Developer IO Interactive delayed the game so they could deliver more content right out of the gate.

But they're still planning on an episodic-like roll-out of fresh content; after all, they intend to support this ongoing stealth/action adventure for up to 3 or 4 years .

One of the features that might keep you coming back for more is the game's "live component." IO explained how this will work on Steam ; included in this feature are the "Elusive Targets:"

"An Elusive Target is the closest thing to the Hitman fantasy that we've ever created. These targets will be custom-created characters that are added to existing locations and are only there for a limited time in real-time. You'll only have one chance to take them down. If they escape, they are gone for good. If you kill them, that's the way that you killed them. There are no do-overs and no second chances. When an Elusive Target leaves the game world (one way or another) they never return."

IO further explains how to find these targets; click through the link above to learn more. Those who manage to complete the multiple Elusive Target contracts will earn unique in-game rewards, including "signature suits" from previous Hitman entries.

Then there's the "Live Content," which is the game's Escalation Mode. This is brand new for the franchise and it centers on a multi-stage hit, as described by IO. Basically, there are several increasingly difficult ways to eliminate a target and as the developer added:

"Escalation Mode has a strong focus on having fun with the game mechanics and mixing them up–pretty much anything goes in this mode. It's more about being playful than realistic. For each Escalation Contract, there are five stages and you're free to replay them as you wish to climb the leaderboards. As with Elusive Targets, the save-game functions are disabled."

The Elusive Targets and Escalation contracts will be released on an ongoing basis after the game launches next month. Lastly, there's the return of Contracts Mode (from 2012's Hitman: Absolution ) and brand new "Live Challenges," which will be dictated by the community. IO isn't quite sure how this will work just yet, though:

"We are looking into creating new challenges that we can periodically add to the game. These challenges will be an homage to some of the more elaborate, amusing, difficult, or creative feats that we see our players complete."

Sounds like great stuff. Here's hoping you PlayStation 4 owners didn't miss out on the open beta test that started on February 12 . If you got a chance to test it out, what did you think of it?