Hitman 3 is a stealth action/puzzle game developed and published by IO interactive. It is a sequel to 2018’s Hitman 2, and released in 2021. The 3rd game in the franchise, it concludes the tale which first began with 2016’s Hitman Reboot.
The game developers took inspiration from the burgeoning “Immersive Sim” Genre. Which was making a comeback with stalwarts such as Deus Ex. Also the hugely popular Thief and System Shock(due a reboot). Hitman 3 saw the addition of keycards for the first time in the series. Entirely new possibilities in the form of puzzles emerged.
Gameplay:
Hitman 3 is still played from a third person, over the shoulder perspective. The same as before. The storyline follows the genetically engineered Agent 47. As he embarks on contracted assassination missions. In all, there are six levels. Just like the previous two games. While it isn’t exactly an open-world game, 5 of the levels have an open-ended structure. Much like a sandbox.
Acclaim:
Part of the praise it received was directed towards its level design. A disappearing if not totally dead art form in today’s gaming landscape. Some critics called it one of the best stealth games ever made.
The new locations in the world feature shortcuts- a first for the game. With a series of doors that can only be unlocked from one side. These can be used to reach certain areas more quickly. Doors can also be opened via a new camera system.
The game is light on multiplayer content. Only Contract Mode allows players to make up their own rules and methods. Then share them online as contracts with friends and other players. Elusive Targets make a return. Rechristened as “Elusive Target Arcade.” These are missions where you have to eliminate a target within a stipulated period. Failing to do so, requires you to wait 12 hours before attempting it again.
Developer’s word:
Game director Mattias Engstrom says the team consciously tried to scale back the size of the levels. To prevent them from being bloated. In order to encourage experimentation in the playstyles; the developers had to nail the A.I. behavior. Making it reliable, if a bit predictable.
Patch Notes:
Now the game has been all patched up. Ambrose Island is the latest free addition. The setting is tropical with verdant vegetation. And plenty of little nooks and alcoves to hide the bodies in. New items include a kukri machete, the guerrilla wetsuit, and a Molotov cocktail among others. You will meet some recognizable faces. But on the whole, Ambrose Island brings with it new targets.
On the technical side, they’ve added Raytracing support. But also Adaptive super-sampling. Specifically focusing on Nvidia’s DLSS version 2.4.3 on pc. Overall the game should run more stable across all platforms. Bugs like the overly wet and shiny tropical suit in Haven Island have been ironed out. The use of sedative syringes will no longer cause NPCs to be stuck on an endless animation loop.
Also Read: Most Popular Video Game-Inspired Slots
