Hitman 2016 developer interview: how Io-Interactive’s reboot was inspired by Swiss cheese

Agent 47 is one of the most recognisable faces in gaming - a silent assassin who kills without a trace.

But after a misstep with 2012’s Hitman: Absolution, compounded by a couple of Hollywood film duds, 47 is in desperate need of a perfect hit.

Thankfully, developers Io-Interactive knows there’s work to be done, as they gear up to latest instalment Hitman, due for release in 2016. It’s an an apt title that represents the studio going back to basics and rediscovering what fans want from the series.

Studio head Hannes Seiford explains: “Hitman is 15 years old and I think we learned something from every game we’ve released over that long time. Looking specifically at Hitman: Absolution, we developed our new technology from scratch and we created levels that were densely populated and had complex AI and crowd systems.”

One of the positive developments of Absolution was the Contracts mode, with more than 30 million players creating their own Contracts and sharing them with friends - something Seiford said was 'totally unexpected'. He adds: “[This] is something we’re taking a big step further with in our new game.”

Visuals are also set to improve, with Seiford confident about Hitman's new aesthetic.

“Graphically, we’re really happy with the level of detail, textures, lighting etc. we can offer, as it really brings the locations to life,” he says. “But it’s not just about graphics and size, it’s about the density of the locations and how they feel.”

Still, size matters and Seiford explains that levels are up to six times larger than the largest level in Absolution. But creating the ultimate sandbox is no easy thing, and the studio have looked to unconventional inspiration - Swiss cheese.

“We have basically created a series of Hitman sandboxes through which you can find your own path and style,” Seiford explains. “We let you choose how you want to approach and take out each target. We call it our ‘Swiss cheese’ design, where there are multiple ways in, out, and through.

“For example in one level, you can choose whether to get in via the basement, climb the drainpipes and in through a window on a higher floor, steal a disguise and sneak in as a guard or member of the fashion show crew – or, as you have an invitation to the event, you can simply walk in the front door.

“How you get in and how you take out your target are completely up to you. And we don’t allow any dead ends in our designs.”

Perhaps the best example of ‘Swiss cheese’ in full gusto was in mission Murder of the Crows from 2006’s Hitman: Blood Money, set during a thriving Mardi Gras festival. With hundreds of characters on the screen at any given moment, the level represented both a technical and immersive high point in the series.

Now, Seiford and his team are confident they've bettered it.

“We have some fantastic places in the new game, and they feel really dynamic,” says Seiford. “For example, when you stroll through Sapienza in the sunshine, then duck into a shop or a church it feels like you could be on holiday. Then when you start to uncover some of the secrets in Sapienza, well… never before were we able to simulate hundreds of realistically acting people at such a level of detail.”