Square Enix has detailed precisely when the newest chapter of its episodic Hitman series will be available. Sapienza, which arrives on April 26, takes place in an Italian seacoast setting and features a number of unique areas for Agent 47 to explore, including a mansion and a medieval church.
Here’s when you’ll be able to download and play it:
- PlayStation 4, SCEE Regions (Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Oceania): A rolling midnight release. As soon as your clock hits midnight on April 26, Sapienza will be available.
- PlayStation 4, SCEA regions (United States, Canada, and Latin America): A time-window release. Set at 8 AM-10 AM PST on April 26.
- Xbox One: A rolling midnight release. As soon as your clock hits midnight, Sapienza will be available.
- Steam: A fixed time release. Set at 9 AM PST on April 26.
“Sapienza is a dense location full of challenges and packed with opportunities and stories for the enterprising player to unfold,” Square Enix said of the location back in October 2015. “And as with all locations within Hitman, dark secrets and engaging stories are everywhere to be found in charming Sapienza.”
Sapienza was originally going to be included with Hitman at launch, but when the decision was made to switch to an episodic release model, it was pushed to April. The episode after Sapienza is set in Morocco and is coming in May.
As previously announced, developer IO Interactive will launch a Hitman update prior to the release of Sapienza. This will contain a number of improvements for the game, such as the ability to reconnect to the game’s servers after a disconnect, tweaks to challenge rewards, and a significant reduction in the game’s loading times. The full list of tweaks and improvements it makes can be seen here.
GameSpot’s Hitman Episode 1 review scored it a 7/10.
“Hitman’s opening act isn’t ground-breaking, with a host of tiny problems lending it a dated feel,” reviewer Peter Brown said. “When you drop a body into a freezer, there’s no animation connecting the process together; there’s a hard cut from dragging the body to hiding it. Load times are frustratingly long, lasting just under a full minute when reloading saves. This alone is especially disappointing, given how fun it can be to iterate on your methods by reloading saves and experimenting, a process that’s tainted by extended downtime.
“However, Hitman’s a veritable playground that will delight you with its open-ended design, comical NPCs, and contract creation tools. These qualities, and the flexibility to be as hardcore or laid back as you want, are much appreciated, even if they don’t disguise Hitman’s lesser qualities.”