i said elsewhere, that i love the concept (i’ve always wanted a train level) and ed’s poetic comeuppance was … however, i feel the level was, overall, a bit of a wasted opportunity.
at the end of a long series, there was an opportunity here to really put everything players had learned to the test in a space-limited (sort of) ‘boss’ sandbox.
instead we got a fairly standard, linear stealth level that you could find in many other similar titles (splinter cell, springs to mind), with each carriage often acting as a one or two solution puzzle box. it didn’t bring enough of what makes hitman unique to the table here for me.
the options available are a limiting mix of shooting everyone, sneaking through a heavily prescribed ‘golden’ path or disguising yourself to pass areas. none of them (bar perhaps the shooting route; a style of play io have actively avoided catering to in the rest of the series) are really testing the players’ ability or giving room for imaginative approaches. it’s odd for a unique, free-form stealth game to end with such a heavily prescriptive (and derivative) level.
even in the spirit of h2:sa and bm’s epilogues, i find it lacking. both were much more free-for-all in nature, offering a chance to let off steam in a given space. the way untouchable’s train is designed didn’t give me that same feeling of freedom or playfulness. it felt like it was halfway to being a ‘proper’ hitman level but didn’t quite make it.
opening up more potential traversal routes, kill opportunities, or adding additional creative solutions to the puzzle carts - the same level of detail afforded to every other location while still operating within its spatial limits - could’ve made this such an interesting challenge and a great cap to the series.
it’s fine for what it’s going for, i guess? i just spent my entire first run thinking how much better it could’ve been if it had been just that little bit more robust. i honestly much prefer hawke’s bay
Couldn’t agree more. Really doesn’t feel like it had any imagination or thought put into it. I’d love for them to go back and add opportunities to it etc but it’s unlikely.
It’s fairly basic and feels to me like the story was taking over the game. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. I played the level for about two hours, collecting the different challenges. Will definitely go through again, killing everyone in sight. Still a bit underwhelmed by it.
i wouldn’t go that far. i’m sure tons of work went into it, especially on a technical level. i just wish it had the same level of traversal routes and kill opportunities that the other maps had.
I think, looking at this level in relation to Hitman 3, it is very underwhelming. However, looking at it in relation to WOA, it is a fun conclusion to cap off the story. In ten or fifteen years time when people look back on WOA as a single “classic” game, people will view this map in the same way that we view Requiem today. When a linear map is a sixth of a game, that kinda stinks, but when it is only one twentieth, I think it is alright as a linear conclusion.
Hated the mission, but enjoyed the story and ending. Really wished the mission wasn’t just a “straight line.” Zero replayability which is a huge bummer.
Absolutely, playing it as one single game will be a fantastic experience, the ebb and flow of the trilogy. Maybe even Hawke’s Bay will make sense to people…
I’ve been replaying it a bit 'cause… well finally a level I figure I can max out everything on, and I do quite appreciate how even though it’s a very linear level that has limited scenarios they’ve gone to a lot of effort to make the dialog worth listening to.
If you take your time, you’ll definitely want to kill everyone… twice.
Ah yes, that wagon with the two lone guards that you either completely bypass when going SASO, or have to blend through in a disguise. And then your trigger finger gets reeeeal itchy…
I found it a little bit dissapointing. As an epilogue it’s great and quite thrilling, also perfectly fitting for a “spy thriller”. But I was expecting a larger level and maybe a big riff/throw back to hidden valley in Htman 2:Silent Assassin.
Not discreditting it’s creativity with the small space and concept. But it’s a bit meh.
I loved it. I know people are saying it’s linear, but it’s pretty difficult to create an ending that isn’t linear, especially if you want to bring actual closure to the story.
Now that I think about it, I think every ending in the Hitman franchise (minus Season One and Two, where it was more appropriate to keep the sandbox design since it wasn’t the end of the story) was severely more linear than the rest of the game no? Yet they resulted in the most memorable of levels, Meet Your Brother, Redemption at Gontranno, (H&H gave us a memorable cutscene at least), Requiem.
If you look past the fact that Untouchable takes place in a straight line and not a wide open map, it’s still far more replayable and less linear than those levels (which, keep in mind, are some of my favorites).
edit: And I think the reason most people like those levels (including me) is because of the great design/theme, because it’s obviously not replayability, and personally, great design/theme is something I thing Untouchable has.
I had multiple bodies hanging out of windows from their feet, sometimes they would fall away, or sometimes if a guard would notice they would come and bag the body without a found body alert of course because it is an accident kill even though they didn’t finish falling
I took out a lot of guards by luring them to windows and pulling them through or shooting them through the window, which they cannot see, which was fun
I like that you still have to kill only the target and noone else to get 5 star SA
But you can still unlock all 5 mastery levels without, which makes It a choice, and not something you do for a high score, but because you care how you play, which is kinda how it was in the old games, I always liked that about the old games
Just finished MY SA/SO PIANO RUN for all missions Carpathian being the last
Similar to Chongquing this mission kicked my ass til I made the decision finally to just sneak past every enforcer (almost) , which became easy and automatic after having failed a whole bunch of attempts
First of all I rarely I rarely ever use a pistol, much less kill a guard, though I normally carry one in my planning, I would just rather not use a firearm unless it’s absolutely essential to complete the objective
In the old games you only had 2 bullets, I really enjoy that style of play, and that’s my basic initial approach to any mission
Also I have always thought that bullet distractions are cheesy because visually they fail to suspend disbelief
That said I really enjoyed this mission and replayed several times, I thought that not having a map for once added a bit of suspense, and yes there could be a few less cars because because a few of them are not a challenge to get through and it is really boring having to race through them every time you restart/replay and you will say that you hate that but I actually it all builds suspense without which I guess you would just run to the target and kill him
As far as the linear design: it actually forced me to be a little creative, I used a bullet distraction which I never do and am not good at to distract two guards in the car where there is a bar of soap
Also loved the non target kills , as I said I rarely use a pistol so obviously great excuse for kill everyone challenge which is nice change of pace from being bogged down in stealth mode the whole game
There’s only so many times you can replay but I think as other people here have said it’s a story ending mission and in that respect it moves the plot along and builds enough tension to create suspense of disbelief
I have a quesiton about the objectives of the level.
The first objective is to Kill edwards. Understood.
There is a secondary objective that says “Providence members may be eliminated”. However, if you kill a providence member, it says ‘non-target killed’. So what´s the purpose of that objective if it doesn´t allow you to kill providence members and keep silent assassin ?
My guess it’s a bug.
The objective was created, but the programmed conditions weren’t changed.
If this is intented and meant to be so then I can’t understand that either
… however, i feel the level was, overall, a bit of a wasted opportunity.