} give the player.

Criticism was caused by the limitations that the grid underlying the game board imposes on the choice of paths to completing the task and completing the level. Polygon wrote that the mechanics of distracting maneuvers and killings were well adapted to the conditions of the board game, but regretted that some levels could not be completed without killing non-target guards ^[6] . The Destructoid reviewer also shared dissatisfaction with the fact that the freedom to choose the path to completing the task, which was one of the key advantages of the original series, was lost in the new surroundings ^[3] . Eurogamer and IGN wrote that microtransactions in the game are very expensive, but at the same time noted that they can be easily dispensed with, because solutions for entire levels regularly appear on the Internet ^{[7] [8]} . Phil Savage of PC Gamer emphasized that the PC ’s Definitive Edition was not able to get rid of the features of mobile games. So, according to him, the drag-and-drop function was far from perfect, but the aesthetics and gameplay were still good ^[5] . The GameSpot reviewer was deeply disappointed with the VR version. In his opinion, the game could not provide the escapism expected from a VR game. Recognizing that the game itself is good, Gamespot discouraged readers from buying a version for VR, which, in the opinion of the critic, is not worth such effort ^[25] .

Rewards

Hitman GO received two awards - for the best game design and for the best game on iOS - at the Canadian Videogame Awards in 2014 ^[26] . In the same year, the National Academy of Video Games (NAVGTR) nominated her for the award in the nomination "Game of a special class" ^[27] . Hitman GO claimed the Golden Joystick Awards in two categories - for the best visual design and for the best mobile game of 2014 ^[28] . In 2015, the game was nominated for the 11th prize of the British Academy of Games in two categories - the debut game and Mobile & Handheld ^[29] . GameSpot and IGN publications have included Hirman GO in their lists of the best mobile games of 2014 ^{[30] [31]} .

At E3 2015, Square Enix Montreal announced the release of the Lara Croft GO game, developing the ideas of Hitman GO , but in the Tomb Raider universe ^[32] . The game was released on August 27, 2015 ^[33] . In Lara Croft GO, players use touch control to move Lara Croft through a level that also consists of nodes and lines ^[32] . The basic mechanics and design of the game are similar to Hitman GO . The developers did not want Lara Croft GO to be completely similar to Hitman GO , so the emphasis was on solving puzzles and gameplay elements specific to the Tomb Raider franchise ^[32] . In 2016, Square Enix Montreal announced the Deus Ex GO game, based on the Deus Ex game series ^[34] .

• - official site of Hitman GO