And yet despite this warm reception, many fans of the series were left dismayed: it seemed as if IO had quietly snuffed out the open-ended design that had previously defined the franchise, leaving in its place a streamlined action shooter. IO Interactive’s reborn Agent 47 immediately became one of the show’s major talking points, and by the end of the week Square Enix’s booth was adorned with dozens of nomination placards. Hitman: Absolution’s first appearance at last year’s E3 was an undisputed success.
