Hitman pc review series#
As grim as the murder-for-hire premise seems on the surface, this has always been a cheekily self-aware series that relishes in a general degree of silliness and gallows humour. These folks won’t even blink an eye at a severe-faced stranger who’s wearing the clothes of a man they’ve very recently had a conversation with and, while that does rob stealthy victories of believability at times, this kind of suspension of disbelief is simply necessary for Hitman to function. Of course, tricking the dopey guards and civilians with unexpected distractions and suspicious items has emerged as such a fundamental part of the puzzle solving in the current Hitman trilogy, and I’ve actually grown to love these dumb bastards over the years. It’s an unapologetically single-player experience that rewards rational thinking over rushing, although it is flexible enough to cater to both extremes: those who prefer to follow the multilayered mini-stories playing out within the levels to make invisible, surgical strikes and disappear without a trace, and those who like to improvise and leave behind piles of dead and unconscious men in their underpants stacked like cordwood.You can get away with all of this because the often hilariously naïve AI is still easy to exploit as ever. The key to success is finding the perfect disguise for exploration, listening and looking for opportunities, and getting the timing just right to pull off the perfect crime and escape unseen. Yes, a lot of the kills are gentle remixes of ones that have come before, but they’re still cleverly built up.Ī Wolf Among SheepAs always, the slow-burn thrill of these games comes from planning, patience, and hiding in plain sight. I’m equally hesitant to reveal the quirky assassination opportunities they contain but I will say Hitman 3 contains both the funniest and the most complex Hitman kill I’ve ever played – and at least one of the most-dastardly – and there are still many I haven’t got to yet. It’s tricky to speak about these locations in too much detail without ruining the thrill of strolling through them and revealing massive new areas you had no idea existed, but these environments are truly some of the most memorable and remarkable maps IO has ever created – from the intimidating verticality on display while perched on the outside of the highest skyscraper in the world to the rustic charm of Thornbridge Manor. The next stop is an Argentinian vineyard that reminded me of Blood Money’s excellent A Vintage Year map, only vastly bigger then the finale is a fabulous surprise unlike any Hitman mission to date, and one which I sincerely hope isn’t spoiled for you. From there it’s off to a massive German rave for a mission that oozes atmosphere and puts an interesting twist on hunting down your five targets amongst the throngs of sweaty, 24-hour party people, and then to Chongqing, China, where the glow of neon lights, the reflections in the soaked streets, and the trickle of rain down 47’s jacket combine for perhaps the most visually impressive mission of the series so far.
The follow-up mission is a nod and a wink to Contracts’ Beldingford Manor map and takes 47 to a similarly massive UK country manor where one entertainingly ironic route to killing your target involves posing as a detective who’s there to solve a murder on the property. Things get off to a fairly stunning start, with 47 parachuting onto the world’s tallest building in Dubai and infiltrating its opulent interior, but that high bar is maintained throughout.
All six of Hitman 3’s beautiful and strikingly well-lit levels are amongst the strongest of the series, so much so that it’s hard to pick a standout favourite. “The true strength of Hitman 3, then, is found in its maps.
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