“Hitman III” Review: More of The Same in a Great Way

By Zephaniah Jackson, Staff Writer

IO Interactive’s “Hitman III” is the final chapter of the “World of Assassination” trilogy; it began with 2016’s “Hitman.” The franchise has come a long way from the series’ inception with 2000’s “Hitman: Codename 47.” While there are a few blemishes with the game’s story and side modes, “Hitman III” manages to fulfill its contract and starts 2021 off with a bang.

The World is at Your Fingertips

Agent 47 returns with his iconic black suit, red tie and barcode tattoo on his head. “Hitman III” prioritizes stealth, hiding in plain sight and creative thinking over the typical guns-blazing approach in many games. The levels are open, massive and filled with opportunities to assassinate your targets. The game has six distinct locations that take you all over the world. These locations range from the cloud-piercing skyscrapers in Dubai to the neon-lit streets of Chongqing, China and even to a mansion in Dartmoor, England.

These levels are also graphically outstanding, with Dubai standing out the most with its illustrious golden sculptures and photo-realistic reflections. It was mind-blowing to see how lifelike the textures and buildings were throughout the game, and this stands out even more with the next-gen consoles running the game in 4K and 60 frames per second. This makes the game feel even more fluid than it already was.

You are given a mass array of options to take out your targets; some of them being more outlandish than others. Agent 47 has access to multiple weapons that you start with and find in the environment. 47 can also knock out or eliminate people and steal their clothes to disguise themselves and get closer to the target. It’s useful to be careful though because if you leave their bodies out in the open, someone may find it and the target will be alerted.

The “Mission Stories” allow you to follow certain paths that lead to some creative and sometimes hilarious kills. The one that stands out the most is when you assume the role of a private investigator and solve a murder mystery that your target is directly involved in. You slowly gain your target’s trust when you help them solve the case, leaving them wide open to your crosshairs. You can assassinate your targets with guns, blades, blunt objects and “tragic accidents.” The level in Berlin, Germany, allows you to eliminate one of the targets with a construction crane. The crane “accidentally” drops a large piece of concrete onto the target. It’s these kinds of details that make “Hitman III” stand out from the crowd and makes you want to replay it.

The overall gameplay is largely unchanged from Hitman and Hitman 2 and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. If you enjoyed the first two entries in the “World of Assassination” trilogy, then you are going to enjoy “Hitman III.” However, what is disappointing is the lack of new gadgets that are presented to you. The only new gadget you receive is a camera that allows you to hack into certain terminals and take pictures of clues that give you more intel on your target. While it’s a unique idea, it’s rarely used in the game and ultimately feels pointless.

The Story Misses the Mark

While the gameplay and level design of “Hitman III” shines, the same cannot be said about the game’s story. While the story is not terrible, it does not do anything that stands out or makes it great. The story picks up right where 2018’s “Hitman 2” left off, with Agent 47 and his accomplices Diana Burnwood, Lucas Grey, and hacker Olivia Hall trying to dismantle the shadowy organization Providence. While 47’s emotionless and deadpan humor is great, the same cannot be said for the other characters. Diana and Lucas were bland and uninteresting and the main villain, Arthur Edwards, comes off as a generic bad guy who just wants to take over the world. Olivia stood out a bit as she is a skilled hacker that trusts 47, but after certain events, she wants to leave the group fearing for her safety.

The story then becomes a by-the-books tale about betrayal and revenge that just feels generic. It is a shame because the world of Hitman is an interesting one with concepts like the “Agent Program” and the organization that 47 works for, the International Contract Agency, or ICA. Overall, the story is mediocre at best.

Online Play is Better than Ever

Aside from the story mode, “Hitman III” features two other modes called “Contracts” and “Sniper Assassin.” In “Contracts,” players can create their own “hits” on characters throughout the maps in the game, create unique assassinations and their own custom stories. This mode is fantastic, with different contracts from players all over the world. The amount of creativity that players have is wild, with one of the contracts saying that a noodle shop is selling poisoned food, and you must assassinate to stop the poisoning of civilians.

“Sniper Assassin” on the other hand is okay. You sit on top of a high perch overlooking a big area and you must pick off your targets with a sniper rifle. While the mode offers a nice twist on the game formula, it is not as fun as being in the middle of the action that the base mode provides.

Final Verdict

“Hitman III” is a blast from start to finish. The open levels and gameplay are amazing as is the level of detail that IO Interactive lovingly crafted into the game. Despite the shortcomings of the story and lack of new content like gadgets, “Hitman III” still proves to be one of the best stealth games in recent memory.

Final Score: 8/10