IO Interactive has staple-gunned a March 11, 2016 release date to the upcoming Hitman title for PlayStation 4, PC and Xbox One, following its decision to delay the game from its original December 2015 window.
In addition, the studio also revealed what content gamers can expect to enjoy on launch day. First up, three locations are going to be available, including France, Italy and Morocco. Here, players can use the Contracts mode to create missions and hunt down their targets as the iconic Agent 47. Aside from this, gamers can also participate in a total of six campaign missions from day-one, with more to be added at a later date.
Elsewhere, IO confirmed that it plans on expanding Hitman in April with the addition of the Thailand location, with May seeing the release of the United States of America and June introducing Japan as a playable location. Most importantly, the content will be available to download a no extra cost; it comes free as part of the $59.99 asking price for the digital stealth-action title, so you won’t have to fork out for extra missions etc.
Alternatively, those of you who fancy giving Hitman a test drive can download the Hitman Intro Pack for $34.99. This will be available to pre-order in November 2015 and will give players access to all of the content available at launch. If you enjoy the experience and wish to upgrade to the full game, you can do so by forking out an additional $29.99. U.K pricing has yet to be confirmed, but we’ll keep you posted.
"We’ve had a lot of feedback since we announced HITMAN that has helped us shape these next steps," commented IO Interactive boss, Hannes Seifert. "It’s important that we listen to fans and that we’re open with what we’re doing. So today we’re sharing details on our release plan and we’re announcing something the community has asked for: a new price to enter the game at launch.”
Hitman will be made available on disc at a later date once all content updates have arrived. The title features a more open game design than Hitman: Absolution, allowing players to explore a sandbox-like environment and get creative with their kills. IO has said that each stage packs around 300 NPCs into the mix, with levels themselves around six-seven times larger than those in Absolution.
Unlike the last instalment in the series, Hitman does not feature a checkpoint system. Instead, gamers can opt to save their progress at any point during their mission. Contracts mode also makes a return as previously mentioned, alongside a more simplified version of Absolution’s Instinct mode.