Hitman Absolution Review (NSW)
Summary: Overall Hitman Absolution is a solid addition to the Nintendo Switch library and whilst it may not be for all the die hard Hitman fans there is enough there for portable fans to enjoy. With the announcement as said above Switch 2 owners may want to holdout on purchasing until the free update comes out next year.
3.8
Action packed
Hitman Absolution, originally released back in 2012, has finally found its way onto the Nintendo Switch through Feral Interactive. If you’re a fan of the newer trilogy, you may find Hitman Absolution a bit jarring, as it plays through the lens of a more linear, story-driven campaign rather than the free-form style of the newer games.
Hitman Absolution follows Agent 47 as he battles against those he once considered colleagues, all while protecting a girl named Victoria. The ICA and an arms dealer named Blake spend the game trying to kidnap and control her. The story is far more important in this entry and is pushed as the main focus. This ruffled a few feathers back in 2012, and even looking at it now, 13 years later, it’s easy to see why. That’s not to say Hitman Absolution is a bad game—far from it—it just doesn’t fit neatly into what the series was or what it would later become.
The gameplay has largely stayed the same from its original iteration. Players control Agent 47 in third person, allowing you to see everything around you. You’re given the option of stealth (the preferred method) or loud and proud, guns blazing, to complete a series of assassinations. While not as open or sandbox-like as other entries, Absolution still gives players multiple avenues to explore. These include poison, death by falling chandeliers, and the classic bullet to the head. The levels are more straightforward, with targets easy to spot. Their compact design has also allowed the developers to create decent-sized crowds into which you can disappear during a getaway.
Agent 47 can blend in even more when using disguises, found around levels or taken from enemies who’ve had “accidents.” He can also use instinct mode to highlight clues or bypass enemies dressed similarly, who might otherwise notice a bald man as an imposter. This system isn’t perfect, though, and there will be times when you’re spotted and it’s difficult to figure out why.
The Nintendo Switch version adds gyro sensor aiming, which helps make some takedowns smoother and easier. I was pleasantly surprised at how well this control style worked.
Visually, Hitman Absolution is still a very pretty game, especially when you remember it’s 13 years old. Older titles often look better on the Switch’s smaller screen. There is occasional texture tearing, and the framerate being capped at 30 can make some of the more action-oriented parts feel a little sluggish. Feral Interactive has stated that in 2026 they will release a free patch for Switch players, which should hopefully deliver a higher and more stable framerate.
Final Thoughts
Overall, Hitman Absolution is a solid addition to the Nintendo Switch library. While it may not appeal to all die-hard Hitman fans, there’s enough here for portable players to enjoy. With the announced update, Switch 2 owners may want to hold off on purchasing until the free patch arrives next year.
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