Hitman 5

Developers IO have only twice strayed from the series that made their name. Once for Xbox squad shooter Freedom Fighters, and now with Kane & Lynch - and both times the reception has been a little… disappointing. Freedom Fighters scored well, but failed to sell; and Kane & Lynch… well, look what happened there. Neither has met (or is likely to meet) the critical and commercial success of Hitman - a multi-million-shifting franchise that’s so big it’s even sprouted wings and crash-landed in Hollywood.

It’s little wonder, then, that after dishing out a couple of dreary Dead Men, IO are heading back to the security of Codename 47 for their next party trick. Already in development for a year and a half, Hitman 5 is exciting for two reasons: 1) it’ll be the first time the squeaky-headed murder-maker has been developed specifically for next gen; and 2) the switch of generations marks a real opportunity for IO to advance a blueprint that, while still beautifully structured and remarkably clever, is undeniably starting to show its age.

So, new things. Improved AI is definitely ‘on’. There will be a genuine unpredictability to your actions this time around - enemies surprise you, additional problems arise on the back of decisions you make, and when things go totally tits-up, you have to call on improvised methods to get you the hell out. In Blood Money, while the levels’ multiple routes were well done, AI reacted to you in pretty much the same way it had done four years earlier in Silent Assassin: they only ever come at you. This time round they’ll be far more devious, and with less of a death wish, ducking, hiding and running away for backup. Hitman 5 aims to have you up against it, all the time.

Also, you’ll be getting a more easily accessible inventory - it would be nice to select weaponry while still moving around the levels, rather than having to enter a pause screen. Oh, and the return of the gun shed from Silent Assassin is a FREAKING MUST. We had a taster of it in Blood Money with 47’s cellar - but the original gun shed, set against the idyllic surroundings of a monastery was still the best place for ammo storage.