Hitman 3 Review: Gameplay Impressions, Videos and Speedrun Tips

Hitman 3 arrives with grand expectations.  

Developer IO Interactive successfully relaunched the iconic stealth franchise in 2016 with Hitman, then followed it up with Hitman 2 in 2018. Given the resounding successes there, the third and final entry in the World of Assassination trilogy, unlike protagonist Agent 47, doesn't have the benefit of sneaking up on anyone.

The episodic, mini-open-world levels that redefined the series return again with a tighter feel, the same gameplay that helped make the reboot a success story and a revamped progression system that spans all three games at once.

Given the expectations of steady improvement and the understanding IO Interactive is off to make a James Bond game, Hitman 3 stands as the perfect capper to round out and complete one of the most successful reboots in video gaming today. 

Graphics and Gameplay

As a known commodity at this point, Hitman 3 was always going to be visually impressive. 

Each of the sprawling levels presented are gigantic and littered with interactable detail. Whether it's a glitzy skyscraper-top party for the rich littered with champagne glasses or a down-and-gritty city manhunt underneath neon lights, each of the levels feels unique and as a game in and of itself. 

The design depth of each level is staggering. Past games in the series have hugely dense with NPCs at a crowded racing event, for example. Some of the levels here aren't as hefty on the crowds, but they make up for it in immense ways. One locale boasts discoverable details on the roofs of buildings and far, far below street level, too. 

Littered throughout each level are engrossing character conversations, many of which function as a way to pick up intel and inch closer toward an assassination. The sound design is top-notch alongside the visual treats around each corner. The overall score is a highlight that furthers the immersive experience. 

Some of the usual nitpicks apply. While detail is amped (shadows and lighting are some of the industry best here) and past issues such as clipping have been smoothed over, it's still easy to stumble upon duplicate NPCs. The bulk of them still don't look as good as they probably could, but that's to be expected given the sheer quantity of them on screen and in each level. 

Still, it's all about the details. Agent 47 flawlessly transitions out of cover and into action. He swaps items quickly and realistically, and, as silly as it seems, it's all well replicated in a mirror. It's all immersive in a way that just feels like not only the end of a trilogy, but one that indeed belongs on next-generation hardware. The same points apply to gunplay and the implementation of gadgets.

Linear is the last word to describe any of Hitman 3. 

Like past entries, each massive level is a puzzle players need to dissect. The targets get a red outline from the start when Agent 47 scans the environment, but it's never so simple. There are seemingly endless ways to reach the targets physically, whether it's scurrying up the side of a building, discovering secret routes or donning different disguises to bypass the watchful eye of security. 

The actual assassinations themselves are just as versatile. It could be as simple as gunning down a target, but poisoning food or puppet-mastering any number of accidental deaths remain available as options, too. 

There aren't many new formulas in the gameplay itself, as the real feats are the scenarios and characters within each level. Dynamic shortcuts are a huge new feature. Players can only open these strategically placed shortcuts from one side, usually after much difficulty. Once they're open, they will be available for good. They're not anything overly amazing—one early example is a ladder— but they also don't pop up often enough to ruin the integrity of subsequent playthroughs of a level. 

Also new to what players have available at their fingertips is a camera. It's exactly what it sounds like and not a fully-fledged photo mode by any means. But the new gadget provides some interesting hacking and surveillance opportunities that can impact how a level plays out.

The biggest sour point is enemy A.I., which has been a talking point in the past, and it doesn't feel much different here. Stumping doofus guards who walk into a room to investigate but don't actually turn Agent 47's way isn't difficult. They also have an uncanny fixation with thrown coins, too.

It's a staple of the genre at this point and almost charming, but NPCs not realizing their buddy is missing and/or is now bald with a barcode on the back of his head remains cheesy at best. One could argue it's necessary so things remain constant and predictable for the player, but it also doubles as feeling a bit archaic at times. 

Even that feels like nitpicking at this point, as Hitman 3's crowning achievement is merely letting players tackle things how they see fit. Going guns blazing isn't encouraged, but it's available. Playing it like one of the old Splinter Cell games with a no-detection run is on the table. So is interacting with the world and stories in any number of ways to tackle the objectives. 

It's always rewarding to experiment. The game goes out of its way to present players with post-mission grades based on their playstyle and actions. Replaying the same mission with the same targets doesn't become a chore given the number of discoverable scenarios, including narrative-driven stories within the story and individual challenges to complete.

Hitman 3 is whatever a player wants it to be, which isn't something many other games can say.

Story and More

Agent 47 has had a long, interesting story littered with twists and turns over the years, and Hitman 3 hits an interesting narrative peak—and does so with darker tones than the prior two games. His surrounding cast is understandably small, which only makes the overarching storyline have an against-all-odds feel. 

Players starting with this game are bound to feel lost from a narrative standpoint even with the game lending a helping hand via a cinematic. But for those who have followed the threads since Hitman 1, a global conspiracy plot with some strong narrative developments unravels in fun fashion. 

Where the storytelling in Hitman 3 really excels, though, is in the individual levels themselves. The overarching story hangs above everything, but the smaller, local plot threads in each level are engrossing. 

One level, for example, fits in lots of family drama, a murder mystery and quite a bit more in the way of surprises while Agent 47 merely attempts to off two targets over a deceptively massive level. 

There are Mission Stories, which are smaller levels within the mission itself. These can feel like tutorial-styled features within a level to help guide a player. They're fun to see the first time, especially for first-time players of the series. But there is an option to toggle them off, which is quite a bit more appealing for veteran players. 

How it all loops together is brilliant for the end of the trilogy. It's impressive that unlockables are then useable across all three games. Those are no longer tied to certain challenges thanks to a new progression system, too, so there's a sense of respecting the player's time investment no matter which level they might be replaying—and location mastery progressions push the same sense of worthwhile playing time. 

Also included are the returning Sniper Assassin and Contracts modes. The latter is an especially interesting challenge because players can tackle challenges set out by other community members within the well-trodden maps, making any NPC targets and stipulating contract completion stipulations (like wearing certain costumes or different manner of kills). 

Escalations throw ever-increasing challenges at a player while trying to complete a contract. And the game will again feature Elusive Targets, which the community will adore. In the past, these timed contracts have given players one chance at killing celebrities and all sorts of people put into the game, making for top end-game content besides level grinding for unlocks or leaderboard positioning. 

The game's central hub players can also access the missions from Hitman 1 and Hitman 2. It's a nice way to tie everything together—and probably an unintentional flex by IO Interactive that showcases just how consistent and superb the games have been over three offerings now. 

It's all very well done in a slick manner on the UI too, with players able to navigate to any of the three games, different game modes, career profile tracking and career inventory. 

We'd be remiss not to mention the depth of that profile tracking and inventory over the three games. There are a gargantuan number of career challenges to track for each individual level. And while the developers might be off to make a James Bond game, the laundry list of devices, illegal-item-concealing briefcases, explosives, weapons and suits unlockable for Agent 47 would make Bond himself blush. 

Speedrunning Tips

The nature of the Hitman games always encouraged intense speedrunning communities, and the episodic format of the trilogy and open-ended levels only amplified things. 

Hitman 1 and Hitman 2 have long been staples of speed-running events and the world-record leaderboards feature best-ever times in a manner of minutes. Types of runs include any-percent efforts, no-kill or detection efforts, different difficulty levels and various rating rewards at the very end. 

It's a little complex, as is the very nature of being good at speedruns in the franchise. 

For beginners, running and gunning is a worthwhile strategy while unlocking items and starting to memorize levels. Knowing the when, where, why and how of every minute detail is important, and isn't something always picked up on by simply viewing a speedrun—carrying the wrong type of item with the disguise disguise will end runs on harder difficulties instantly. 

As things stand now, players don't have a ton of time to play in a stealth manner if they want to be competitive on the leaderboards. It's more about manipulating the aforementioned so-so A.I. with coins and other distractions to get them out of the way. 

Actually competing on the world-record leaderboards within the game itself is an uphill climb, albeit an incredibly rewarding one. Generally, ignoring Mission Stories and cutting to the chase in a direct manner remains the best route at launch. 

If it all sounds like the perfect streaming and speedrunning game, it is—customizable starting points, inventory, costumes, smuggled items and more makes for a fun time, whether it's viewing or attempting to complete runs. 

Conclusion

Unlike its lead character, Hitman 3 doesn't throw on any sort of disguise—this is Hitman, through and through.

Given just how impressive the trilogy has been under IO Interactive, that's a good thing. Hitman 3 is whatever a player wants it to be. It can be as goofy and sappy as players want, or as serious and foreboding as possible, all while presenting nearly endless ways to play. 

With the levels from the other two games included, Hitman 3 is one of the most robust gaming packages offered in a long time. Its replayable nature can gently push players into leaderboard competitors, if not speedrunners too. 

It's only January of 2021, yet Hitman 3 is a predictable hit, matching expectations, refining in small ways and standing strong as a Game of the Year contender. If this is the last players see of the series for a long time, there's enough to keep people occupied that Agent 47 going on a hiatus isn't so concerning.