They need to build in that direction rather than try fix the issues with Absolution. I feel like the game already tracks enough of the data you’d need to add support for styles, stunts etc and to turn that into procedurally generated newspaper stories.

Perhaps, if you demonstrate mastery over the level in some fashion (e.g. complete Silent Assassin) you have the unlock system replaced with a store. The only real advantage is that you allow the ‘expert’ player the opportunity to buy certain equipment before they come up in the unlock sequence, but if they try to unlock everything, it all works out even. Newer players probably won’t have the experience with the Hitman games to know which equipment is fun, so they need new equipment dripfed to them to encourage them to try each new unlock out.

Jabberwok: I agree that’d be a risk with the game’s current unlock order, which seems geared towards withholding the playstyle-enabling equipment for as long as possible. I’d change it so the first three things you unlock are poison, remote bombs and the sniper rifle, which I think are the three main things that enable new styles. There’d also be a lot of Styles, so even if you’re only interested in non-killing styles or pure stealth styles, there’d be enough to unlock all the game-changing tools without straying outside of that.

Easier just to gate equipment unlocks by time spent playing. As you progress, you get more tools to play with. Ideally, your base loudout allows for a wide variety of playstyles and nothing essential/beloved is gated behind x hours of gameplay. It’s not as exciting to timelock things but it seems more practical than obligating players to fight their way through a level using a method they don’t like – especially if said Style is tedious.

It now occurs that perhaps you meant items were unlocked after X Styles were achieved on a given level? That’s a lot more interesting an unlock method, providing there are enough Styles that every player will enjoy the ones they choose. Of course, then you run into the problem of diluted Styles that don’t feel distinct (‘What is the difference between Viper and Rattlesnake?’)

Gee… I guess games design really is tricky…

Full disclosure, I’ve never played a Hitman game, but I do read this blog a lot so I feel more than qualified to offer an unsolicited opinion.

(Answer: Viper is Poison and Unnoticed. Rattlesnake is Poison and Made a racket)

Personally, I find tying equipment unlocks to anything like achievement hunting to be a huge turnoff. Mark of the Ninja might be an exception to this, perhaps because I could unlock skills and equipment in any order I wanted. Except for the different outfits, but none of those really gate you from a particular play style. It can be upsetting to be forced to play the game certain ways before being later allowed to play it the way I want, even though the tools that would allow me to are already part of the game’s design from the beginning…