The final installment in IO’s World of Assassination trilogy is here, and it is the methodical, hilarious, and frankly bizarre missions of Agent 47 at their absolute best. 2016’s Hitman set a standard for how fun and immersive the gameplay of Hitman could be. Hitman 2 iterated on that and established Agent 47’s series as more of a platform by upgrading and keeping around old levels for those who played the original. Hitman 3 perfects this idea while daring to take risks. These risks result in some of the most exciting and experimental levels in the series’ history.
Hitman 3 (PC, PS4, PS5[reviewed] Stadia, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X)
Developer: IO Interactive
Publisher: IO Interactive
Released: January 20, 2021
MSRP: $59.99
IO did it; they escaped the grasp of big publishers. Things looked shaky back there for a minute, but they managed to bring Agent 47 with them. It’s hard to say if Square Enix and WB’s lack of oversight is what has Hitman 3 willing to try so many new things. Regardless, it worked, and this third installment might be my favorite in the series.
The story picks up right where Hitman 2 left us. 47, Diana, and Grey are still trying to take down the big bad Illuminati type group and uncover the truth about our favorite assassin’s past. It’s not precisely top-notch storytelling, but I’ll admit it, they made me give a shit. I’ve been following along for half a decade, and it was nice to get some closure. Some of the more bombastic entrances like 47 and Grey sky diving onto a skyscraper serve to remind you that IO is making a Bond game, and yes, they’re probably just the team to handle some over the top spy shenanigans.
Story can be important but let’s be real, you’re here for the gameplay, disguises, and brutally hilarious murders. All six of Hitman 3’s levels are beautiful to take in. They’re dense and filled with all sorts of strange secrets and opportunities for unique kills to discover. The guided story missions that lead you by the nose to an objective are still here and worth seeing playout, but there are certainly fewer of them than the previous two games, and that’s a good thing.
Hitman is at its best when it sets you loose to get creative. Be patient, follow your prey and wait for the perfect moment to strike. Dressing up like a giant flamingo never hurt either.
Discussing these levels without spoiling too much is difficult, but there are some standouts that merit a mention. A level set in a rave club in Berlin sees 47 stranded without a handler and therefore no guided missions to add him. On top of that, he’s the one being hunted. Several ICA agents are on your trail, and you’ll have to discover and eliminate them to escape. It flips the script on a typical Hitman level with fantastic results, and more importantly, it trusts the player and removes their training wheels.
Another level gives 47 the option to disguise himself as a private investigator and solve an unrelated murder that took place before his arrival. None of this is required, but the intrigue of it all is too much to avoid.
It isn’t just the beautiful landscapes and buildings that make these levels great. On the technical end, the sheer size of crowds and the ability to blend in with them has finally hit the scale IO seemingly always wanted. Likewise, the updated versions of older maps get the same treatment, and that alone makes them worth revisiting.
Unfortunately, getting your old Hitman progress over to Hitman 3 is less than smooth sailing. I bought all three games on the PlayStation consoles, so getting my content over required nothing of me. I simply downloaded the free expansion passes, and everything was set. If you want your mastery of each level to come with you, though, you’ll have to do some legwork over on IO’s site.
It’s a one-time transfer, so be wary. If you start the game before you perform this, all your progress will be lost.
If you’re playing on PS5 or PS4, you also have full access to all of these levels in VR. the good news is they’re all great and a wholly unique experience in VR. The bad news is this isn’t supported natively on the PS5, so I had to download the PS4 version alongside it to do so. Buying the PS5 copy nets you a free copy for PS4, so it’s more of a strain on your storage space than anything else.
Verdict: Hitman is wacky, dark, and unbelievably stupid. I love it, and Hitman 3 feels like the perfect culmination of all that came before. It’s sort of the ideal experience, especially if you have access to all of the old content. The bravest thing IO did here dared to shake up the Hitman formula in a way that mostly works. IO was pretty upfront that this marked the end of 47’s trilogy, but it seems the success of Hitman 3 has left them open to returning in the future. Keep your fingers crossed for Hitman 4, and until then, I’ll leave you to prepare.
Buy it
Author: Rich Meister
[This review is based on a retail build of the game purchased by the reviewer]