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Hitman 3 [b] is a 2021 stealth game developed and published by IO Interactive. It is the eighth main installment in the Hitman video game series, the sequel to 2018's Hitman 2, and the third game in the World of Assassination trilogy.
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By Luke Reilly
Updated: Nov 3, 2022 8:07 pm
Posted: Jan 19, 2021 1:00 pm
Agent 47’s unique brand of slow-paced stealth in an assortment of dense, deadly, and deeply varied murder playgrounds has reached a wonderful crescendo in Hitman 3. While it doesn’t stray from the killer chord combination developer IO Interactive crafted for 2016’s Hitman – and continued to use in 2018’s Hitman 2 – it’s abundantly clear here that the studio has well and truly mastered its act.
With some of the most surprising and imaginative levels in the series so far, Hitman 3 may feel largely familiar to its two most-recent predecessors, but just thinking of the hours upon hours of chaos, carnage, and cruel comedy that each of its six outstanding new maps will produce makes me giddy.
This final chapter of IO’s ‘World of Assassination’ trilogy that began with 2016’s Hitman might be better thought of as an expansion than a sequel. If you’ve bounced off Hitman before – particularly in the last five years – know that there’s been no big reinvention of the bald bloke’s blueprint in Hitman 3. The interface and controls have remained consistent in their stiffness, and the range of uses for your weapons and items aren’t drastically different, either. The most notable new toy in Hitman 3 is a camera which can be used to hack or examine switches and items, which is handy but not really a game changer.
As always, the slow-burn thrill of these games comes from planning, patience, and hiding in plain sight. 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. It’s an unapologetically single-player experience tha...
The original Hitman: Codename 47 (2000)
Hitman 2: Silent Assassin (2002) / Hitman: Contracts (2004)
Hitman: Blood Money (2006)
Hitman: Absolution (2012)
The "World of Assassination" trilogy (2016-present)
You can get away with all of this because the often hilariously naïve AI is still easy to exploit as ever. 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. 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. 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.
The biggest advantage of there not being any revolutionary changes in Hitman 3 is that owners of Hitman and Hitman 2 can carry over their levels and progress to Hitman 3. There’s a certain tidiness to rolling the trilogy into a single product that I really like, and I admire IO’s commitment to keeping the previous games’ content alive like this.
On Xbox Series X this is mostly seamless; as an owner of both previous Hitman games on Xbox One, Hitman 3 was automatically augmented with all previous maps, although the progression carry-over functionality wasn’t operational for me at the time of review. The PC situation is hindered somewhat by the shift from Steam to the Epic Games Store, though IO Interactive has gone on the record that an import feature will be available within weeks.
It’s also proven to be a little unruly on PlayStation 5. Despite having both previous games installed, Hitman 3 is directing me to further downloads to allow access – neither of which are available at time of review.
The lack of native support for PSVR on PS5 also meant I had to download and install the PS4 version of Hitman 3 alongside the PS5 version, which is a bit of a messy solution – but that’s really on Sony rather than IO. For its part, IO provides a free digital copy of the PS4 version to all who buy the PS5 version so nobody misses out.
Rich, rewarding, and highly replayable, Hitman 3 is a superb instalment of IO’s idiosyncratic but much-loved stealth series. The fundamentals haven’t changed since 2016 but its collection of outstanding maps makes for a refined, reliable, and robust curtain-closer to the current Hitman trilogy. Six maps may sound slim but each one is huge and desig...
Jan 20, 2021 · Become Agent 47 in the ultimate spy-thriller adventure across more than 20 locations HITMAN World of Assassination brings together the best of HITMAN HITMAN 2 and HITMAN 3 including the main campaign, escalations, elusive target arcades and HITMAN: Freelancer.
- IO Interactive A/S
- Windows
Check out the latest trailer for a look at gameplay, weapons, and more, and master the art of assassination when Agent 47 returns in Hitman 3.Hitman 3 launch...
- 3 min
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- IGN
Jan 20, 2021 · Hitman 3 is the final chapter of the World of Assassination trilogy, featuring six new levels and improved graphics. You play as Agent 47, a bald assassin who can kill in various ways and explore exotic locations.
- Analyst
- Io Interactive
Jan 19, 2021 · These are some of the best systems-driven stealth games on PC, and Hitman 3 tops the series off with a superb collection of levels—some of which are among the best in the entire Hitman series.
Prepare to master the art of assassination with new gameplay features and items in HITMAN 3. Pre-order now: hit...
- 3 min
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- HITMAN
