Hitman: Absolution focusing on smarter AI

IO Interactive is working on making Agent 47 a more versitile killer in Hitman: Absolution. But giving players better control over the bald murder machine means the enemies need to wise up or be destroyed. That's a big focus for IO, and they detailed a few steps in that direction in an interview.

Lead producer Hakan Abrak told the PlayStation Blog that they wanted to make this game "a living, breathing world." He says the characters are less binary now and have a greater variety of reactions.

Disguises, for example, won't work equally well to fool all characters. "If I'm wearing a guard outfit, guard characters will have an easy time seeing through my disguise," says Abrak, "but other characters will be less likely to notice. Disguises have different ratings, too, and also different armor ratings: a SWAT disguise will give you far more protection than a doctor's outfit.

"When he's disguised, Agent 47 can also act his way out of trouble when he has to walk near an enemy: he can scratch his head, pretend to speak into a radio to briefly deflect attention when he has to walk close to an enemy."

That also means 47 has expanded options. While going in guns-blazing would be frowned upon in previous games, Absolution is more fluid. Abrak calls the action path a more "compelling option," but assures veterans that the stealth still has its own rewards -- like overhearing stories from NPCs.

Hitman: Absolution is coming from IO Interactive for PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.