Hitman 3 Review - Is It Worth Buying?

So what's new about the experience that fans of the prior two games might be eager to see? Well to be blunt, very little, but each one of these fundamentally changes the experience for the better. We've got improvements to the Glacier Engine, permanent shortcuts, the ability to import levels from Hitman 1 and 2 into the experience (if you already own them, of course), a VR Mode and a smart camera.

Graphics for example, as I've mentioned before have been tweaked and improved upon, meaning you get beautiful reflections, retina scorching neons, and sharp as a razor blade quality on clothing, foliage, and surfaces. These improvements also get applied to previous levels from the prior games, meaning that each gets a new coat of paint and a new lease of life. It's a subtle change for sure, but one that makes these otherwise aging experiences feel as vibrant and as tonally on point as their successor.

Permanent Shortcuts are a brilliant inclusion in the game. Should Agent 47 come across a door or entrance that's blocked from the other side in classic Dark Souls fashion, should you find and remove said blockage then you'll unlock a shortcut that stays clear in all your subsequent playthroughs. It's a move that rewards those who explore the maps and is made all the more satisfying when you realize that some shortcuts require crowbars, keycards, and other items, meaning that it doubly rewards those who plan ahead.

Such shortcuts open up insane new possibilities for shortcuts and assassination experimentation, allowing you to net some of the deviously difficult in-game challenges.

Helping you unlock some of these devious doors is Agent 47's new smart camera which allows him to manipulate technology such as shutting down cameras and hacking panels, and at first, in all honesty, I was a little underwhelmed. It seemed like the game was going to rely on this as a means of making routes far easier for the player than would have been in previous games, but then the second level Dartmoor rolled around and I understood what IO Interactive was doing.

In this level, without ruining it for you, you use this camera to identify clues and snap pics of illegal documents in a manner that subtly changed the feel of Agent 47's mission. Sneaking snaps while trying to avoid guards, and using the camera to scan areas for secrets suddenly made me feel much more like a super spy than any other moment in the Hitman franchise. Arguably it's a tiny inclusion in the grand scheme of things, but the camera doesn't detract more than it adds gameplay-wise.

And finally, we have the VR Mode which at the time of writing I've not had access to, but if the trailer is anything to go by, being able to play through all of these levels in first person should make for one of the most immersive and fun Hitman experiences going. I'll make sure we cover that as and when we can, and post my findings on the site.

So you've seen how it looks, you've heard what's new and what's upcoming for the title, but what about the gameplay and replayability? The actual meat and bones of the experience? Well, my friends this, as you may have surmised by the brilliant quality found elsewhere is once again absolutely top tier.

Click next below for part 4...