REVIEW - Hitman 3 Strikes With Precision
Catch me if you can.
By Jonathan Garrett
27/01/21
Reviewed on Xbox Series X.
Retail copy purchased for Review.
Hitman 3 is the culmination in every sense; a trilogy wrapping, wonderfully iterative send off for a series more than comfortable with embracing its own occasional absurdity. There is a sense that IOI have left the door open for future adventures, but for the time being, this third entry in the soft rebooted franchise tinkers where it counts, and delivers a definitive assassination experience.
From an outside perspective, one could argue that it’s simply providing more of the same. But that would be a somewhat dismissive take, denying the subtle tweaks and flourishes of creativity that have long defined this weird, brutal sandbox. Thankfully, the seamless transition of older maps into this new adventure makes even the more outlandish levels feel cohesive, and with so many bespoke opportunities to mess with the AI and do things your way, there’s plenty of genuine replay value.
IOI’s willingness to break convention in less overt ways really caught my attention. A trip to a remote Berlin nightclub, complete with shirtless bros and vapid selfie obsessives, starts in quite an atypical fashion. You don’t begin knowing who to kill, and it’s up to you to scout out those hunting you by listening to their interactions and radio chatter, before then planning and executing your approach. It completely upends the typical rhythm, and with more non-assassination related side objectives than ever before, you’ll find yourself wondering why this team wasn’t given the Bond license before now.
From a design standpoint, these are some of the most densely detailed and expansive environments in the series to date; the grounds of Dartmoor and the multi story maze of Chongqing are two standout highlights, while the sprawling vineyard in Mendoza intimidates with rampant possibility for sneaky exploration.
Without spoiling any specifics, the final chapter leans a little too heavily toward linear action (easily the weakest aspect of these games), although in true Hitman fashion, you can still potentially stealth your way through in spite of the more restrictive surroundings. Still, it feels out of place in a game that usually emphasises experimentation and multiple routes to victory.
The sheer abundance of mission stories (which typically guide you step by step to your targets) combined with an audacious amount of accidental and improvised kills further justifies repeat visits. The escalation contracts (which up the stakes considerably), and community created assassinations, double down on this idea.
I have to hand it to IOI: Hitman 3 is a visually sumptuous finale that rewards patience, exudes style, and never forgets to be fun.
With a collar this pointy, you ain’t messing with me.
WORTH IT?
At the bottom of every game review, we ask the question: Worth it? And the answer is either “Yeah!” or “Nah”, followed by a comment that sums up how we feel. In order to provide more information, we also have “And” or “But”, which follows up our rating with further clarification, additional context for a game we love, or perhaps a redeeming quality for a game we didn’t like.
YEAH!
Hitman 3 is a crowning achievement for a dev team soaring to new heights.
AND
By including support for the previous two games, it feels like the complete package.
TARPS?
At the bottom of some of our articles, you’ll see a series of absurd looking images (with equally stupid, in joke laden names). These are the TARP badges, which represent our ‘Totally Accurate Rating Platform’. They allow us to identify specific things, recognise positive or negative aspects of a games design, and generally indulge our consistent silliness with some visual tomfoolery.
