HITMAN, another game hit by the Reboot bug, after what many consider a low point in its Career with Absolution HITMAN looks to go back to its roots with its newest release. Developed by IO Interactive and published under Square Enix, HITMAN switches from the full game release style to the more coveted style of Episodic releases with the first episode in March, second in April and so forth till the end of the year for 7 episodes in total. Everyone wants to be a TV show nowadays…
Story
(This is for episode 3, for episode 2 go here)
Similarly to Episode 2, Episode 3 throws you into the next mission without much continuation of the overarching story. You’re given your briefing to take out 2 targets, not additional sabotage this time, 1 of which is General Reza Zaydan who is hiding within an abandoned school turned military HQ and the other who is Claus Hugo Strandberg with a much better looking office building. Once again we are treated to a cutscene at the end for the overarching story but no loose ends are tied beside the fact that the “Organization” we are after seems to have caught onto the fact they are being targeted.
Set within Marrakesh, the town is more of a desert city, with carpets and tarps lining the streets and its market stalls. The streets themselves are densely populated, even more than the previous 2 episodes, being a welcome shift in scenery to the other missions. A lot of the area isn’t really utilised for opportunities or ways of entry but do allow several options on how to approach the entryways.
Episode 3 continues the length of the previous episode, albeit it can seem to be a shorter mission due to the layout. The two targets are rather close together and finding them isn’t really difficult, finding a way to take them out silently is a whole other matter however. The map itself is more condensed whilst keeping a lot of variety, though it feels like there are less tools within the level. The mission can take around 20-30 minutes for the first playthrough, but speed running is rather simple due to the straightforward design.
Gameplay
The level design is more focused on patrols, disguises and the like, forcing you to plan your moves carefully as enemies will patrol hallways, stand guard at staircases, do rounds and drills from their superiors. The Zaydan HQ can be considered the highlight due to the amount of enemies found within, similar to the training mission we have in episode 1, you will need to sneak around plenty of armed guards, using window entrances, broken staircases and more.
Verticality and accidental kills are pushed aside somewhat in this episode, going for a more militarized approach. You will need to follow patrol length and areas to find the correct time to move, along with hiding a lot more as you await your moment to strike or move. There are plenty of dead ends that can slow you down, staircases being blocked or destroyed and fences being impossible to climb or ledges impossible to drop from.
Overall Thoughts and Feelings
I like the themes going on in this mission, it feels vastly different then the first two and require more thinking behind your approach. While the entrances into the 2 buildings can kind of feel linear, getting through them will take more planning then before. Disguises need to be changed often, due to having 2 separate forces, on top of enemies seeing through your disguise with ease.
Marrakesh isn’t for a casual playthrough, you need to plan accordingly and search the immediate area as I found myself caught quite a bit. There are holes in the floors and walls, allowing enemies to spot you taking out someone, as well as the windows scattered about. Zaydan is kept under heavy guard and was the hardest contract to take out thus far, but if you follow the opportunities you will find a way past all that.
HITMAN episode 3 gets an 8/10 the story continues to lay flat in the background sadly, though it is ramping up towards something. Your approach to the mission itself is altered slightly due to the level design which is very welcome. The amount of characters is a welcome sight and add to the immersion, but the lack of interactivity with them can break that immersion pretty quickly. It can also isolate the good players from the bad in the way it fills the level with guards, cameras and other ways to catch you out.
