Recent reviews by Iggy Wolf

They told me I couldn't be a goat, so I decided to become a goat. I didn't realize what that would entail, and I couldn't really find any goat friends. But that's okay, because I'm a goat. I have now learned wisdom and great knowledge of being a goat. Learning the ability to headbutt people who disagree with me, or who I simply don't like has been illuminating and positive.

I am now one with the goat. We must praise the goats as our gods. In this game, you will become a goat. If you won't, you'll be turned into a goat. And if that still doesn't work, you'll at least serve as a useful tool to achieve another goat's dreams. This game is truly GOAT. Become a goat, TODAY!

One of the best mods I've ever played. An absolutely amazing mod. I've been playing it and following it since version 2.0. So I've seen its progress change organically over the years. The game itself a testament to the original devs and how fun it is, and this mod improves on that work in every way. It was a bit rougher in its earlier versions but I'm happy to see so many of those aspects fixed.

And the new 5.0 update certainly adds replayability and a new experience with the Malta hub in between missions. Being able to choose your loadout for the next mission is also a nice little touch. There's still some things that need polishing, but all around, the mod really is great and I highly recommend it to anyone else. Also, the DLC is quite fairly priced and really is worth the money. Especially if it helps to continue to support the modder. The animations are top-notch, the texture work is nice and clean, and the sounds and gunplay is a lot of fun.

So I had bought this game a long time ago for Xbox One S. I beat all the skaters and levels on that version. And I was always waiting for it to finally come to Steam. I'm glad I did because it's as good as I thought it would be. Yeah, the "Online Always" requirement sucks and people are right to hold it against the game, since it shouldn't really need it just to play singleplayer. It's really well optimized, using 99% of the GPU and barely taxes the CPU, so overall if you have a good PC setup, you should be able to actually play it as high as your monitor's refresh rate allows. (Mine is a 165 Hz monitor and the FPS rarely drops below 162. My setup is an i5 10400, 3060 Ti, and 16 GB of RAM.)

Like I said, the game is hardly that demanding given its graphics, and thankfully fully utilizes whatever you do give it. And of course, it's as great if not better as the old school versions, playing just as well as they did, but including all the levels from 1 + 2, and is very smooth and fast. Overall, I definitely recommend, especially at the current sale price, because Activision will RARELY discount ANY of their games at more than 50%, so this is probably the lowest you'll ever be able to purchase it. Get it, you won't regret it.

If you're new to the series, please put on our complimentary and required diapers with every set of goggles. If you're a veteran of the series however, please prepare to be made fun of for being old. What more can be said, it's the pinnacle of the series and one of the best stealth games around. Also, always remember to take one for the Gipper.

I played all of the previous Hitman games (except for Contracts but I have it in my library. Just too lazy to bother with it). I'm going to mention what this game did right and what it did wrong.

First off, is it better than Absolution? Absolutely. Absolution was more of a linear cover shooter, with the maps being more of a small playground that simply limited you to certain choices. It had that "Splinter Cell Conviction" feel and look because of how its stealth mechanics worked but that's not Hitman. And so you can rest easy knowing that this game went back to the roots of what Hitman was all about: large open maps with several different ways to execute your target, and you're simply given the targets' names, info, motivations, and the tools, gear, and weapons you need to take them out.

With that in mind, there's no customization like Hitman Blood Money however. You can unlock, however, different variations of certain guns with modifications by beating the Mastery levels of each map (it's not hard really. Just complete every challenge for each map for the XP. Complete most of them and you'll reach level 20 mastery (highest mastery level for any map except for a few exceptions). In the process, you'll also unlock other equipment and gear, as well as new starting locations and ICA smuggle locations (basically, you can smuggle one item into any of the locations on the map once you unlock them).

For those who already played Hitman 2016, this is probably nothing new and the improvements over that one in this one is that you can now blend in crowds (like you could back in Absolution), and hide in tall grass and or anything else that acts as a blending cover. Mirrors are functional (so targets and other NPCs WILL see you sneaking up behind them unless you crouch), and the briefcase makes a return, finally allowing you to carry that sniper rifle, that's illegal to carry openly with any disguise, with complete impunity throughout the maps. Just don't try to smuggle it through a frisk checkpoint.

Oh, and the lighting has been changed, which may or may not suit your tastes. If you're a newcomer to the series, you may not notice the differences between Hitman 1 and 2 in terms of lighting, but if you choose to get the Legacy Pack and/or play Hitman 1, you will. That said, if you do get the Legacy Pack as well, don't bother with Hitman 1, cause this one will have ALL the maps from that one in this one. Oh, and your progress from Hitman 1 does not carry over into this one.

Now, you may be wondering what it did wrong since I mostly mentioned what it right. Well, elusive targets unfortunately, by their very nature, are usually only available to play once (if you die, you can't try again), and despite IOI usually recycling them for those who missed them, some will be permanently missable, especially if you're entering this late into the game. For new comers to the series, the enforcers may or may not be likable. They are NPCs that can see through your disguise because they know who's supposed to be on the staff.

They're not littered throughout the map like in Absolution, but depending on the disguise you take, they may or may not be in large numbers. Some enforcers can actually see through ANY disguise (including your default suit) because they're meant to make you take advantage of crowd blending. They were mostly likely added because people complained that in Absolution, EVERYONE was able to see through your disguise if you wore the same one as theirs, and you had to use instinct to blend. Thankfully, instinct is now simply being able to see the environment's objects highlighted so you don't miss anything and to know the status of an NPC's state of awareness as well as to see where your targets are at all times.

Now, do I recommend this game? Absolutely. It's fun, but you'll be disappointed if you expect its shooting to be as good as Absolution. There's no point shooting, but on the easiest difficulty (Casual), you're a tank. On Professional, you're encouraged to use stealth. If you do get in a shootout though, you can regenerate health provided you don't keep getting shot. It's advised to change into another outfit and leave the immediate area if it comes to that. So, you can still salvage the situation, but you'll definitely lose your SA rank. Also, unlike Hitman 1, this game's highest difficulty is now Master as opposed to Professional, which is the previous game's Normal difficulty.

So I've only been able to play it for the first hour or so into the game. This is a technical review and I might update it later when Sledgehammer Games patch it. On the campaign side, it's fun so far but the graphics could have been more impressive. Honestly, I don't mind at this point since the issue isn't with the gameplay mechanics (minus the annoying QTEs. Oh what fun getting killed over and over again because the game keeps switching the button you need to press for the QTE) and story so much as the technical aspect.

So even though I was getting 60+ FPS, my CPU and GPU start to run at 100% after the first hour of the game. Would have overheated and melted the PC if I didn't exit the game. With that in mind, I can't recommend the game in its current state. If you look in the discussions and technical reviews, many other people have issues as well. My specs are up to par if you have to ask:

Intel Core i5 Skylake 6400 2.7 GHz
ASUS Strix Geforce GTX 970 OC 4 GB VRAM
RAM 16 GB
WIndows 10 Home

Even after maxing out settings, it only used 2.7 GB of VRAM, but obviously doesn't mean much when the card and CPU cores are maxed out and overheating. I should mention I NEVER had ANY other game do this. I can run Crysis 3, GTA V, Metro Redux Last Light, Battlefield 1, and Hitman with no problems. As of right now, you're taking a risk if you buy this game on the assumption that it may or may not even work for you, and if it does, no guarantee that you'll be able to play it without any problems. Those who did were lucky enough to do so and therefore made a positive review. But as you can tell, that does little to change the overall reviews. Activision managed to ♥♥♥♥ up even more. At least all my other CODs WORK without issues. 11/10 Would overheat PC again.

I haven't beat the game yet (still at Neptune's Bounty) although I did beat the original version so it's nothing new in terms of story or gameplay. I suppose like everyone else, this review is meant to tell you whether it's worth getting the remaster or not. Well, honestly, no. I mean, unless you got it for free because you already have it, in which case, you already know what it's like. Haven't had any crashes yet or any problems that didn't already exist in the original, and maybe that's what I can't recommend it. It hasn't had any of the bugs fixed as other reviews point out.

However, the mouse sensitivity/acceleration I feel is overexaggerated. Yes, it's still present and it can be annoying, but I managed to complete the original very well without much trouble. In fact, unlike the original, this one doesn't suffer from the 30 FPS animations and physics and the sound works unlike the old one which required turning on "Stereo Mix". I speak only for myself though. The improvement in graphics isn't really much. Not that I have noticed. I expected at the minimum for the character models to look better but unfortunately, that isn't the case.

Perhaps the textures are merely better and higher resolution and the lighting is new. But that's hardly a compliment when everything else is the same, including the bugs. So, as much as I would like to recommend it, I feel like it's not really worth it. If anyone has their old one working as they would like, they'd be better off playing that. Don't bother struggling with the bugs, especially if you can't even load the game because you get one of those crashes or it keeps crashing in-game for you.

I decided to write this review for two reasons. One, as my own personal opinion and 2, to answer some questions relative to the previous two games and how some reviewers failed to mention a specific detail in their reviews. Ok, let's start, shall we?

1. The AI. Some of the negative reviews which complain about the AI being too easy or that you can always relocate and lose them failed to take one thing into consideration. The AI was changed BECAUSE people were complaining about it in the first 2 games. In the previous two Sniper Elites, the AI had Eagle Eye. Once they spotted you, EVERYONE on the map would know where you are, at least the ones that were currently present and not ones that haven't spawned yet. Nonetheless, you were NOT able to lose them in anyway. They would hunt you down until they filled you with lead or spammed you with nades. I guess you can't please everybody. The AI was changed because of complaints. If that made it too easy for some people, then they should just go play the old ones if they don't like it. Yes, there has to be a middle ground between too easy and too hard, but devs rarely hit that sweet spot, especially when it comes to games like this. Just play on authentic difficulty if you think it's too easy. On that difficulty, your entire hud is removed and no saving is allowed.

2. With regards to the DLC, you don't need it but obviously in a game about snipers, it's nice to have more choices. Now, some people might have mentioned that you had all the DLC rifles in V2 but not 3. That is false. You had to purchase the same rifles in 2 as you have to purchase in 3. There's obviously more of them this time around but nonetheless, they require money. The good news is that you don't have to purchase all the DLCs separately. Apparently, the Season Pass gives you all 4 DLC missions as well as all the sniper and camo packs. This is convenient considering the fact that the Season Pass is actually cheaper than all the DLC combined. I was still not a fan of this choice but if you wait for a sale (and it usually happens often enough, especially when V2 is being given away for free), then you'll be able to get it for even cheaper.

Now, my personal review of this game is that taking into account those two factors above, I will also mention other things that I like. For one, the relocation mechanic was a pleasant addition considering the fact that you can at least now lose the enemies in the game if you get far enough from your initial spot. That doesn't mean the enemies aren't relentless when they do spot you though, cause they'll slowly start to move in if you take too long to relocate or hide somewhere in the shadows or brush. But at least now you have a chance to escape and try again. Or at least not be forced to kill everybody just to move on. That said, it helps that the environments are also bigger this time around, and as other reviewers have mentioned, noise markers are back to indicate when your shot is being masked. In addition to planes and artillary, there are now generators scattered around certain parts of the map, which take less time to create noise than other, more environmental noises.

Melee kills are back and this time, you shank people instead of seemingly breaking their neck all the time (he might only do the neck break when he flips the enemy on his back and crushes his throat, which happens more rarely than sticking a knife in their back or neck). There's an XP system in play this time around. As you rank up, you'll unlock new attachments and/or reticles. There are 15 attachements to find in the campaign though, which will take less time than ranking up but you'll be doing both so you'll eventually unlock them anyway. Also, I noticed that the secondary weapons are more useful this time around. They seem to have somewhat better aim and damage than the ones in V2. I can't say much about how much better they are than in the first Sniper Elite since that one is so old and is outdated as far as Sniper Elite 3 is concerned (it still had Eagle Eye AI). It's still fun to play though but this review is for the 3rd one, not the first. Oh, and you get to kill Hitler again (DLC though), this time in 7 different ways (plus of course shooting his balls off).

Overall, my impression of this game is very good one. Yes, there are some things that could still be improved, like the submachine guns and the AI. However, overall, it's an exhilarating experience, especially if you like the X-Ray Cam cause that's back and better than ever (this time the enemy's circulatory system is more detailed and their bones shattering are animated much better). Oh, and I suggest getting the DLC with the HDM silenced pistol cause that one holds 50 rounds instead of 32 like the welrod and seems to have somwhat better accuracy. The tradeoff is that it feels like it does less damage, but nonetheless will instakill if you aim for the head (btw, ALWAYS aim for the head).

11/10 would shoot Hitler in the nuts again (or drop a bell on him, hehe)

This was the first open-world video game that I played back when I was 7 years old. Trust me, I didn't even know what I was doing because I had just arrived in America at that time and my computer seemed to have a problem with allowing me to play it normally cause the screen would go black every 5 minutes and I'd have to change the camera view to get it back to normal. Suffice to say, I've managed to reconcile the problem since then (15 years ago) and it works beautifully. I suggest modding it a bit to make it look and play like a more modern GTA of today. (OnePiece's HD Cars and Tri-Pack plus some much needed improved HD city textures will allow it to look a bit more fresh) It's a classic and one of the best GTAs to try and get 100% in since it's one of the easiest to do so in. Also, I recommend switching out Steam's EXE with a regular 1.1 version if you want to avoid the dark colored cars problem. Editing the TXD file works too but changing the EXE won't break the game. If anything, it'll allow more mods to work since some don't work with Steam's version. Overall, it's still a good game even in today's modern period and holds up well even without mods.

Really good for a WWII shooter. We haven't had one of those in a while. There is Wolfenstein: The New Order but that one's alternate history. Enemy Front uses the CryEngine but some of the textures are low resolution. The game is nice in that it gives you the ability to do either a stealth run or a gun and run. The AI is a little dumb though, since they take a while to notice you. I played on medium difficulty however so I'm not sure if they notice you faster on expert. It is more forgiving however than Sniper Elite in the sense that the enemy doesn't have Eagle Eye and so they won't know exactly where you are and if you manage to lie low for a while and let your detection meter drop, they will stop searching for you but will still remain on guard. The dumb part comes in due to the fact that they lose you simply because you hid behind a box, even though they know you were there a minute ago. The weapons are nice. Ammo is plentiful with open ammo boxes scattered all over the maps. The graphics overall are nothing crazy and could be considered lacking a bit in today's modern age and AAA titles but look better than all the old WWII shooters that we've had so far. I will say that the textures tend to bug out sometimes and take a while to load but they are only few. I've experienced more crashes than texture bugs, usually at the later levels of the campaign. With all that said, it's an otherwise pretty good game and I recommend getting it while it's still on sale right now.