Hitman: Absolution could have been a very different kind of Hitman game, according to IO Interactive. A new app gives some behind-the-scenes details about the iterative development of Agent 47's latest kill-fest, including scratched concepts regarding a mission for vengeance, and one that had him utterly despondent.

The "Full Disclosure" app for iOS devices delves into the details. One concept was dubbed "The Angry Man," centering on Agent 47 hunting down a group of grown men who had killed a girl when they were teenagers. It would have featured a hub world to track down the men, and was said to be inspired by 70s revenge flicks. IO noted that the "energy and general grit" remained in the finished product, but most of the other pieces were shed. Another idea, nicknamed "The Homeless Hitman," had Agent 47 falling into despair after killing Diana, swearing off the business, and falling into poverty. His allies were fellow homeless characters.

So why did IO nix these ideas? The app says it wanted to have more player engagement. Since freedom of choice was important to the team, pigeonholing Agent 47 with a radical change would have "detracted too much from the gameplay."