The 'Hitman: Absolution - Sniper Challenge' is Quite Lovely

I usually pay little attention to pre-order bonuses, not caring about a poster or some in-game outfit I'd never wear, but Hitman: Absolution - Sniper Challenge is a rare exception that grabbed my attention immediately. Sniper Challenge is a little mini-game, a non-demo demo, a taste of Hitman without representing the actual retail game, at least the majority of the retail game. It's not the first pre-order bonus of its kind—Fable II Pub Games says hi—but it's still a rarity and something I'd like to see more of.

Now the game itself is a single-level sniper challenge with leaderboards and about a dozen or so challenges that increase the score multiplier upon completion. It's extremely simple upon first viewing, but it's full of so many small details and different ways of accomplishing the various goals and challenges. You can shoot a guard as he's leaning over an edge to knock him off the building, taking him out and hiding his body in one quick shot—ignore the commotion that would come as said body hits the ground; you can shoot out this or that to cause a distraction; and plenty more I don't want to mention because much of the fun comes in trial, error, and the discovery of something unexpected.

The Sniper Challenge is a GameStop exclusive and won't be available post-release; at least, that's what IO Interactive is saying right now, but it's probably true as the Sniper Challenge is rather short and contains no achievements or trophies. Should you pre-order Hitman: Absolution at GameStop just so you can play the Sniper Challenge? Yes, without a moment of hesitation. I'm a huge fan of the Hitman series and I'm still concerned about the full game from what I've seen—a tad heavy on the action at times—but I pre-ordered the game just to get my hands on the Sniper Challenge and I am so glad I did. Hopefully, you feel the same if you follow in my footsteps.

P.S. The Sniper Challenge's single level is Chicago, which just makes it that much sweeter.