This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5
IO Interactive’s reimagining of the Hitman franchise has taken them to new heights; although the previous Hitman games were cult classics, none of them can touch the sheer popularity of the new trilogy. Initially, Hitman launched in a episodic fashion, which split the community. However, this time around IOI decides to bring all of the previous episodes into Hitman III, making this package the definitive experience. It can serve as a way to replay all the previous missions in next-gen fashion if you’re one of the lucky ones to own a next-gen console. But, even with the definitive experience, Hitman 3’s approach to concluding Agent 47’s story fell short in comparison to the ambition of its sandbox hitman fantasy.
Bringing Down a Hidden Empire
Hitman 3 continues directly after Hitman 2’s DLC story – “The Constant” gives you 3 names that would topple a hidden organization called The Providence. However, in typical espionage story, The Constant had an ace up his sleeve. He escapes and manages to gain power from the 3 targets you eliminate. If I say any more I would ruin the whole story and that is a problem to me. Hitman, in general, gives excellent intel on enemies you have to eliminate which immerses you into the world surrounding it; one minute you are sky diving into the tallest building in Dubai to eliminate Providence members that changed their identity, and the next you’re infiltrating a huge manor where you would encounter a man who was hired to solve a murder mystery. Take his disguise and you’ll become a detective. All this plays well into the expanded universe of Hitman but serves no purpose to the story of Agent 47. Ultimately these intel and backstories of your target feels like filler given the underwhelming conclusion of the story behind the most elusive man in the world. You could easily guess who Agent 47 was and honestly the build up to the trilogy falls flat because of it.
The Sandbox Perfected
It’s a shame the story wasn’t as focused as the gameplay because this is where Hitman 3 truly shines. Just like the previous iterations, you’ll find a wide range of things to use to complete your task; you’ll find ultra-unique ways to maneuver through each zone. Hitman has one of the best environmental interactions in gaming and I was truly surprised by the amount of things to do here. It feels as if it doubled compared to Hitman 2 and that game was ambitious.
The one element that lacks is the shooting mechanics; I know Hitman isn’t known for that but if you want to finish a task guns blazing, you will have a hard time as the controls are incredibly floaty.
Just like the previous Hitman game, the online feature persist of leaderboard, scoring, and method to finish the task. There’s the Contract mode where you can directly compete with other players scores. It’s not totally engaging, but it serves a purpose and I think most Hitman fans appreciate the online feature. I especially like the Hitman vision, where item of interest is highlighted which makes navigating the world bearable. But if you opt to take it out because you’re such a threat, by all means.
The Crafted World
The presentation in Hitman 3 is magnificent. The scope of each zones makes it feel almost open world and they’re gorgeous. Each area is littered with detail and tons of NPCs that all look unique. Honestly, I don’t remember seeing any duplicates. Textures and details are crispy alongside the physics on each disguise. Playing this on next-gen console runs at a full 4K, 60 frames-per-second. My only complaint is how stiff the animations are, but that is overshadowed by the amount of things you can interact with.
The Untouchable Repeats
Hitman 3 deserves your time; it’s a gorgeous game that plays incredible. The immense gameplay sandbox opportunities is beyond excellent, giving it high replay value. It’s a shame that the most elusive man in the world’s story falls incredibly short, but is complimented by intriguing backstory on your targets. It’s not the best ending to a trilogy, but it’s really fun to play.
REVIEW SCORE: 7.5/10
If you found this review informative and want to snag a couple, you’ll find links below that’ll help you.
Amazon – Here
Best Buy – Here
For more on Hitman 3, check out my IG at ChrisArchitect_Gaming, Twitch at ChrisArchitect and Twitter at ChrisArchitect0 – You can also check out our social media presence at IG: GStyleMagazine and Twitter: GStyleMagazine
