New Hitman on the Horizon: Absolution

Before the likes of Altair or Ezio de Auditore, there was another particularly deadly killer-for-hire known only as Agent 47.  Today, Square Enix and partner IO Interactive announced that this king among professional killers will be returning to consoles and PC in the near future in the form of Hitman: Absolution. Here’s what we know so far:

HITMAN ABSOLUTION follows Agent 47™, a cold-blooded assassin, who takes on his most dangerous contract to date. Betrayed by those he once trusted — and now hunted by the police — he suddenly finds himself at the center of a dark conspiracy and must embark on a personal journey through a corrupt and twisted world.

“For the first time we are taking Agent 47 on a personal journey which allows us to explore other parts of the Hitman® fantasy,” said Tore Blystad, game director, IO Interactive. “This is both a familiar and yet significantly different experience from other Hitman games; something our silent assassins will relish, as will all those new to the Hitman world.”

Showcasing IO Interactive’s new proprietary Glacier 2™ technology, the game has been built from the ground up. Boasting a cinematic story, distinctive art direction and highly original game design, HITMAN ABSOLUTION combines much-loved classic gameplay with completely new features never seen before in the Hitman franchise.

As of now, no release date is yet known, although if you visit http://hitman.com/ and watch the short teaser, I believe they might have dropped a hint as to when such a date might be made public (blink, and you might miss it).  Your best bet would to get invited to the invitation-only showcase of the game being held at this year’s E3, June 7-9.

So, what say you? Has it been too long for the franchise to make a comeback? What sort of awesomeness is Glacier 2 bringing to the table? What will this game mean in terms of the franchise’s mythology? Is Tore Blystad the fallen son of an ancient alien race of Asguardians? These are very  important questions people, and we need your answers below!