A DEADLY HIT
AS A longtime fan of action movies, I’m used to seeing some strange items used as improvised weapons. In Shaun of the Dead, Shaun and Ed saw off zombies in the back garden by flinging vinyl records at them.
In Die Hard 2, John Mcclane dispatched a baddie with an icicle.
And in Hitman III, I’ve just clobbered someone with a banana – and he’s not getting up from that.
The third and final installment of the World of Assassination trilogy has finally arrived, bringing to an explosive end the journey Agent 47 started in 2016.
While technically the eighth game in the series, Hitman III is actually more of an expansion pack, adding extra levels in which to play out murderous mayhem.
If you’ve already dipped your toes into either of the trilogy’s previous games, then this will feel instantly familiar, the controls and interface having barely changed. There are a couple of new toys for our eager assassin to play with though, including the introduction of a camera which you can use to examine or hack items.
HITMAN III (PEGI 18) PS4, PS5, XBOX ONE, XS, SWITCH HHHHH
The real jewel in the crown of this game though are the maps, boasting six striking new levels which could easily be the strongest in the series.
Opening in Dubai, your first kill sees you on the roof of a skyscraper, risking life and limb to make your way inside and take down your target.
Graphically it’s beautiful, the clouds swirling beneath the roof giving vertigo-inducing glimpses of the ground many miles below.
From the dizzying highs of Dubai, you find your next mission in the slightly less glamorous Dartmoor – sent to a crumbling stately home where you pose as a detective there to do a little light sleuthing after the suspicious death of the owner.
In reality you’re just aiming to get closer to your target, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t have a bit of fun exploring the huge house for clues, as you bide your time to your next kill.
As ever, the best part of this game is the planning and precision needed to pull off each hit, and
every map offers up new and interesting ways in which to terminate your target.
Which brings me back to the banana. While hitting or throwing it at someone is the obvious way to go, there’s a more slapstick approach you can take, by deliberately dropping the fruit in the path of a foe, leading them to slip on the discarded skin.
It’s these beautiful little touches of humour which make Hitman so much fun to play.
One of my favourite additions to Hitman 2 was Ghost Mode, a fun co-op feature that allowed you to hunt targets simultaneously, while seeing a ‘ghost’ image of your rival to track their progress.
Sadly, as there are no multiplayer options here, ghost mode has also been stripped out.
Instead, developer IO Interactive has made this the first of the games to support VR, and it retroactively provides VR functionality for Hitman: The Complete First Season, and Hitman 2.
Like its predecessors, there’s an absolute wealth of content here, if you’re prepared to dig a little beneath the surface.
Each map is dripping with clues and hints that point Agent 47 away from the main mission and down exciting paths that lead to unlocking fresh challenges and new weaponry.
As overwhelming as it can be at first, nothing beats that adrenaline rush when an overheard snippet of conversation becomes the final piece you need to solve a puzzle.
You have to admire IO Interactive’s commitment to its vision, sticking with an overarching approach for nearly five years. But the result is a rich, and rewarding experience you’ll want to play again and again.
Buy it: £44.95 thegamecollection.net