With Hitman releasing as a fully episodic game in March, Square Enix released the first beta this past weekend on PS4. It included two of the game's missions and showed just how huge these new levels are. On the downside, this beta also showed that 60 FPS isn't always what it's propped up to be when it comes to consoles.
We've heard it all by now, how PS4 and 60FPS constantly gets regurgitated through out the gaming world. Those who are not so familiar with the setup automatically hear 60 over 30FPS and assume it's better. On the other hand, although that is true more often that not, it isn't always the case and this Hitman beta shows why perfectly.
The two missions took place in a mansion, which you may have seen in some of the preview footage, as well as a military base of some sort. Right off the bat, Hitman is an amazingly impressive game and by all means I am looking forward to the full game. Hopefully, Square Enix takes the time to improve some of the issues at hand that have been known to plague console games. In the mansion level of the beta, you're tasked with infiltrating a mansion chock full of guests at a party in order to assassinate your target. I'm not sure if it will be like this in the full game next month, but your target was marked from the get go and didn't need to be identified within the mission.
When it came to the smaller crowds like we've seen in past Hitman titles, there was no issue. Everything flowed fine and there is an incredible focus on stealth, more than normal, in the missions. You can blend into a crowd to listen in on conversations, and while some may find this boring, it's a near necessity in this version of Hitman as the crowds get larger. During the main point of the mission where the largest crowds are located, I lost count at 140 different characters. Actually, I stopped counting. All of these NPCs each with their obvious auto programmed walking and talking routes took a huge hit to the PS4. Known for being able to hit a rate of 1080P/60FPS at an easier rate than Xbox One, it also makes me wonder how the Xbox One version will hold up.
Although the game allows for 60FPS on PS4, there is simply way too much going for it to hold up. The rate dropped a lot in large crowds, at least on the first level, and even stuttered and rubber banded twice for me. Now, these both happened in the main lobby where the largest crowds were located. Still, for a game that is publishing character counts of 10x its previous versions, there is no way that Square Enix can keep the rate at 60FPS for its full release.
Yes, for the most part 60 FPS is better than 30 FPS but not always. In games like shooters or fast paced action sports games, yeah go for 60FPS. On the other hand, games like Hitman with a slower pace don't require 60FPS and actually function better at 30 FPS. When you try to refresh a game that isn't moving that fast, it functions like a little kid running too fast. They get ahead of themselves because they are moving too fast for their bodies and fall down. The same thing happens in games. Hitman isn't meant to move at 60FPS and with all these crowds, it causes the game to jump and stutter.
Lowering the rate to 30FPS would allow for the main game and all of its NPCs to operate at a smoother fashion and make for a much smoother game. Remember, current generation consoles aren't just advanced in framerate but in overall performance. There is no way a Hitman game on PS3 could support 300 characters even at 30FPS. The PS4 could support the character count, but is limited when you include the rise in framerate. It's a give and take that requires a delicate balance in order to find the sweet spot.
As far as the game itself goes, the setup is perfect and by far is the best Hitman game of all time. The amount of strategy and stealth involved far exceeds that of any Hitman game in the past. I mentioned the large crowds above and these are nearly required. You hear their conversations as you pass by and with so many of them going on, it's worth it to stop for a second as you may get some information needed to make your progress a little easier. The environment is key to your use as well. You have the option to utilize a variety of different tools and disguises at your disposal, especially at the mansion party. Although you can eavesdrop on conversations, you can hang around for long because people may raise alarm and then Agent 47 is pretty much done for.
The game's second level, the military base for this beta, also was set up well. More of an open setup, most of the enemies are armed and require a lot more timely mannered progress. I attempted to go through the mansion level using the most stealth that I could, and it wasn't enough when it came to the military base. If the beta is anything to go by, each level in Hitman will require a different approach and change in gameplay which should enhance the overall experience.
Setup wise, Hitman is right where it needs to be. It's a perfect blend of stealth and action that pushes you as a player. Performance wise, it does need work. Nothing too crazy, but the 60FPS limit needs to be reduced to 30. I play both systems, but I'm partial to Xbox One personally. I still know that PS4 has it easier when it comes to hitting the 60FPS threshold, and if that's the case with the issues I saw on PS4, the Xbox One version will get ripped apart, including by me, when it releases next month if the rate is changed. Hopefully Square Enix gets this done for consoles, and we'll let you know if the PC version is any diffferent next week after their beta concludes.
Hitman releases in full on March 11th.
