Hitman 3 Review - Is It Worth Buying?
And now, in 2021, we see the release of Hitman 3, the culmination in IO Interactive's reboot trilogy, and for the first time, this is an entirely solo driven project. Square Enix and Warner Bros. have been knocked off, and now the developer gets to show the world their vision devoid of studio pressure or any meddling. Things have come full circle and much like the game itself this is a tale of seeing what worked, losing what didn't, and coming out the other side perfectly crystalized as the purest form of the experience possible.
I cannot stress this enough, the level selection on offer in Hitman 3 is hands down my favorite content in the entire trilogy. The prior two games were no slouch, and levels like Paris and Monaco will live on in my memory forever, but the likes of the thumping club vibes of Berlin and the ostentatious rotting grandeur of Dartmoor are something entirely their own.
From top to bottom these levels have been crafted with love and care, and visually are easily head and shoulders above anything the previous titles have been able to offer. The way the rolling gloom hangs over Dartmoor and the intense almost blinding sheen found in the opening mission fits the settings perfectly. The Sceptre which houses Agent 47’s first outing here is an extravagant and almost offensive display of wealth and as such everything is pristine, polished and an over-the-top expression of man's will over nature, and thus makes the perfect set piece for IO Interactive to announce their intentions. This is their jewel and it has been polished to shine brighter than Agent 47’s head.
Across 6 new locations nearly every colour palette, nearly every time of day or weather setting is showcased in some form or another, and it's genuinely surprising that such a small quantity of levels can produce this much variety. It helps that the maps are huge, allowing for hours of gameplay as you explore each location, find hidden items, secrets, and even completely new angles from which to assassinate your targets.
Yet what really makes this selection the king of contract killers is how it doles out its content. You'd be forgiven for thinking that this game will boil down to another series of go here, kill that, escape while dressed as a flamingo, but IO Interactive smartly mixes up the formula. For example, in the second level Dartmoor, your contract appears right in the first five minutes, meaning that you could, if you were a busy lad, slug this Mallory Archer wanna-be and scarper, but if you did you'd be missing out on an entire, fully fleshed out murder mystery sub-plot! I was blown away by this inclusion, as was I when in the third mission Agent 47 becomes the hunted having to take down numerous other assassins in a busy club before they locate him.
IO Interactive needs to be commended for making sure that each level offers something new and interesting to keep players hooked. For a game this long in the tooth and at the close of its narrative, things had never felt fresher.
In fact let's touch on the narrative, as finally it's got cut scenes! At this point, it feels like a bit of a nod and a wink to the fanbase but yes we can finally experience action and intrigue beyond still photos, like with Hitman 2's DLC levels. Be warned, however, if you've not played the prior games, the recap that Hitman 3 does provide will do little to keep you afloat amidst the ever cascading terms and codenames. Constants, Partners, Providence, it's enough to make your head spin, but for those keenly following the narrative, the action and suspense never let up and things close out with a surprising amount of emotional depth that I honestly wasn't preparing myself for. It possibly moves a little too quickly for its own good but what's on offer here is a fitting conclusion for this trilogy.
Click next below for part 3...