Hitman has been a fan favorite in the stealth Genre for years now and IO Interactive has spent those many years grooming and evolving the gameplay of Hitman. With games like Splinter Cell nowhere to be found, Hitman has been crowned king when it comes to assassination and espionage. Hitman 3 is set to be a conclusion to Agent 47’s story and IO Interactive’s conclusion with the genre. As a person that has grown to appreciate the stealth genre over time, Hitman 3 is a great place to start if you are new.
Hitman 3 aims to tie up a lot of loose ends in the franchise. If you have not played the previous games, You can jump right in. You have two choices here. You are able to either play the previous games first or just watch a summary of the story up until this point. Without spoiling too much, in Hitman 3, Agent 47 joins his long time friend, Lucas Grey, to eliminate the partners of Providence. You encounter a few hiccups along the way but we all know that Agent 47 has no problem adapting to any situation.
Graphics and Performance
The Hitman games are known for looking great and Hitman 3 is no exception. We were provided our review copy on the Xbox Series X and Hitman really utilizes its power. The environments really shine here (no pun intended). The detail on the objects in the environment is really impressive and the lighting really adds to the emersion in various scenarios. With all of the items that you can pick up, nothing seems out of place. In crowded scenes with constant changes in lighting and environment, I never noticed any type of chugging or slow down. With so many different characters and their AI mixed with complex geometry, the Hitman games were known to be resource-intensive. Agent 47’s character model hasn’t changed too much. For those pixel peepers out there, the textures of the clothing is a lot more detailed. One other thing that people may notice if they have been playing the game for a while is that Agent 47 looks a little younger. There is no explanation for this. It may just be a slight change to the assets. I don’t think this is something that will bother most players.
Gameplay – It’s Up to you
The name of the game in Hitman has always been the variety of ways that you can eliminate your targets. This has been dialed up a notch in the most recent iteration of the game. For those that may be new to the franchise, there are some times where each mission can be a little guided. With more exploration of each map, you discover different weapons and gadgets. You also listen in on different conversations and learn the routines of different characters which will net you more intel that can open many possibilities. The more you learn, the more the playfield opens for you. The amount of choice in Hitman 3 is one of the biggest changes from the previous games. There is now more space to recover from any mistakes that you may make. Not only does this add variety to gameplay but it allows space for people new to the game to learn and experiment.
Replayability
I do have to say that overall, Hitman 3’s campaign is not that long. This is especially true if you are a veteran of the series. With how the game is set up, this may not be an issue for all players. As I stated before, as you make your way through each map, you discover new ways to complete your objective. Each time you complete a mission, you unlock different disguises, gadgets, and weapons that you can bring into a mission. If you decide to go back and replay missions, this will definitely add to your playtime. Also, there is a list of different actions you can take and items you can find throughout a mission. You only have access to this once you complete the mission so that it doesn’t influence your first playthrough. The items can change the way that each mission plays out drastically. All of these factors kept me motivated to continue playing the game. Also, if you have not played the previous Hitman games, you will be able to access missions from Hitman 1 & 2. Once you complete the main story missions, the game becomes a playground of exploration and experimentation.
I have not always been the biggest fan of the Hitman series because I was so bad at the stealth genre. Over time, IO Interactive has done a great job opening up its world. Hitman has now become more accessible while maintaining its challenge. Like always, the game looks and feels great. The controls and different gameplay mechanics are easy to learn for those that are new to the genre. I am really glad that IO Interactive decided to go with a true story mode in Hitman 3. The episodic content was not bad but I think that the last iteration in the series deserved a true storyline. IO Interactive has really shown what their studio is capable of when it comes to graphics, level design, and story. With all of the content included in this package, this is a great place for new players to jump in. I can’t wait to see what they have in store for their 007 game.
Hitman 3 will be available January 20th for all platforms.
