PLATFORMS PC WINDOWS PLAYSTATION 5 XBOX SERIES X PLAYSTATION 4 XBOX ONE STADIA NINTENDO SWITCH
RELEASE DATE January 20, 2021
PUBLISHER IO Interactive
DEVELOPER IO Interactive
GENRE Stealth action
There seems to be in place these days an unspoken principle video game developers have routinely subjected their modus operandi to. It has something to do with the number 3 and the idea it tries to translate into reality. It goes something like this: come up with an extraordinary idea, put it into reality the best you can the first time around and if the methods are not perfect just yet, rest assured.
The second time around, use essentially the same idea, the very same working methods and pay great attention to details; deliver the product following these steps. The improvements will not fail to catch the eye and grab the center of the stage.
Now, as the idea still has some fuel left in the tank, be wise to squeeze what is left of it the third time around and be sure to push the broken-in machinery standing behind its realization to the very limits; thus hand over by far the best product yet, and even though what you will really be delivering to the market is essentially the same package painted in somewhat more colorful shades, you will still find the public welcoming it with open arms. But make no wrong step at that point and be sure to retreat behind the curtains in no time and start meditating on a new fascinating idea without leaving a trace of what is going on behind the veil of secrecy, lest the air of sameness and lack of inventiveness make its way to the very front window of the store and cloud the view on your delicately refined product.
That is more or less the method that stands behind the realization of the third installment in the Hitman series taking the title of Hitman 3. The story starts right where Hitman 2 left off, and if for those who are new to the series, the game makes sure to introduce the previous happenings in a sequence reminiscent of “previously on Hitman”, once so routinely employed by the TV shows, before you're off on a trip on your first mission to Dubai.
Levels
Each level presents a unique entrance to the main area that the player will have to work his way to in a multitude of sometimes fascinating ways. Developers' choice to make the player examine the Burj Khalifa-inspired building all around and make him hack into its defensive systems before opening the window to actually start the mission is brilliant. It gives some of a warm-up to the player and constitutes a prelude to what is going to be waiting for him on the inside.
The levels are 6 in total, though the open-space areas are to be encountered only in the first 5 as the last level is somewhat of a linear and highly predictable nature. However, the first 5 levels are built on magnificently thought-out maps that never fail to surprise the player with unexpected secret zones, shortcuts, accesses, and points of cover. The focus is on stealth here, naturally, and to make the best of the game, the player is advised to play it exactly in that manner.
Gameplay
Depending on your approach, you will be finding various accessories you can make use of during the elimination sequences, all scattered throughout the map: pistols, shotguns, sniper rifles, knives, and axes, though all of those fall into a slightly old-fashioned category. Employing a screwdriver to tamper with a rail on a 3000-feet building or using your camera to trigger a high-voltage electric circuit over a puddle of water is what really makes this game mischievously rewarding. In order to set off the best and sometimes hilarious sequences, you will have to study the guards' patterns, pass the inspection areas, get changed a number of times just in time before the guard comes peeking from behind the corner, and at all times act as though you were a ghost.
Graphics & Optimization
The visual aspect of the game is as refined as it gets, as you will be admiring the view of just how exactly the sun rays penetrate through the windows of the Scepter skyscraper and cast light on all its tremendously detailed luxury or the way neons reflect colors off the water puddles in China, painting the scenery as though it were really one of Picasso's artworks. The same quality applies to the technical aspect of the game making it run smoothly on Microsoft Windows with max settings, and above all that, the game also supports PlayStation VR.
The only real drawback of the game is its longevity: the game can be finished in under 4 hours, and the fact that it can be replayed dozens of times in a myriad of different manners, does not really make up for it. The player will probably lose interest in repeating for the third time the already known area just to catch some hidden passages. The purists, however, will have a reason to rejoice.
Hitman 3 takes all the ingredients that made the series famous and mixes them together in a marvelously-looking, smoothly-running and hilariously-casual game that brings absolutely nothing new to the series, but whose quality and fun never fall short of being intoxicating, making you exclaim after 4 hours of gameplay (though you can extend it to +20 with even the slightest interest in the series) “Boy did I have fun!” And in the world of videogames, isn't that what counts most?