This is not only a perfect container for all of I/O's Hitman games before, but a really chilling and well-staged conclusion to the series as it moves to whatever it's set to become next. Hitman 3 is fun to play across the board, delights in variety and campy mission set-ups, and features strongly designed contextual mechanics to let the player feel free even within what is a very tight sandbox.

I have never been a Hitman person, but I/Os take on the series made me a believer and I cannot recommend it enough.

played through World of Assassination

here we are, 20 days later....

my final words on the hitman 2 dlc were about how fast i flew through the games so far and id miss it when i finished. so much for that!!!!

as soon as i started hitman 3, i got hit with a huge wave of burnout and to this day im still unsure why it happened. i kept avoiding it, jumping from web games to pepsiman to balatro, geometry dash, metal gear 2, etc etc. it just wasnt clicking. eventually a few days ago after finishing mg2 i decided i needed it off the damn playing tab. after all, i loved the first 2 games, so if i just got over this hump id be done in no time...

well, happy to say that is how it played out. i think the main reason for the burnout was finding the damn case file in dartmoor. that one was pissing me off an insane amount. but after i powered through, theres a lot of bangers. hell, even in dartmoor i had a blast tresspassing and turning the game into more of a stealth game. anyway, berlin and chongqing are the standouts here. berlin was entirely different than what i had expected, and the vibe was unmatched, pure adrenaline finding all those agents, and then in chongqing after infiltrating the ICA base, hearing agents react to what you did there... literally chefs kiss part of that map.

i also have to say, mission stories kinda grew on me here, at least that was the case for chongqing, killing that hush dude in the chair was so much more awesome following the linear path. also also, i adored the final level, which i know is a hot take in the fanbase. given how im not replaying these maps any time soon, i found it to be an awesome conclusion, thinking youre in some deep underground lab only for you to break open the door... and youre on a huge train. given my stealth focused approach in levels prior, i kinda liked the way this leaned into that type of approach as well. sure it might not give replay value but frankly i dont care, the spectacle was fantastic and more than made up for it.

as for the story, ehhh its still the same type of quality. not that deep or substantial but still fun, tho its kinda a bit like ghostrunner 2 where it became a bit hard to follow at the end. diana turns on him suddenly she doesnt turn on him for some reason. the plot in these games has always moved at a breakneck pace but here it's even faster. idk maybe its silly i care for the story so much but yeah it was just a bit confusing near the end. and i found myself caring less and less as i beat each level. the cast performances were great just like the other 2 games. excited for a hitman 4. and also excited for that james bond game. the studio has definitely earned my trust and respect and im glad i got these games off my backlog.

also quick note about freelancer, i played just one map. its fine if i want to scratch that itch i guess. sorry if this review's a bit shorter, found it hard to talk about this game for some reason.

I'm really surprised that I didn't like this more. Hitman 3 is far from a bad game, but I find it to be very disappointing. All the levels either feel too small and restrictive or way too big and a pain to get around. Replaying these levels is just something I don't enjoy doing. Hitman 3 is by far the worst game in the World of Assassination trilogy in my eyes.

It's got everything that makes Hitman 1 and 2 so fantastic, but the level design sucks, so it's not fun to play. Hitman 3 also goes harder on the story, which I liked at first, but I feel that it impacts the gameplay negatively, as it feel like they sometimes prioritize tying the mission into the story over just giving it actually fun objectives. The level in Berlin is so cool, but the targets are soooooo boring. I wish I enjoyed this game more.

IO Interactive do not know how to structure or pace a story across 3 games and I did not care about WoA's overarching narrative up until this point, but somehow the final missions of the trilogy actually managed to get me properly emotional over 47 and Diana's dynamic, and, by extension, the series's events as a whole. It's crazy how having these two extremely likable characters be the only real anchors throughout an otherwise pretty tame conspiracy thriller plot allows 3 to pull this trick and retroactively make me care about the story of Hitman (2016). The interactions between Diana and 47 were always my favorite bits of characterization in the previous games, and even in Blood Money I found their whole thing charming, but there's something about how tangible it feels here that got me. I think going through K-8 with a paraprofessional who was payed by the school district to make sure I didn't bite people just makes me predisposed to having their deal resonate with me- her helping a man who's Literally Neurodivergent distinguish between right and wrong and him being thankful enough for it to put his life at risk... such a fun concept and the execution of it in the last real mission put a smile on my face.
It's WoA so obviously the level design is fucking phenomenal and the core gameplay's still extremely engaging if you're into this kind of routing-based stealth. Camera's a weird addition and feels kind of clunky to use, and I wish the ICA facility in China had been... better? I liked the level itself but after all the goofy sci-fi shit I was dying for them to just let me infiltrate an underground supervillain facility; was very sad to find out it was one of the more underwhelming areas in the game. Anyway though- I love WoA! All games with this kind of budget should have the decency to be good

Hit The Man.

Its an odd feeling, finally finishing all this. I mean, I'm still gonna complete some escalations, some Elusive Targets, more puzzles to unfold, and I have an entire new game mode in Freelancer to push through (which I'll cover in a World of Assassination log if it makes a good impression on me). But for the idea of new Hitman levels and new Hitman storylines, this is essentially the end.

I would never claim that the story is why I go to Hitman, its ridiculous clone plotline and spy games broadly sort of fill the needs of gameplay. But I also genuinely think that this franchise is incredible at weaving its narrative into the gameplay and level design. Dubai places you on a skyscraper that extends into the clouds. You kill men who can only think of themselves, unable to give a dime to the "little" people down below. Dartmoor focuses on a more grounded perspective, facing off against a woman who sacrificed everything for her family, never realizing that she's burned up any familial love around her she could have enjoyed. Dartmoor is an incredible level, but I admit to feeling a little cold. Dartmoor is regarded as a series highlight, but that also means it struggled to match the expectations I unwittingly put it up against. And with how arduous I found it maxing out my Mastery in Dubai, I was sincerely starting to worry that 3 would be a major let-down. There felt like so much less content than other maps. Fewer mission stories, fewer variety in kills.

And then I hit Berlin.

There's so much wonder and excitement once the level gimmick is revealed: one Agent 47 versus 11 different assassins. Its kind of sad when subsequent playthroughs start highlighting all the potential Targets, instead of letting you run around blind, investigating everyone for yourself. Its Berlin that really teaches you how much trust the series has in your skills by this point. There's fewer Mission Stories because the game expects you to discover the possibilities by yourself. Berlin completely removes any guides to your target, giving you full reign to demolish 5-11 fellow assassins. And since the game expects you to have all the skills you might require, it feels more free to experiment. I found new joy in Dartmoor and Dubai, and I recognized all the ways its switched up the framing.

While Chongqing might be more traditional than Berlin, it really takes time to show off how expertly IOI weaves storytelling into its environments and dialogue. The opening narration hypes up how technologically advanced the China Municipality is, leaning into Cyberpunk imagery in a way that prepped me to feel concerned. Hitman has been hit or miss with depicting non-white cultures. But I think what makes Chongqing so compelling is how it depicts a "cyberpunk" city: miserable. All these grand expansions in tech are hidden away in towers and fancy buildings. What we encounter initially as a player is the homeless population, wandering through the streets, brains and bodies broken from the various experiments the elitist tech geniuses have utilized against so-called "weaker" elements of society. Hitman has heavily leaned into class tensions as its major framework, but its perhaps at its best here. As Agent 47 has developed a genuine ideology and genuine interest in fixing the world, he's forced to confront how his former allegiance to the ICA benefited these existing social structures. The ICA claims to be neutral, but it profits from the subjugation of the lower class just as much as Providence. 47 is given more personality, more sincerity, as he takes a dramatic step away from just working for pay versus working for a purpose.

And finally, he arrives in Mendoza.

More than anything, Mendoza feels like the last hurrah of the Hitman franchise. Maybe the series will return someday, but you can truly feel that IOI was ready to take a step away from the bald goober. 47 has been important to their company, but everyone's ready for a change. So, one last rich party. Dubai, Dartmoor, and Berlin were experiments. An ode to the parties of Silent Assassin, Blood Money, and Contracts, an ole to all the rich morons you've gotten to kill over the years. It doesn't feel as densely packed as other maps, but it just makes me happy to be there. To overhear conversations, to follow NPC paths, to just soak in the mood. Its a level that just screams Hitman. Its everything you want these games to be.

The final narrative beats of Hitman are strange feelings. 47 is never a character I necessarily need to be a real person. He's a cartoon character. He's Bugs Bunny. He's a little mischief maker. Its certainly compelling when 47 wonders if he's just an emotionless tool or if he's capable of more. But I don't know if I need him to give big heroic speeches about responsibility and power. It feels too much like he's talking to them in their rich monster language. Confirming their beliefs of a Special Person to Decide for Humanity. I don't need 47 to speak about the virtues of humanity, I want him to deliver cold, hard data points for why the Targets need to die. To hammer homes to these people that they don't actually matter. That defeating them isn't a great moment in history- its just calculated pest control. I don't play these games for 47 to be a character who says hero lines, I play them for 47 to make rich people look like dumb idiots who die before he turns to the camera and goes "ain't I a stinker?"

I say all that, but there's one moment in all of Hitman that really stuck out to me. Chongqing, arriving on a Bridge. A woman worries that her friend hates her. 47, listening carefully, suddenly speaks up to offer sincere advice. Your friend is meeting you at 2 am, in the rain. That must mean she cares. If now you worry about being selfish, why don't you pay for dinner? Its a short, cute, optional moment. But its the most sincere kindness 47 has ever offered. If the franchise returns with Heroic 47, that might be the version I want to see. A 47 who can actually connect to the world around him.

Because more than anything, the World of Assassination Trilogy truly felt like a world. Every game built an incredible clockwork mechanism, with little pieces moving to their cues to deliver goofy, hokey lines. But each piece moved with such charming purpose. For a series that prided itself on being a Video Game Ass Video Game, each corner felt so well realized. The hundreds of hours of incidental NPC dialogue, building storylines from the large and complex, to the small and personal. Even as the game embraced the fact that you were playing a video game, it made that world feel real through its artificiality, rather than in spite of it. I see myself walking through the entire series again if I want to, just to drop myself into all the incredible effort and care the devs put into this franchise.

I thought I was gonna be harsher on this when I started. But I just got so swept up with the memories of joy and discovery, all my gripes melted away. I love these stupid games. Whatever the future of IOI holds, I'm there.

Firmly in the pantheon along side games like DOOM and Bloodborne that meld intricate level design and god-tier art direction into narrative and thematic cohesion. Just beautiful.

Agent 47 is simultaneously no one and everyone. He can assume many disguises and remain and undetectable even if he is a rather noticeably tall, pale bald man with a barcode tattooed on his neck who would stand in any function. He is both a player avatar and distinct character himself. He is a paradox and an example of having your cake and eating it too. He has no real personality within the game but he definitely has a soul. He doesn't merely exist to serve as a player fantasy. His lack of distinction is a product of narrative necessity. He is an assassin, the titular hitman - why would he be a guy you want to get to know more. He is his profession, and his profession is the game. It's beautiful.

Part of me wishes the plot of these games held more depth but I am not totally sure every espionage story needs that. Even the work of John LeCarre is purposefully dense until it comes out the end leaving you as puzzled and bewildered as the characters. To me what's important in Hitman is that the story is told with earnestness. Not necessarily seriousness. You can dress up as a clown and throw fruit at people. But no one is cracking quips and the characters themselves communicate seriously. Tonally it's just right and kind of rare for a modern AAA video game. It's also a game that takes place in the real world. In a lot of ways it's everything I've been looking for for years now. There are secret labs and stuff bit no space mines or sci-fi/fantasy bullshit. Grounded in reality is another rare quality I really admire.

As an individual game I just want to say Hitman III is a slight step above what I played in 2. To open the game with an Agatha Christie inspired murder mystery is stunning. As is the refreshing idea to give Agent 47 the option to assume an identity fully and be able to interact with people for a change. That kind of deviation is amazing to me even if it's just a simple point and click murder adventure it's a cool twist on a formula. To follow that level up with a bare bones thrown into the wolves den Berghain inspired level is otherworldly. Just that back to back sensation of those two levels rocked my world.

Hitman III felt like a spectacular culmination of all the Bond inspired levels IOI wanted to make. More than any Bond film actually, Hitman III really opens your eyes to diverse and cool as fuck staging areas all espionage cinema from True Lies to Mission Impossible to even John Wick aspire to. I want an old mansion on the Moors; a Berlin nightclub; a train; neon-lit streets; and a vineyard that simultaneously feels like a wedding. Pump this shit into my veins.

This one will live with me for a while. I'm glad I still have Hitman 1 to play; disappointed no new Hitman/or OI game for a while. I'm sure their Bond will be dope. Hopefully they keep it as streamlined and non-microtransactionary as this series.

The best-designed and most creatively freeing stealth game of all time in my opinion. Treating this review as the entire modern Hitman trilogy (as all of the games are contained within Hitman 3), the diversity of weapons, tools, locations, targets, and contracts make this game so immensely replayable for me. At it's core, Hitman is a puzzle game that tasks you to take out your target using whatever tools and restrictions you want. You can try to silently enter a location and eliminate your target without anyone knowing you were there, or on a subsequent playthrough you can bring a rifle and silently pick off your target from a vantage point on the other side of town, and be gone by the time the guards find the spot. To top it off, the most recent major update as of the time of this review added Freelancer, a rogue-like gamemode where you begin with nothing, and kill random targets on the same campaign maps but with different challenges and earnable loot, which is immensely fun as a challenge to yourself once you have mastered the main campaign.

Hitman is pog, but I'm still dipping a toe into the series. I love Blood Money to death and the only other game I've played all the way through is this one, minus the two before it.

Personally, I don't much care for plot in a my funny goober stealth game so it's honestly fine that I had no idea what was going on, the main thing is that it was funny as all hell to get through. There are just thousands of different ways to get to the same ending, which is what should be expected in newer entries.

That being said, I wasn't a super fan of some of the level designs and their layouts. I wish that there were more honestly, but I suppose you get the "more" from owning the rest of the trilogy.

The game bugged out and soft-locked me pretty deep into the vineyard level, but other than that it ran mostly fine. I was excited for the Seven Deadly Sins DLC but it was kinda mediocre.

It was good enough for me to want to go back to the start of the trilogy whenever I get my hands on the rest of it.

To cut a long story short, this game has no major flaws.
There's plenty of mission diversity, never a dull moment, and maximum playability.

The game's story, with this latest opus, is interesting and meaningful.

IO Interactive's in-house engine makes the game magnificent. Despite this, most configurations can still easily run the game.

5/5 for me, the best of all Hitman games combined.