With Hitman's physical release pinned for January 31st, IO-Interactive has begun releasing a series of patches that aim to correct most of the current issues, and also add a bunch of new content. The very first of these updates has arrived today, bringing with it the ability to keep your unlocked weapons and toys while in offline mode, but also a variety of bug, optimization, and gameplay fixes.
If you're interested in all of the changes that arrived alongside the update you can check them out by heading over here, but if you're just interested in the highlights, here's the list:
• Offline Profile
All unlockable items that are earned when connected to the game's servers, are now also saved to an 'offline profile', meaning that they can be used when in Offline Mode.
Items include all mastery items; including weapons, gear, starting/pickup locations as well as Elusive Target suit rewards and Challenge Pack unlocks.
Note: You must be connected to the game servers in order to acquire new unlocks.
• Stability Sweep
Fixed different issues across all locations that previously resulted in the game crashing or becoming unstable.
• Opportunity Completion Checkmark
We've added functionality to mark an opportunity with a checkmark when it has been successfully completed, similar to how we show that a challenge has been completed.
This will show you the completed opportunities at-a-glance and make it easier to track completion when trying to achieve the achievements/trophies linked to opportunities.
• Silent Assassin Rating Display
The scoring screen now displays "Silent Assassin" when a player completes a mission with that rating.
• Major Update to Statistics Page
The 'Statistics' page has been overhauled with a new visual design that displays the challenge completion, mastery level completion and overall location completion.
• Pause Menu
We've changed the background of the pause menu to be the current in-game moment, rather than the world map.
• Mission Accomplished Screen Update
When successfully completing a mission, the mission accomplished screen will now show the last frame of the exit sequence, rather than fading to black.
• Contracts Mode 'Success State'
After playing a Contract, the menu will now show either a checkmark (complete) or a cross (fail) to show your status for the Contract.
• Improved consistency for Elusive Targets Challenge Images
The Elusive Targets Challenges now have a more consistent style.
• New IOI logo [Game-changing!]
We have a new studio logo, and now that's in the game.
• Challenge Completed SFX
We added a subtle sound effect that plays when unlocking a challenge.
• Sarajevo Six Briefings [PS4 Only]
Briefings videos for The Mercenary and The Controller have been added to the game.
• Pull an Enemy
In this update, we've added the ability for 47 to pull people over balconies or out of windows, when he is hanging on a ledge or below the balcony/window.
Unfortunately, there is a known issue for this move: NPC's that see this move will not blame 47, even if they are looking directly at the NPC or at 47.
For that reason, we will remove this ability with our December Update and fix this. It will then be re-introduced with a game update in January, around the same time as the disc release.
While all of these are perfectly sensible changes, I can't help but giggle at the newly introduced "Pull an Enemy" ability. They are adding it in with this update even though its apparently so flawed they will instantly be removing it in the next patch, only to then finally re-introduce it properly in January. Just... why?
As for the upcoming December update, I'm afraid there is very little information available right now. But from what IO have said so far, "it will wrap up the year nicely and will be a great way for us to wish all of our players a happy holiday season", I'm hoping for a big ol' fluffy Santa suit!