PC version of Hitman: Sniper Challenge is out now

IO Interactive, a Square Enix studio, announced the launch of the PC version of Hitman: Sniper Challenge. For the past few months, players all over the world have been competing for the top leaderboard spots, to see who the ultimate sniper assassin is on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, and now it's time for all PC marksmen to scope, score and come back for more.

“IO is fully committed to delivering a PC version of Hitman: Absolution that lives up to the high standards of our PC community," said Jon Brooke, Brand Director of the Hitman Franchise. "Hitman: Sniper Challenge will give them a first taste of what’s to come.”

Square Enix plans to showcase the PC version of Hitman: Absolution for the first time at Gamescom 2012 in Cologne Germany.

Boom! Headshot.

The Hitman series has been one of the more popular stealth action games, where the player takes on the role of Agent 47, a big bald guy in a suit with a barcode tattooed on the back of his neck. Agent 47 is a Hitman for a mysterious organization known only as The Agency. The games have the player travel around the world, assassinating high profile targets. How one manages to go about doing this is completely up to them. Players have the option to either run and gun through the level as if it’s an action game, or quietly pick off only necessary targets and steal their clothes, hence being able to go deeper into the level without being detected, unless either Agent 47 acts too strangely, or someone finds the corpse of the person whose uniform Agent 47 is wearing.

The games always rewarded stealthy gameplay and minimal violence with a higher rating and more money to upgrade weapons or equipment. Later games like Blood Money added an extra consequence to going on a wanton killing spree; there would be more security guards on the next level, making it harder, or if someone recognized Agent 47, the next level would be even more difficult.

Here's a quick description of Sniper Challenge. From a balcony overlooking a roof-top party, you are tasked with taking out Richard Strong, Jr., CEO of Stallion Armaments, along with his entire staff of bodyguards. Skilled players will capitalize on score multipliers, discover secret extras, unlock equipment upgrades, and marvel at the many creative ways one can discretely dispose off a body while they work to fulfill their contract in the most efficient way possible.

Hitman: Absolution is the latest entry in the Hitman series of games and will be released in India on November 20 for the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.

Recently, game developer IO Interactive had released a video detailing the back-end processes and steps taken to showcase the latest game in the Hitman series at E3 this year. The video, Hitman: Absolution - E3: Behind the Scenes, between shots of backstage activity at E3, gives viewers a glimpse of what it took to bring the game to E3, which was held earlier this year.