There is a hard and fast rule that I as a games writer live by: Take and play every game offered. Cabela’s Scat Safari? Yes please! Unfortunately in the case of Hitman: Absolution Sniper Challenge the rule has broken down, because sniper challenge isn’t a game. It’s only a mechanism. A mechanism like an automated claw cracker/tiny fork combo designed to extract the sweetest of meats… unlockable content in the game proper.

Hitman: Absolution Sniper Challenge does manage to give the player a hint as to what the final release will be like. Questions like: What will NPCs look like through a high power scope? Will the main character be wearing a tie? Will the shooting of guns be present in the game? All these questions are answered in the Sniper Challenge.

As far as pre-order bonuses go Sniper Challenge is pretty good. Offering a spoiler free taste of the game with the opportunity, if you grind long enough, to unlock three tiers of helpful attribute buffs in the main game. A sniper rifle is also gifted to the player, and in a game about being a hitman… I guess that could come in handy.

From Press Release:
Available May 15, HITMAN: SNIPER CHALLENGE will be downloadable exclusively for customers who pre-order through GameStop for the PlayStation®Network and Xbox LIVE®. The Windows PC version will be made available through Steam on August 1, 2012. For more information, please visit: www.HitmanSniper.com