Hitman's 'Sniper Challenge' 'nearly impossible to master'

Hitman: Absolution's pre-order exclusive will be a stand-alone "experience" that the developers describe as easy to grasp but nearly impossible to master.

Hitman: Sniper Challenge will be available to those who pre-order Hitman: Absolution from GameStop. Players will take on the role of Agent 47 and attempt to assassinate the CEO of Stallion Armaments and his bodyguards.

Hitman's product marketing director, Cord Smith, told Polygon that while there were initial concerns as to whether the game could sustain interest by only focusing on the sniping mechanic, the development team found that there was enough depth to maintain interest.

"I can admit that there was a time when we had similar concerns," Smith says.

"Then we started playing the challenge regularly, honing our skills, discovering the many secrets, upgrading our weapons and abilities, and competing with colleagues around the globe.

"I'm proud to admit that, in spite of its impact on our team's productivity, we're still playing and talking trash with Square Enix Europe as of today."

Smith explains that sniping was chosen as the focus of Sniper Challenge because it's a classic part of the Hitman series.

"It delivers a type of gameplay that is easy to grasp and nearly impossible to master," he says.

Hitman: Sniper Challenge is available through Xbox Live and PSN starting May 15. The PC version will be available August 1 via Steam.