Today, we give one of the Elusive Targets a shot.
On occasion, re-watching these videos in order to do the post-commentary is a lot like watching someone play Dark Souls. I can see all the mistakes being made with so much more clarity than I’d even have been able to in the moment. Things that look like they are possible in the moment can be seen, once your one level removed from the action, as the needlessly difficult/impossible tasks that they are.
That said, I really enjoy attempting these Elusive Targets. It’s true that even with save files and the potential to recover from failure, Hitman certainly has its moments of tension. However, that tension is somewhat mitigated by the fact that the player can always reload and save and try again, or restart the mission to give it another shot. There’s no real penalty for failure.
But that’s different with the Elusive Targets. Once objectives start being completed, the attempt is locked in. Players can no longer restart, so if they die or otherwise fail the mission, it’s over. That target is forever lost. It’s the sort of excitement that players can’t get from Hitman otherwise.
At first, I didn’t think I would like the idea of these one-time targets that players couldn’t retry if they failed. Having played them, my opinion has taken a complete 180. I am genuinely excited whenever a new one is announced, and the gears in my head start turning as I think of an initial game plan for them.
Leave a Reply