The last time we saw Hitman: Absolution, Agent 47 was dispatching some nuns in a pre-rendered cinematic. While it certainly was splashy, it did little to show off gameplay. IO Interactive is fixing that today, releasing 17 minutes of gameplay from the "Streets of Hope" scenario from E3.

The video is narrated by Travis Barbour of the IO community team and game director Tore Blystad, and shows an expedited play-through of the level, where 47 must eliminate some gang members and kidnap the leader.

Watch: A trail of bodies »

Who wants a weird cartoony 10" statue of Hitman: Absolution star Agent 47? Anyone? Well, if you think of someone who might, let them know that they can get one buy buying the 'Deluxe Professional Edition' of IO Interactive's murder simulator, unveiled today by publisher Square Enix.

Read more: Standing ten inches tall »

With Hitman Absolution on the horizon, it appears Square Enix is looking to compile an "HD Collection" of Agent 47's PS2-era adventures. A new retail listing for the Hitman Triple Pack includes convincing-looking box art. According to the listing, the bundle will include Silent Assassin, Contracts, and Blood Money.

Read more: Only for PS3? »

I see my target, standing in the middle of a crowded Chinese marketplace. The scene is littered with dozens, if not hundreds of people. How do I take care of him? I know there's a sniper rifle on the other side of the square, and if I look out through the window, I should be able to get a perfect shot of him. So, I walk through the crowd and make my way into a dark alley.

A cop spots me. I'm not supposed to be here, apparently. I raise my hands, feigning surrender. As the officer draws near, I snap his neck and go for a quiet kill. I didn't want to, but he left me no choice. Of course, there's not much I can do with a dead body--except take his clothes and hide his body in the nearest dumpster, of course.

Read more: Explosives or deadly fish? »

With a title like Hitman: Absolution, you might expect the game to deliver some sort of religious undertones. But you probably weren't expecting the messengers shown in the new pre-E3 trailer released by Square Enix.

Watch: These aren't your Sunday school nuns »

The Hitman codenamed 47 has been promising absolution for almost a year. Now, we finally get a release date and confirmation of report a few days ago of a special bonus mission playable as soon as you finish clicking to pre-order the game.

Read more: Pre-orders start May 15, game hits Nov. 20 »

When Square Enix filed a trademark for Hitman: Sniper Challenge, we doubted the publisher was working on a third big-budget addition to the assassination franchise. Indeed, it appears we were right. A leaked advertisement from an upcoming issue of Game Informer describes Sniper Challenge as a downloadable game for PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 that will coincide with the launch of Hitman: Absolution.

Read more: Competition to offer 'awesome prizes' for top scores »

As the title should make abundantly clear, Hitman protagonist Agent 47 is very good at murder. Just in case you needed a reminder of that fact, though, a new gameplay trailer for Hitman: Absolution highlights the many ways in which our anti-hero can reduce the average life expectancy of hapless guards and corrupt politicians.

Watch: An impressive two-minute body count »

Square Enix has finally revealed the requisite special edition for Hitman: Absolution. Sporting a $20 premium over the standard game, the "Professional Edition" includes a number of bonuses, including a hardcover art book and an exclusive "making of" documentary video. In addition, an included voucher will unlock a number of weapons, such as the Agency Jagd P22G pistol, Agency HX UMP submachine gun, and the Agency SPS 12 semi-automatic shotgun. All of this content will be packaged in a clamshell box.

Read more: Retailer-exclusive pre-order bonuses »

Mini Ninjas appears to be getting a sequel in some capacity, titled "Mini Ninjas: Hiro's Adventure." A trademark from Square Enix, along with domain registrations, mention the new title. Exactly what Hiro's Adventure could be, however, is still in the dark.

Read more: Mini Ninjas coming to Chrome »

Even with Hitman: Absolution on the way and a mysterious trademark popping up recently for Hitman: Profession, yet another Hitman trademark has been registered. Now "Hitman: Sniper Challenge" is the latest franchise-related something, leading to the inevitable question: what's going on with Hitman?

Read more: Square to 'expand the vision for the Hitman franchise' »

Internet sleuths on NeoGAF have uncovered yet another Square Enix trademark. "Sleeping Dogs" might not be as immediately evocative as Final Fantasy Dimensions, but many are theorizing that this could be the subtitle for a possible Kane & Lynch sequel.

The first Kane & Lynch game debuted in 2007 and was hampered by technical and mechanical shortcomings. It currently holds a 67 on Metacritic. The sequel, Dog Days, released in 2010 with an eye-catching, grittier look. The critics still tore it apart.

Read more: Strong franchise sales mean inevitable return »

Enemies in Hitman: Absolution won't be nameless goons like your garden variety stealth (or action, or stealth/action) game. According to game director Tor Blystad, Agent 47's latest gives a dedicated name and identity to each NPC you come across.

IO Interactive is also focusing on giving NPCs a wide range of responses to their changing environments. Blystad said that the studio recently held a "big" audio recording with more sessions planned.

Read more: AI script has over 2,000 pages »

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.

Read more: Disguises have ratings »

Hot on the heels of the revelation that the original Killzone is making the trek to the PlayStation 3 as a downloadable game, an ESRB rating has outed another PS2-for-PSN game. PlayStation 3 has been added to the list of platforms for Hitman: Blood Money.

Read more: Blood Money's cross-platform history »