Is Hitman 3 Worth It? Great Level Design and Little Innovation

Is Hitman 3 worth it? Now that the game is out. Hitman 3 is the third and last installment in the World of Assassination trilogy. The game dwells deeper into the life of Agent 47 and follows where Hitman 2 left off. Many characters are returning to the game and you will lot of familiar faces. Hitman 3 is not a story-driven game but its plot is interesting for what it has to offer. The sandbox nature of the series is even more prevalent in Hitman 3.  Investigations are a key part of the game that not only helpful in missions but also provide insight into the world of Hitman.

Hitman 3 has amazing stealth mechanics but it has` bad AI of NPCs. Even if a player is not familiar with Hitman games, they can still perform assassination by different means. Combat in Hitman 3 is an afterthought, so good gun-blazing combat is out of the question. Each mission has its own story and offers a good insight into the lore. The short campaign and abrupt ending of the game is a disappointment. The World of Assassination trilogy has been creating a relation between players and Agent 47. Hitman 3 successfully deepens that relation and shows that Agent 47 is not just a cold-hearted killer. The game offers a good ending to the cold-hearted assassin and give us a new version of Agent 47 for the future hitman games. All of this makes you wonder, is Hitman 3 worth it? Let’s find out.

The Game is Also Available in VR on PS4 and PS5

The Premise of Hitman 3 (Spoiler-Free)

Hitman 3 begins where Hitman 2 left off. Each mission takes place in different countries so the setting is different for each mission. You have to adapt to each new setting and it works well with the personality of Agent 47. The game puts you in the shoes of 47 as you adapt to different situations. With Hitman 3, developers have now fully revealed the story of Agent 47. It shows the human side of Agent 47.

Campaign

Hitman 3 has a short campaign and you can end it in four to five hours depending on your playstyle. However, if you are planning to explore objectives then it could take six to seven hours. Missions take place in different locations which range from Skyscrapers of Dubai to Night Clubs in Berlin to Mansions in the UK. Each location requires different tactics to assassinate targets. The methods of escape also vary depending on missions. For instance, you can escape from the skyscraper of Dubai by climbing down the exterior of the building. The game provides a brand new experience in every mission despite being short.

Play The Way you Want

Each mission has stories that explore the background of targets. There are multiple stories in each mission and these stories can also help players in eliminating their target. You can choose to follow any of the stories to eliminate a target. If there are multiple targets, then you can eliminate them using a separate story for each one or use a single story to take down both. The focus of some stories is on the back story of targets and everything associated with them. In such stories, the elimination of targets is an afterthought as it can be achieved without touching such stories. Is Hitman 3 worth it? for you based on the campaign.

You can eliminate target without even touching any stories in any missions but you will miss out on details if you do so. Elimination of targets through the story feels good because it not only provides extra information but also sets the means for a perfect assassination. The perfect kill gives you a sense of achievement which makes the use of stories more tempting. Stories and stages are designed in a way that perfectly puts you into the shoes of Agent 47.

Agent 47’s Personal Vendetta

Missions in Hitman 3 follows the story of Agent 47 and it involves his personal motives. Targets in the missions are not part of contracts but rather the targets of Agent 47’s vendetta. These targets are the reason for the way life of Agent 47’s life has been shaped. So there is personal grudge involve not just contracts. Missions also offer deeper lore of the world of the Hitman series. The story is not just about an assassin but rather a person forced into the life of an assassin. Targets are Agent 47’s enemies, not contracts as we have seen in previous Hitman games.

Though the campaign is short, you can still play maps from previous games in the trilogy. Missions immerse you into the character of Agent 47. The diversity and challenges that the missions offer makes the Hitman 3 all the more fun. You get to play as the famous cold-blooded assassin as well as a person forced into the life of an assassin. Is Hitman 3 worth it? Because Agent 47 is more than just a killer in the game.

Level Design and Maps

Hitman 3 feels more like an expansion rather than a full-fledged game. As I mentioned earlier, Hitman 3 has a short campaign. There are only six maps in the game but all of the maps are of high quality. Maps are open-ended and there is no restriction on any accessible area. You can explore the map to your heart content Maps are unique and each one has its own identity. The variety that six maps offer is amazing. In the skyscraper, players have to climb vertically and avoid enemies. In the Night Club, you can hide in plain sight in the crowd. Every level offers different means of infiltration and stealth making them different than the other. Is Hitman 3 worth it for its good maps? Well, there is more.

The level design of the Hitman 3 is also good as every level has a different feel to it. The lighting, colors, and aesthetics of levels make them a visual treat. In the skyscraper of Dubai, reflections on shiny surfaces look amazing even without raytracing. Hitman 3 has one of the best reflections I have ever seen in a game without ray tracing. In the rain, lights from different sources reflect surfaces, and water cascades the coat of Agent 47 as well as NPCs. Such an intricate combination makes it a visually pleasing experience. Reflections and lighting changes for each map making the game all the more fun.

Become the Perfect Assassin

In Hitman 3 you can eliminate enemies in any way you want. The satisfaction of a perfect kill makes Hitman 3 such a good game. Despite the nature of the game, you can just eliminate your target head-on but doing so is not fun. Sometimes following a story of a mission can become boring due to an extensive amount of dialogues. In such stories, you have to investigate by asking questions from different characters. For me, it was not a good experience as I prefer straight forward gameplay. It also depends on the type of player you are so it might work well for some players.

There are always multiple ways to eliminate targets and escape without anyone noticing. Even these multiple ways of perfect kills are further branched into multiple ways of Assassinations. The moment you get close to your target you start noticing multiple ways to assassinate the targets. There is an opportunity for assassination every step of the way. However, if you want to achieve the perfect kill then you have to wait for the opportunity. After a perfect kill, you can escape without anyone stopping you. Is Hitman 3 worth it for you, for putting you in the shoes of Agent 47? there is more to it.

For instance, you can kill a target through multiple means the moment you make contact with it or you can earn their trust by solving their problem. Once you earn their trust you will start noticing chances for perfect assassination. You can throw character over the railing or sabotage the railing. The point is that there are always multiple ways of assassination in a single situation.

General Aspect of the Game

For hardcore fans, Hitman 3 is one of the best games in the series. However, its general gameplay might not be to the liking of new players. The controls of Hitman 3 are not that good which could result in some bad situations. Players can end up messing up a situation due to the way Agent 47 walks. If 47 is a little far from the person he is following then that person would turn on you. If 47 is a little closer or touch the person he is following then it could still mess up the situation. Players can end up doing something that they did not intend to due to clunky controls.

The AI of NPCs and movements of Agent 47 do not fit with each other. There are no new innovations other than the introduction of some new ways of assassination. Even the new ways of assassinations are tied to the map making it the same game with new levels. Is Hitman 3 worth it? For you for its general mechanics even though it doesn’t depend on it.

Combat

Gunplay is the worse aspect of Hitman 3. Not only is the gunplay clucky but the game also lacks proper mechanics for a gunfight. Aiming is not smooth and there is no proper way for cover to cover combat. Agent 47 starts regenerating health as soon as no one is shooting. So all you have to do is not take damage for a couple of seconds and you will be back to full health. There is no proper gunplay, you just have to shot and evade. The lack of proper gunplay is understandable since Hitman 3 is about the discreet assassination, not gun-blazing combat. Sniping in Hitman 3 is also not good which is a disappointment since the game is all about the perfect kill. It seems contradictory but this is how combat works in the game.

Lack of Realism

Hitman 3 like previous games in the series that focus on discreet assassinations. The idea of perfect kill is what makes the game good but the ways of achieving the perfect kills are unrealistic. The AI of NPCs is horrible and they can’t even look at the obvious. Their viewing angle is so shallow that you can escape in front of their eyes even when they are fully alerted. A small distraction is enough to distract them in a serious situation.

The flagship feature of the Hitman series is changing clothes. However, this flagship feature breaks the realism in the game. You can kill a person in front of another, change clothes, come back to the same person and make conversation with that person. They will precise you as a different person which feels highly unrealistic. I get that the game needs this feature the function properly but at the same time, it feels stupid. Developers could have given more thought to the realism. Is Hitman 3 worth it? For you due to its lack of innovation.

Is Hitman 3 Your Type of Game?

Hitman 3 is the last game in the World of Assassination trilogy that is not only the continuation of the trilogy but the end as well. Hitman 3’s emphasis on the human side of Agent 47 is deeper than the previous games of the trilogy. The six new maps offer a brand new experience even though most mechanics are the same. Combat is still clunky and the game has inherited problems from the previous games in the trilogy. It feels more like an expansion rather than a full-fledged game. Plans for the DLC of the game are already on the way so you can play it for a long time. The sense of achievement that you get from a perfect kill is still as prevalent as ever. Hitman 3 really puts you in the shoes of Agent 47, despite its shortcomings.

Now let’s answer the question “Is Hitman 3 worth it?” If you are a fan of the series then you will like what Hitman 3 has to offer. It might also be the game for players who are into stealth. Hitman 3 could also be the game for players who want to experience hiding in plain sight. It is not for players who prefer hardcore action. Hitman 3 might also not be the game for players who prefer gun-blazing combat. In short, Hitman 3 is the game for players who know what to expect from the series.