The IO Interactive Showcase had some great reveals, but also highlighted something troubling — its newest IP, MindsEye, had a muted presence, given the game’s release is in mere days. The showcase put its Hitman franchise front and center. The showcase serves as a celebration for Hitman‘s 25th anniversary and includes some grand plans for the stealth franchise. IO revealed a new anniversary edition of Hitman: World of Assassination coming this October.
The rebooted trilogy collection, Hitman 1-3, was already a complete package, having recently been released on Nintendo Switch 2 and iOS. The IO CEO, Hakan Abak, announced that Hitman is more popular than ever, pulling in over 60 million players. A Hitman board game was also revealed; the Kickstarter is now open. An early development of co-op mode was also teased.
A new Hitman Elusive Target was also shadow-dropped during the showcase, featuring Casino Royale villain Le Chiffre. Actor Mads Nickolson, who is reprising the role, was also on hand for a panel that included long-time Agent 47 voice actor David Bateson. The new elusive Target is available for free now, and includes rewards for the unreleased 007: First Light. Speaking of the upcoming James Bond game, it had an impressive trailer, although it was the same one that was shown at the recent State of Play.
MindsEye‘s Troubled State
IO’s newest franchise, MindsEye, was also a highlight, showcasing an incredible story trailer. However, it’s not what was shown that I found more interesting. Abak looked visibly exhausted throughout the showcase, particularly while showcasing MindsEye.
The new IP is the brainchild of Leslie Benzies, who previously worked on both Grand Theft Auto 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2, which explains MindEye’s GTA-like gameplay. The gameplay shown still looked visibly rough. Even more telling is the fact that the game itself wasn’t shown as playable at the showcase. This is troubling, considering it’s set to release in mere days — on June 10. MindsEye has a great hook, even if it ends up being a cyberpunk-inspired GTA clone. I hope it all comes together before its release date.
