Arcade format is more fun than I thought once I started playing. Having the complications means they can be reused in different styles of batches. I can see why people would just want them all unlocked vanilla, maybe we can have both modes at one point.
They definitely need a bit more jazz around completing/failing, rather than just booting you to the menu. Some kind of victory/fail screen.
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After having taken some time to think, I think I’ve figured out how IO have grouped these ETs together (or I’ve gone 1 + 1 = banana and just got it wrong - but I think it makes sense):
They analysed how the majority of people have played these ETs in the past, and then have grouped them based on the complications that they could introduce that basically killed of those methods (similiar to how H1 Professional Mode was constructed).
The Liability - a lot of disco ball kills, so they added the “Hide the Body” requirement
The Blackhat - a popular method in YouTube guides involved a lot of KOs, so they added the “one pacification” requirement.
I could go on…
Essentially these are Elusive Targets: Master Mode, but rather than moving NPCs around to just block off routes and move items on the map around, they’ve blocked off the most popular ways to kill with the complications. They’re just forcing us out of the ways a lot of us have done these in the past and to try something new. And if you don’t like it, you can play the Elusive Targets in Professional Mode as they get reactivated without the complications.
This has shifted my outlook on the Arcade quite a bit after coming to this realisation.
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I’m fine with having the Arcade as a “Master mode” (and even though I have yet to play it, I think your understanding of what they were going for makes sense), but still, this only reinforces the already very restrictive nature of ETs. Having Arcade as the MM and normal “play whenever and however you like” access to ETs would certainly be a sensible compromise.
What I really can’t comprehend is why did IO - after the reactions to all Y1 content (Deluxe, BEEH, 7DS, DGS) being escalations - decided to start off Y2 by turning what is arguably one of the most requested “we’d like to play these freely” contents into bloody escalations? I mean who on Earth makes those decisions?
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I’m glad even mods are calling out this stuff. I’ve seen a lot of ass kissing from users here in the past, but this time it seems like everyone is pissed and rightly so. Hope IOI is reading this thread.
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What about a difficulty select? The more difficult the challenge… I don’t know. Some people will want to play the ETs as they originally were. I can see why they’re adding the complications – since we can replay them every 12 hours.
Maybe it could be like the 
= the ET as it originally was
= the ETs as they are now in the arcade with the added complications
= maybe something much harder. Like no subdues, suit only… A time limit. 
Anyway, there is one thing I kinda don’t agree with… The only 1 subdue. Maybe you need a disguise so you subdue X Guard. But to kill the target - maybe you need to, or work it out that you’d need to dump their body out of a window.
Well, I’ll give IO the benefit of the doubt that hopefully they thought out these complications. Maybe have it so that if there’s 1 subdue - it’s to non-target NPCs. The Target should be okay to subdue. -IMO.
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Now that my timers all hit zero after my first runs all fell apart quite quickly and turned into disasters, I’ve smashed these all out Silent Assassin on all of the various levels. I actually kinda enjoyed them after all my complaining not long after they went live.
It’s been awhile since this game has had me sit there at the loadout screen and actually plan something out in my head and go into a somewhat unknown since there would be elements of the ETs I’d forgotten about. I had a good time going through them all actually.
Somewhat looking forward the next set that IO put out. I’ll happily say I’ve changed my stance completely on the Arcade.
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If you’re referring to me specifically, then I should point out that I’m not a mod. But if my Herald status by any chance gives my opinion any more value, great 
Still, gotta reiterate that I haven’t played the Arcade properly yet.
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Till date I thought the Herald badge was for mods
How exactly does one become a herald then? And is there a way to identify mods?
Look for the shield next to the username.
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Just updated the game and got a quick look around.
I really like a lot the wallpaper on this mode. It loos like something I would make in my own home if I had some money to spare to make my own little mancave 
But what I like most about this arcade is that finally they are rewarding us with weapons and no more suits with gloves that we already have and by the looks of it they also started to become creative with the reskins. Hope they won’t stop here.
A Hitman Contracts briefcase replica would be nice.
Tomorrow I will play this well. Unfortunately I don’t have much time lately to game or for myself. I’m doing extra days of work for some extra €.
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Just my 2 cents on this mode-
Make complications optional (and have ETs completed with complications count towards awards like the Krugermeier Dark as an incentive for players to play them as such); make ‘vanilla’ completions count towards Suit unlocks instead.
I must add that Thrison’s insight on this topic is indeed a quite the different take from what I’ve generally seen so far (And admittedly, a very refreshing one.)
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Anyone have 2/3 arcade groups automatically fail? I launched the game and it said I had to wait 12hrs. So I played the Jimmy Chen and friends one. When I had finished all the targets it failed the next set of targets. Guess ill have to wait 12hrs to finish the last 2 groups…
Yeah it’s happening with everyone. The Arcade is extremely buggy right now. Restarting the game fixes it tho in my experience. So try that once.
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Didn’t work for me 
I had some show as Failed when going to the Arcade section in Game Modes, but the tile on the Featured Screen worked fine. Try that?
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It probably doesn’t need to be said, but I was less afraid to take risks this time, or even experiment. The first one I failed was Terrence Chesterfield. He lit up on the bridge by the juice bar. His escort was KO’d, the guard killed. But my plan was that I detonate the PT with the micro electric device, he’d go over the rail and into the water to be hid in one fell-swoop. I think it went as planned for HIM, but since his bodyguard got bagged - it failed. If I try it again I’ll just place the tank there, then shoot it 2x when the time is right - instead of tossing it. I knew he waited there, I guess I didn’t notice he was smoking.
My biggest issue with this mode is the lack of replay-ability. Once I’ve done an ET “set” once, why would I go back again to do the same ET’s with the same bad complications? What incentive is there other than maybe trying to get higher on the leaderboard (which 99% of Hitman players don’t care about anyway). It’s the same reason that Escalations, in the most part, suck.
At least with main missions, I can go back and try to do stuff in different ways, I can experiment and play how I like, take risks and mess up as many times as I need to. With the added complications and a 12-hour cooldown I’m essentially forced into a playstyle if I want to complete it.
This is what the Arcade SHOULD have been in my opinion:
- Each ET replayable in their “Vanilla” form, individually with no complications.
- The ability to increase your base score multiplier by adding complications yourself.
- This allows you to increase the difficulty to your liking, with the payoff being a better final score.
- You could have unlocks tied to score thresholds (within reason), that would encourage people to experiment with different combinations of complications to get the score they need.
This is more akin to how an actual ‘arcade’ game mode works IMO. I’m thinking something similar to the skulls in Halo, completely optional, but they add an additional challenge for those who want it.
Or keeping it in line with the current format:
- Each pack should be randomised with 3 ET’s from across the trilogy.
- After 12/24 hours, the pack is “reset” and new complications are generated.
- This would keep it fresh each time you visit and would mean that each time you play, you potentially have to approach the mission differently.
This is just another in a line of “Could have been’s” that IO have introduced to the game - game modes that had the potential to be game-changing and increase the longevity of the game, but ultimately ended up changing nothing. I imagine for most people it will be just another game mode that will be touched once and only gone back to when a new “pack” is released. cough DGS cough
I will keep a feint glimmer of hope for Freelancer mode, but in the back of my mind I know that it likely won’t live up to the expectations that I’ve set for it.
I have a lot of love for IO. They go above and beyond to interact with the fanbase, but it would have been so much more simple to just give the fanbase what it wanted: replayable ET’s 
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Yeah. Maybe they could have a weekly roulette (conditions, kill method, etc.). Maybe the player can place a wager on whether they can complete it or not. Really up the stakes. RIP noobs, lol.
Probably some of those out of bound places that despite disappearing with the body don’t show the “Body Hidden +XP” message, so it doesn’t count officially 
Edit: just saw @thrison 's post and, yeah, apparently many river areas have this problem currently
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I think easily the worst-part of the arcade is the harkening back to insta-fail stealth conditions present in games from the 2000’s (and hell sometimes even still found today). They’re really not fun. Elusive Targets already had fairly limited ways of killing the target and now you have to kill the target optimally, i.e. the most boring way, because the alternative is being locked out for 12 hours.
I was optimistic about this new game mode but turns out it’s a miss. Escalations are pretty unenjoyable and effectively doubling down on the concept results in a pass from me.
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