
Players complete chapters in order to progress through the story.

There are also environmental ways to kill or distract individuals players can use poison to spike coffee, pull switches to make a disco ball fall and break, cause a massive explosion at a gas station, pull a switch to cause scaffolding to fall down, cause fires, or set off fireworks. Agent 47 also has the 'Instinct' ability that lets the player monitor enemies more easily. Players may use pistols, bottles or bricks, assault rifles, shotguns, fiber-wire, or steel pipe against enemies if opting for the action-oriented approach, or avoid enemies altogether, not being seen, using disguises, blending into the environment, and only attacking the set target(s), if using the stealth-oriented approach. The players choose how to complete each level, taking branching paths to get to a target or location. Objectives can range from simply reaching the end of the level, to eliminating specific individuals. Presented from a third-person perspective, the gameplay centers around completing set objectives within a series of levels. Hitman: Absolution is a stealth game in which the player assumes the role of a hitman named Agent 47. Disguises allow players to gain access to previously restricted areas. In this gameplay screenshot, Agent 47 is disguised as a policeman. Interactive Entertainment released the enhanced versions of Absolution and Blood Money for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One as part of the Hitman HD Enhanced Collection. As of March 2013, the game had sold over 3.6 million copies. However, many critics disliked the game for its linear structure as opposed to the open ended nature of previous installments. Most positive comments were concerning the game's graphics, environments and locations, and the varied gameplay options. The game was met with a polarized reception. Hitman: Absolution's single-player story follows Agent 47's efforts to protect a genetically-engineered teenage girl from various criminal syndicates and his former employers, the International Contract Agency (ICA), who want to use her potential as an assassin for their own ends. On, Hitman: Absolution – Elite Edition was released for OS X by Feral Interactive it contained all previously released downloadable content, including Hitman: Sniper Challenge, a "making of" documentary, and a 72-page artbook. The game was released on 20 November 2012 (which is in the 47th week of the year in reference to the protagonist, Agent 47) for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. Before release, the developers stated that Absolution would be easier to play and more accessible, while still retaining hardcore aspects of the franchise.

It is the fifth installment in the Hitman series and the sequel to 2006's Hitman: Blood Money. Hitman: Absolution is a 2012 stealth video game developed by IO Interactive and published by Square Enix's European subsidiary.
