Check out our review of Hitman 3, the much anticipated end of the World of Assassination trilogy…
We find out if this entry lives up the high bar of the previous games, and whether you should invest your time and money into it.
Transcript
Hey how’s it going guys! Welcome to our review of Hitman 3, where we’ll reveal everything you need to know before you play. If you’re a fan of all things video games, make sure to join our Discord and of course subscribe for more reviews every single week. You’re not going to want to miss it.
Although the escapades of Agent 47 might’ve had their ups and downs over the past two decades, the modern Hitman games have been some of the most underrated titles of recent years. Part spy thriller, part puzzle game, there’s nothing quite as satisfying as mastering the beautifully crafted sandbox maps to take down your target. Whether you want to go full guns blazing or stick to the shadows, the freedom at your fingertips is unparalleled, and offers near infinite replayability.
That’s why the hype for Hitman 3 has been so high. Promising to be the climactic end to the World of Assassination trilogy, we were excited to find out if it would live up to these lofty expectations, and not just because it starts on top of a skyscraper! Is it another knockout, or is Hitman passed its expiration date? Watch on to find out…
The most important and impressive feature of Hitman is the level design, and I’m happy to report that they’re as big and as varied as ever. Things kick off with a bang, plopping you on the side of a sidescraper high above the clouds of Dubai. The lavish setting is an absolute joy to explore, and you’ll find countless ways to fulfill your macabre objectives. It’s definitely reminiscent of the Paris Showstopper level from Hitman 2016, but with even more detail to enjoy.
Each level offers a distinctive atmosphere too. After the opulence of Dubai, you’ll head to Thornbridge Manor in Dartmoor, England. While you’ll be tackling the usual sort of missions, you’ll do so more in the guise of a Sherlock Holmes-esque detective, complete with trench coat and cool hat. It’s these aesthetic choices that keeps the experience feeling fresh, and I couldn’t wait to find out where in the world we’d be headed to next.
The different stages have been given little quality of life improvements too. You can now unlock shortcuts to quickly track back to areas you’ve discovered before, usually in the form of a ladder dropping down or a door unlocking. These work much in the same way as similar mechanics found in Dark Souls and Jedi Fallen Order, and while they do make levels easier to navigate, they don’t hinder the excitement of tracking down your target and evading detection. If you’re anything like me, you’ll still have your cover blown far too often.
However broadly speaking, the style of gameplay is pretty much identical to what we got in the previous two games. This is by no means a bad thing, but just something to bear in mind if you were expecting anything revolutionary.
As for the story, it picks up where the previous games left off, seeing Agent 47 and his handler Diana working to thwart the omnipotent Providence organisation, run by a malevolent trio known as The Partners. As with all Hitman games, the story is… there, but really it’s just an excuse for our bald antihero to visit new exotic locales and cause mayhem, rather than offering a particularly gripping narrative.
But that’s always been the case, I mean you only have to look at the two attempts to make Hitman movies to see that plot isn’t this franchise’s strong suit. But it’s the mini narratives you create yourself that prove to be the most compelling. The way you approach each situation leads to a cause and effect that’ll keep you glued to the edge of your seat. And the more you replay a level, the more the story of the wider world will organically reveal itself. It’s there if you want it, but it’s easy to skip over if you’re just interested in gameplay.
Hitman 3 continues the trend of including the previous games’ missions, providing you’ve already bought them. This means you can use the items you gain in this game throughout the trilogy, giving you a nice reason to revisit classic stages from a new angle. Hitman 1 and 2 have also been upscaled for modern consoles, meaning every game now looks as good as ever. These factors help the trilogy to feel like a congruent experience from beginning to end, offering a truly satisfying payoff for those who’ve played the games from the start, while remaining accessible for players just jumping in.
But while things have been added and tweaked, some things have been unfortunately taken away. The most glaring omission this time is the lack of Ghost Mode, which let you and a friend compete in two different versions of the same map to achieve the most successful run. Although it wasn’t a feature I used much in Hitman 2, I thought it worked really well and enjoyed it when I did give it a go. It’s a shame not to see it here, but hopefully it’s something that can be brought back in future updates.
The other big update this time around is the inclusion of first person VR. In theory, this sounds incredible; the levels of Hitman are already breathtaking, and the thought of being fully immersed in them is extremely tantalising. However this feature is locked to PSVR, meaning you can’t use any of the more powerful PC setups. This is a bit of a letdown, as although I haven’t tried Hitman in VR yet, PlayStation’s headset already feels pretty outdated, and early reports suggest the resolution is pretty smudgy, to say the least. Again, PC VR support could be something that comes with future patches, but until then, it feels like a great idea done half-arsed.
To wrap up, Hitman 3 is another hit, providing a worthy conclusion to this latest trilogy. While it doesn’t stray too far from the established formula, it really didn’t need to, instead refining the level design and gameplay to near perfection. If you’re a fan of the franchise, this is a must play and most certainly won’t disappoint, and has us salivating to see what developers IOI interactive can do with the James Bond game they’re currently working on.
But what did you think of Hitman 3? Let us know in the comments below and don’t forget to hit subscribe for more video game reviews every single week. See you next time!
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Decided to go on a challenge unlock binge until I have a 100% unlock on all Hitman 1 and 2 missions before transferring everything over to Hitman III. This way I won’t have to unlock a second time and I won’t have to worry about any small changes in the new version causing things to be harder for example an item being nerfed or slight difference in the AI behavior. Won’t bother worrying about the sniper missions otherwise this would take forever. H3 is the best game from my point of view, now a days i am improving my gaming skills by following this website https://www.xfire.com/ and YouTube