Square Enix and IO Interactive have released a new update for the PC version of HITMAN. According to the release notes, this patch adds a new challenge pack, a scoring fix, continued updates to both loading times and connectivity and many PC-specific improvements. This patch will be auto-downloaded from Steam, and you can read its complete changelog below.
HITMAN – PC Patch 1.03 Changelog:
General game improvements
- The Vampire Magician Challenge Pack
10 new challenges that were inspired by how our community have been playing the game.- Continued improvements to load times
The improvements will be most notable when loading The Showstopper mission in Paris and we’re already working on improving all loading times even more.- Improved responsiveness for in-game menus and image loading
We’ve implemented an image caching system that will improve responsiveness and loading times for all images in the game menu.- Fixed issues with scoring
Primarily, this fixes an issue that resulted in many players earning a “0 second” time bonus and an incorrect score of 210,000. A leaderboard reset will be implemented at a later date.- Continued improvements to connectivity
Server stability improvements.PC-specific improvementsGeneral gameplay
- Prompts for dumping a body now appear, regardless of the positioning of the game camera, both in Showstopper and Final Test missions.
- 47 no longer drops a body immediately after starting to drag it.
- Unnoticed kills or subdue will no longer trigger a brief “compromised” state. This previously caused players to fail the ‘never spotted’ reward.
- The ‘visibly armed’ warning is now always shown when 47 is carrying a large weapon on his back.
- The light rig (Showstopper) and life raft (Freeform Training) can now be reliably dropped using explosives.
- Opportunities in Showstopper and Final Test have been made more consistent.
- Fixed an issue where the first few seconds of the game would appear to run at double speed.
Showstopper
- Novikov will no longer get stuck in an infinite loop during the Rare Scoop opportunity. This would happen if the player gets Max Decker to call Novikov whilst he is on his way to the interview.
- Novikov will no longer talk to Dalia on the phone when she has already been eliminated.
- Fixed a rare issue that made the “In Seine” challenge impossible to complete. This would happen when the Private Meeting opportunity overlapped with Novikov on stage at the Fashion Show.
- Fixed an issue where the Showstopper mission could not be completed if the player calls Dalia during the Fireworks show whilst disguised as Helmut Kruger.
Crash Fixes
- Fixed various crash issues that could occur when doing the following: loading a new stage in Escalation Contracts, loading the game or after exploding a gas cylinder.
- Fixed a crash that occurred when shooting at the target in Freeform training during the “Searching” state.
- Fixed many other crash issues that were occurring during gameplay.
Options
- Added an option to the game launcher that allows players to override the ‘default memory safeguards’ and allow them to use any available resolution and graphic quality settings.
- Increased resolution cap for players with 3gb graphics cards from 1920×1200 to 2560×1600.
DX12
- DX12 shader and pipeline cache now included in all Steam builds.
- Fixed a graphical issue with transparent windows on DX12.
- Improved vertex colours on DX12.
Misc.
- Briefings for Featured Contracts can now be viewed at the planning stage.
- The ‘Contract Assassin’ achievement can now be completed.
- The mouse cursor is now always visible on the ‘Load Game’ menu.
- Fixed an issue where the game would get stuck at 12% loading between the Prologue missions.
- Fixed a rare issue where players were asked to (re)download the Showstopper mission.
Hardware
- Fixed a rare issue where the game was switching between controller and keyboard controls, due to detecting specific hardware as a ‘game controller’.
John is the founder and Editor in Chief at DSOGaming. He is a PC gaming fan and highly supports the modding and indie communities. Before creating DSOGaming, John worked on numerous gaming websites. While he is a die-hard PC gamer, his gaming roots can be found on consoles. John loved – and still does – the 16-bit consoles, and considers SNES to be one of the best consoles. Still, the PC platform won him over consoles. That was mainly due to 3DFX and its iconic dedicated 3D accelerator graphics card, Voodoo 2. John has also written a higher degree thesis on the “The Evolution of PC graphics cards.”
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If only one of those improvements was the ability to just play the bloody game without the sheer stupidity of the business model and online & episodic bs.
you can, it is called shut the f*** up and wait for the full release next year.
Shutting the F up is what gives this industry leeway to do what it wants.
uh-huh, and that is what exactly? Lets take a second and look at what you are upset about. They are releasing some of the content early for those who want to both try some of the early stages sooner, as well as help beta test the game for final release.
If for any reason you have a problem with this, you can literally f*** off for 9 to 12 months and buy the game when it is complete, like every other normal game.
You are here complaining about people having the ability to buy early if they want to, which only effects you if you actually want to buy it early. Having options is ALWAYS better, and this IS a good business model that will help HITMAN both generate more profit as well as have a more polished finished product.
The only complaint that is legit is the always online one, and that will have to stay based off how they plan to release content.
“uh-huh, and that is what exactly? Lets take a second and look at what you are upset about”.”They are releasing some of the content early for those who want to both try some of the early stages sooner, as well as help beta test the game for final release.”
Not upset, “bummed out” is more likely.
Having fun with it? Awesome, more fun for the early adopters them. I just happen to think different about the business model and the content distribution, don’t let my opinion hinder this fun. Also, helping beta test the game by paying for it isn’t on my mindset aswell.
“You are here complaining about people having the ability to buy early if they want to, which only effects you if you actually want to buy it early. Having options is ALWAYS better, and this IS a good business model that will help HITMAN both generate more profit as well as have a more polished finished product.”
Nope, I’m not complaining about people having the ability do to anything they want, I’m talking about the company arbitrary decision of using a artificial method of distribution for a game that really doesn’t need it, solely to follow a trend that they believed to be more profitable. I don’t think that it benefit the game in the long run, I don’t think that more people are willing to try it based on the supposedly “improvements based on feedback”, I don’t think that online content that is only available right now for early adopters is beneficial.
Want to support it? Please do it, have fun, I can’t do it because my own reasons, but I can talk about it as much as I want. It will not change things, but is my opinion and I stand by it. I don’t think it is beneficial for the consumer, and that’s it.
And again, I’m not here to tell anyone what to do, just to express myself, if you do you think I am wrong, move on and continue to have fun.
If for any reason you have a problem with this, you can literally f*** off for 9 to 12 months and buy the game when it is complete, like every other normal game.
Or Squarehead Enix could you know, take their time, have their sodding beta tests, have their feedback and launch the sodding game 9 to 12 months later much to the contempt of the userbase that decided to not support the artificial method that they are using right now. They could even make some sort of free downloadable “thing” for people to try it, I don’t know some sort of… of… intro or tutorial level as a DEMOnstration.
But what the f do I know? I suppose I should just “shut the f up” and accept anything that is being offered, I’m the one not having fun after all.