Hitman 3 Is a Testament to the Value of Video Game Gimmicks
Hitman 3 is a unicorn. It’s the kind of sequel that meaningfully shakes things up while successfully building upon the foundations of the past. For me, it does so by breaking the rules of its predecessors and adding a sense of structure to free-form play.
Stories have been an integral part of IO Interactive’s World of Assassination trilogy since the beginning, yet
Hitman 3 takes a different approach not just with more complex mission stories within the tapestry of each level, but by embedding narrative design cues to tell a tale about Agent 47 rather than just his victims.
By GENE PARK | The Washington Post | Published: January 29, 2021 The Hitman series has always been best when it allows players to tell their own stories. Hitman games have been top of the industry when it comes to giving you all the tools of the most famous spy thriller stories. It s always been a James Bond thriller, mixed with the slick production of Christopher Nolan and the club beats and heat of Michael Mann films. But Hitman 3, which ends IO Interactive s most recent trilogy of the long-running franchise, sees Agent 47 in his most cinematic adventure yet. Hitman fans need not worry. Our bald, bar-coded protagonist isn t running away from boulders or fireballs like Nathan Drake. Rather, it s how the score swells when the game knows you ve entered a grand ballroom. It s how levels now actually go through great lengths to set the mood for Agent 47′s next assignment.
There’s something special to be said for mastery in a video game. And it’s something that all to often, we don’t get to enjoy. You reach mastery in a game near the end, when you know every single button-press like the back of your hand, and you know exactly how every single bad guy will react to everything. You fully understand a game’s mechanics and how to wield them, and nothing can catch .