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‘Hitman’ Beta Opens This Weekend For PlayStation Plus Members

By Asma M
Published on: 16:08 PST, Mar 4, 2016

PlayStation Plus members in North America and Europe can enjoy the Hitman beta experience on PlayStation 4 with no pre-order required this weekend. The Hitman beta experience includes the full “Prologue” chapter, which is the first chapter of the episodic game. For PlayStation Plus members in North America, the beta begins March 4, at 8 a.m. Pacific time and it ends on March 7, at 8 a.m. Pacific time. The Hitman beta for PlayStation Plus members in Europe goes live at 11 a.m. CET on March 4, and concludes at 11 a.m. CET on March 7.

To play the Hitman beta exclusive to PlayStation Plus members this weekend, prospective players must have a PlayStation 4 console and an active PlayStation Plus membership. The beta requires approximately 4.5 GB of free space to download. To download the beta file, simply go to the PlayStation Store and find the promotion banners in the “PlayStation Plus” section, the “Trending” area. Searching for “Hitman” will also bring up the beta option for PS Plus members.

This is not the first opportunity to demo the game, as PlayStation and PC gamers who have pre-ordered Hitman have already had a chance to experience the beta in February. With approximately one week until launch, this is one last opportunity for gamers to give Hitman a try before its debut. Plus, it’s free for anyone who is already a member of Sony’s membership program.

The “Prologue” episode showcased during the Hitman beta takes gamers to the beginning of Agent 47’s career 20 years ago. Players get to see how Agent 47 becomes involved with the ICA and how he meets his future handler, Diana Burnwood. According to an official press release by Hitman publisher Square Enix, “The Prologue features two free-form training hits, which will introduce players to the features and mechanics of the upcoming Hitman game. The Prologue will also be available as part of the first episode of Hitman.”

Bridging the gap between the prologue and the first episode is the opening cinematic, titled “Legacy,” which can be viewed in the following video.

Unlike its predecessors, Hitman is being released in digital episodes prior to a compilation disc of the complete season hitting store shelves. For this reason, the publisher is calling the release date for Hitman its “season premiere.” The trailer for the season premiere shows off the dramatic fashion show in Paris, France that serves as the opening act for Hitman.

Players can choose to purchase the complete season, the entire game is called “The Full Experience,” for the standard $59.99 USD. Players can also opt to buy the “Intro Pack” for $15 USD that includes the Prologue and episodes taking place in Paris, France. Each month, a new episode featuring locations like Italy, Morocco, Thailand, Japan and the U.S. are scheduled to become available throughout 2016. These additional episodes can be purchased monthly for $10 USD each. There is also the option to purchase an “Upgrade Pack” for $50 USD after purchasing the Intro Pack for those who wish to upgrade to the Full Experience. Adding on new episodes each month is less expensive up front, but costs the player a bit more than paying for the complete experience up front. Later in 2016, once all the episodes have aired, so to speak, a physical disc version will be made available for purchase that includes all the game’s content.

Hitman is scheduled to release on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Windows PC on March 11.

[Image via Square Enix]

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